T
he City of Palo Alto is set to open up the 700-acre Stanford Research Park for housing development, a move that could bring much-needed homes to the area. The city council has approved plans to remove zoning restrictions at the park, which is home to over 150 companies including Tesla and Google. This change will allow for residential projects to be built without needing special permits.

    The new ordinance, part of the city's state-mandated housing plan, aims to rezone the research park for 6,086 homes by 2031, with 2,452 affordable units included. However, construction is unlikely to begin until after 2031, when the state housing element cycle ends.

    In addition to rezoning the research park, the city council has also backed a plan to build an 80-unit affordable housing project on a city-owned lot in downtown Palo Alto. This is part of the city's broader effort to convert parking lots into homes, as outlined in its housing plan.