I have a development project, where should I begin with the City?
It is highly recommended that applicant meet with Planning staff to discuss plan requirements prior to submittal of application and plans. Should applicant submit the application and plans prior to meeting, the applicant is aware that plans may be deemed “INCOMPLETE” if required materials are missing. It will also be counted as one (1) of the three (3) reviews that are included in the planning review fees.
Preliminary Design: Before starting a project design, the City of East Palo Alto highly recommends the project team (owners, applicants, planners, architects, engineers, landscape architects, and other design professionals) to review this document link here.
Contact Information
1960 Tate Street
East Palo Alto, CA 94303
Ph: 650-853-3189
Email: planning@cityofepa.org
Counter Hours
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 9:00am - 3:45pm (Closed 12:00pm - 1:00pm) Wednesday and Friday virtually and by appointment only
(Please note in order to allow for processing time, the last walk-ins for service are at 11:45 am and 3:45 pm)
Counter staff will be available virtually and by appointment only on Wednesday and Fridays. Staff can be reached at any time and appointments can be made by emailing staff at planning@cityofepa.org or via this link. Planning staff will continue to respond to emails by the following day or the following Monday for inquiries received on Friday.
In the case of more urgent issues or questions tied directly to an existing project, please contact the project planner or call the mainline (650-853-3189) to be routed to the project planner. We thank you for your patience and understanding.
Note: Please drop off all payments/checks attached with relevant application forms in addition to emailing us a copy. Application forms must be attached. Checks without forms attached will not be processed.
All payment for projects will be required to be paid by a check made out to "City of East Palo Alto"
This check will be attached to the planning permit application form and dropped off at a no-contact Drop Box at the address listed above.
Upcoming Events
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07/17/2025 - 4:00pm