Safe Parking Permit Applications
Published on December 11, 2024
What is Safe Parking?
Safe Parking offers unhoused individuals sheltering in their vehicles a place to safely and legally park while connecting with services and support. Safe parking programs aim to help participants find safe, stable, and affordable housing. In Palo Alto, safe parking programs operate in publicly owned and religious institution parking lots. Public lots, like the one at 2000 Geng Road, allow continuous parking and are supported by funding from the County of Santa Clara. Congregation-based programs require participants to leave the lot daily, with vehicles allowed on-site from 6:00 pm to 8:00 am, accommodating from four to eight passenger vehicles per night. City Council established a process for the establishment of new safe parking sites as part of the support for this program.
Palo Alto Municipal Code Section 18.42.160 (Ordinance 5490) allows churches and religious institutions to operate safe parking programs within the City of Palo Alto. The safe parking programs provide interim assistance to households using vehicles as their residence by providing a safe place to park, access to restroom facilities, connection to social service programs, and other support to transition households into permanent, stable housing.
The County of Santa Clara, leasing property from the City of Palo Alto, operates a safe parking program for recreational vehicles (RVs) at 2000 Geng Road. In addition to this City/County partnership, four congregation-based sites host safe parking for passenger vehicles only.
For more information on Safe Parking, please see Ordinance 5490, the September 10, 2019 Policy and Services Committee Staff Report and the January 13, 2020 Council Staff Report.
New Safe Parking Ordinance - February 2024
On January 16, 2024, City Council voted to approve a Permanent Safe Parking Ordinance (ORD 5609)(PDF, 399KB). This Ordinance went into effect on February 16, 2024.
Notable changes from the Interim Ordinance:
- Safe Parking Permits will not expire
- Safe Parking sites will have the option, over the next 3 years, to increase their capacity from 4 cars to 8 cars
- Best Practices learned from the implementation of the interim ordinance were incorporated. For the permit process, this includes staff-hosted community meetings, and neighbor noticing requirements. For the site operation, this includes nighttime quiet hours, lot monitoring practices, and annual reports.
City staff coordinated with the Safe Parking sites to have them re-permitted under the new Ordinance. During this process, the existing sites were allowed to continue operating under their temporary permits.
Safe Parking Applications
2000 Geng Road - Recreational Vehicle (RV) Parking
City Council Approved: September 14, 2020
Originally Adopted: October 15, 2020
Revision Adopted: September 20, 2024
4161 Alma Street - Congregation Etz Chayim
Original Approval: June 14, 2023
Revised Approval: April 17, 2024
1985 Louis Road - First Congregational Church of Palo Alto
Original Approval: July 21, 2022
Revised Approval: April 17, 2024
3373 Middlefield Road – Highway Community
Original Approval: March 1, 2021
Revised Approval: April 17, 2024
505 E. Charleston Road – Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto
Original Approval: May 12, 2021
Revised Approval: July 17, 2024
Community Meetings
March 2024
A virtual community meeting was held virtually on March 26, 2024, at 6pm hosted by City of Palo Alto. The meeting was to discuss the currently operating Safe Parking sites and renewing their interim permits as permanent permits under the Permanent Safe Parking Ordinance (ORD 5609) adopted on February 16, 2024. Representatives from the City of Palo Alto, the participating congregations, and MOVE Mountain View (the non-profit operating the safe parking facilities), were present to answer questions about the site operations. A recording of the meeting is provided below:
Community Meeting Notice Card(PDF, 149KB)
Meeting Recording
June 2023
A community meeting was held on June 13, 2023 at 6pm hosted by City of Palo Alto and Congregation Etz Chayim. The meeting served as a neighborhood check‐in regarding Safe Parking and discussed the proposed Safe Parking program that allows four (4) vehicles at 4161 Alma Street (Congregation Etz Chayim). Representatives from the City of Palo Alto, Congregation Etz Chayim, and MOVE Mountain View (the non‐profit operating the safe parking facilities), were in attendance. A recording of the meeting is provided below:
Community Meeting Notice Card(PDF, 450KB)
Meeting Recording
Safe Parking Application Process
All Safe Parking permit applications will be reviewed by Planning Staff for conformance with PAMC 18.42.160. An application form must be filled out, and the application must meet the Submittal Checklist requirements. Please visit the Online Permit Services webpage for information on how to submit an application online.
A decision on the application will be made as described in PAMC 18.42.160 (2), and may be appealed as described in PAMC 18.42.160(3)-(5):
How to File An Appeal: Should you or any other resident within 600 feet of the proposed safe parking location desire to file an appeal of the permit, please follow the steps below.
1. Potential appellants must fill out the City’s appeal form (bit.ly/appealformPA), and email (1) the completed form along with (2) a letter stating their reasons for the appeal to the Manager of Current Planning (Claire.Raybould@CityofPaloAlto.org) and Planning Support Staff (Veronica.Dao@CityofPaloAlto.org, Nishita.Kandikuppa@CityofPaloAlto.org, & Emily.Kallas@CityofPaloAlto.org) within 14 days of the date the notice is mailed.
2. Staff will review the appeal for timeliness and completeness. They will contact you to collect the appeal fee, which is currently $740.00. The fee can be paid online. If the appeal fee is not paid within 5 calendar days of the request, the appeal will be considered withdrawn.
3. The appeal will be assigned to appropriate staff for next steps. The item will be placed on the City Council’s consent calendar. If passed on the consent calendar, the permit issuance will be upheld. If 3 members of the Council vote to remove the item from consent, another hearing will be scheduled.