Rather than petitioning Palo Alto leaders to make exceptions to its zoning code, the team behind a mixed-use development proposal on California Ave. are turning to a new state law that allows them to bypass local restrictions on height and density.
The new proposal for 414 California Ave. calls for five stories of apartment units, 39 units, above a ground-floor retail and restaurant space, with two stories underground parking totaling 75 stalls. At its tallest, the building would rise to 72 feet by taking advantage of Senate Bill 79, the state law that took effect last week and which allows housing projects to go up to 75 feet within a quarter-mile of a transit stop.
Previous iterations of the project were largely similar, envisioning a similar six-story layout with 37 apartments at 78 feet tall. But when the development team went before the City Council to make their case last year, they tried to convince city officials to make exceptions to the existing height and density caps under the planned home zoning (PHZ) process…