Existing dwelling unit electrification

All existing dwelling units with dedicated covered parking spaces qualify for the allowable intrusions and encroachments described on this webpage.¹

"Electric equipment" means electric home appliances intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by electrifying buildings within the city (such as heat pumps to replace natural gas water heaters and/or furnaces, EV chargers, battery storage systems and related electric equipment).

An "electric equipment enclosure" means a weatherproof enclosure built to protect the electric equipment, screen the equipment from view, and reduce noise from the equipment attached or next to an existing dwelling.

Allowable intrusions into a garage or carport space include the following items summarized below (see Section 16.60.010 of the Municipal Code for the detailed text):

Within garages and carports, EV chargers and tankless water heaters mounted along a wall and 48 inches or higher above the slab.

Electric equipment located less than 48 inches above the slab may be placed in up to two three-foot-by-three-foot areas in an existing garage dedicated to a specific dwelling unit. These encroachments may be combined to create one three-foot-by-six-foot area, as long as the equipment does not encroach more than three feet into the required width or depth of the garage.

The City of Menlo Park does not allow overnight parking in residential zoning districts. A property owner acknowledgment form is required for projects proposing to locate electric equipment within a required clear covered parking space. By signing this form, the property owner recognizes and accepts the voluntary size reduction of their parking area. Applicants can review the required acknowledgment form here(PDF, 105KB) .

Electric equipment enclosures meeting the following criteria are exempt from floor area, building coverage, and landscaping/paving requirements. 

Maximum height: 9 feet and 6 inches

Maximum footprint: 16 square feet

Permitted encroachments into required setbacks

The maximum side and rear yard encroachments for electric equipment enclosures are four feet, as long as the enclosure is a minimum of three feet from the affected side or rear property line.

Enclosures proposed for condominium developments (as defined in Section 15.34.010 of the Municipal Code) must be located entirely within the exclusive use area for the dwelling utilizing the enclosure.

Exemption from square footage, building coverage, and similar requirements

Equipment enclosures that do not exceed the required setbacks or maximum height above may exceed the floor area limit or floor area ratio by up to 16 square feet.

All building permit applications must be submitted online. Please see the online services and electrification permit requirements pages for more information about the Building Division permitting process and requirements. Please contact Matt Pruter with any questions about the allowances for electric equipment and the Planning Division review process.

Submittal Requirements  

Building permit application form(PDF, 205KB)

Acknowledgment form(PDF, 105KB) (if an encroachment into a covered parking space is proposed)

Full site plan (if an equipment enclosure is proposed), showing the existing dwelling, proposed encroachment area, encroachment area dimensions, and proposed setback dimensions and adjacent property lines

Floor plan (if an encroachment into a covered parking space is proposed), showing and dimensioning the proposed encroachment area within the garage or carport

Matt Pruter
Associate Planner
Email

650-330-6703