Council Approves Pilot Program Allowing Overnight Vehicle Parking at Religious Institutions

Learn more about a pilot program recently approved by the City Council and details on other upcoming housing related discussions taking place

Palo Alto is not alone in its work to address housing challenges in our community. In fact, all cities in the region are exploring ways to build more housing, maintain existing affordable housing supply, and implement policies to help address housing concerns.

Several cities are evaluating programs to allow individuals and families to stay in their cars overnight. On January 13, the Palo Alto City Council approved a pilot program to allow up to four permits at religious institutions where an individual person or family could stay in their vehicle overnight. Read on to learn more about the new program and details on other housing discussions taking place.

Safe Parking Pilot Program Details

In November 2019, the Policy and Services Committee unanimously recommended that staff draft an ordinance that would enable a Safe Parking pilot program for a limited 18-month period for City Council to consider in early 2020. The City Council approved the program at their meeting on January 13.

The initial pilot program will allow up to four vehicles to park overnight at religious institutions for a limited time and subject to permit approval. The permit authorizing a safe parking program would require a public notice to be sent within a 600 feet radius of the institution location. A tentative decision on the application would be made by the planning director (like most applications) and subject to appeal directly to the City Council. Appeals would be limited to those within the 600-foot notification radius.

It would also establish operation standards in ways that provide dignity to those being served by the program and provide appropriate consideration for neighboring properties. Program standards include hours of operation, quiet hours, required facilities like restrooms, contact information of the religious institution to address issues, required connection to Santa Clara County Case Management System for support services, and safe and clean properties.

The initial pilot program is for an 18-month period. Staff will return to Council prior to March 2022 to provide an update on the program and propose additional changes that may allow a longer-term program with additional program features. The pilot would allow an opportunity for the community to experience the program while ensuring check-in points to learn from the program’s initial implementation.

For the staff report about the Safe Parking Program, go here. For the City Council meeting minutes and other meeting materials, go here.

Palo Alto’s Housing Discussions

Several housing conversations are planned in early 2020 and policies have already been approved this year to help address the City’s housing priority and support the regional housing challenges all local communities face.

• City Council will consider a status update on the City’s Housing Work Plan on February 3. For the staff report, go here.
• Staff will be returning to the City Council with changes to the City’s policies to make it easier to build Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) (also called granny units or secondary units) as a way to encourage affordable housing and recently approved changes to align with State law
• Council approved changes to it’s Planned Development Areas to establish a new PDA downtown to align comprehensive plan policies directing future housing and commercial development downtown and to take advantage of future grant funding opportunities. For the initial staff report, go here.

Attend, Watch or Listen to the City Council Meetings

City Council meetings are open to the public and the public is encouraged to attend. Meetings typically occur on Mondays at 6 p.m. and are located at Palo Alto’s City Hall at 250 Hamilton Avenue. The Council meetings are located on the Ground Floor in the Council Chambers.

You can watch the live stream here, or watch the meeting on cable channels 26 or 29. Share your feedback with the City Council by emailing them at city.council@cityofpaloalto.org.

To sign up to receive City Council meeting agendas via email as they are published, go here.

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