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Stanford University is preparing for its future. This effort requires us to ensure that our physical spaces serve the needs of our students and faculty and facilitate the groundbreaking research that has contributed so importantly to the world around us.

To that end, Stanford has submitted an application to Santa Clara County for an updated General Use Permit to authorize the next phase of campus land use in the coming years. The process involves internal examination of the university’s academic and space needs as well as consultation with neighbors and community partners.  Stanford has been operating under two key Santa Clara County entitlement documents: a Community Plan and a 2000 General Use Permit. The Community Plan provides a set of rules and policies to guide the university’s land use planning over an extended period of time. The General Use Permit implements those policies and includes specific conditions to minimize impacts of Stanford’s development. The Community Plan and General Use Permit were intended to provide Stanford flexibility in its land use within an agreed-upon framework, with accountability to the county and neighboring communities. Stanford will seek to obtain approval of an updated 2018 General Use Permit that is expected to extend through 2035.