The Triple El Eichler tract in Palo Alto is a 1955 Jones & Emmons neighborhood of 68 lots, by the count in the city's 2018 Eichler design guidelines. The guidelines single it out, along with Los Arboles, as having architectural cohesion equal to or beyond the city's two Eichler historic districts. Yet the name Triple El doesn't appear on the city's 2015 list of single-story overlays, even though the tract has one.
This post covers what the city's records say about the tract, how its overlay shows up under another name, why flood zones matter on these streets, and where it stands as a National Register candidate. Where the records leave gaps, we say so. For homes across the city, see our Palo Alto mid-century modern page.
What the city's records say
The guidelines' table of Palo Alto Eichler tracts gives Triple El three facts: 1955, Jones & Emmons and 68 lots. A footnote says the lot counts come from city GIS files and don't necessarily match the number of homes. On the guidelines' citywide map, Triple El is tract number 16, shaded as part of an overlay. Beside it is number 15, an unnamed 1955 tract of 23 lots on Blair Court.
On the city's parcel map, read in November 2026, we counted 68 parcels with single-story overlay zoning, R-1 (S), on these streets:
Elsinore Drive: 33 parcels.
El Cajon Way: 29 parcels.
Elsinore Court: 4 parcels.
Greer Road: 2 parcels.
Of the 68, 66 show a 1955 build year. One shows 1993 and one 2017, which can mean a newer house, though the map doesn't say. Recorded lot sizes run from about 6,240 to 10,090 square feet, with a median near 6,570. Every parcel lists a historic status of "none" and a 17-foot height limit.
We didn't find a city or county record that explains the name Triple El. The county's online index of recorded maps, which has gaps in its 1950s volumes, has no map for these streets. The city also seems to use the name for more than the tract. A 2016 city staff report on a lot split just outside the overlay, on North California Avenue, lists that property's neighborhood as Triple El.
The Jones & Emmons credit
The city's table credits Triple El to Jones & Emmons alone. Triple El and Channing Park No. 3, both dated 1955, are the last Palo Alto tracts the table credits to the firm by itself. Its later credits, Garland Park (1958) and Los Arboles (1959–1961), are shared with Anshen & Allen. We found no tract map or permit set that names Triple El's architect directly, so the table is our only source for the credit. Our Jones & Emmons architect page covers the firm's wider work.
The overlay under another name
A June 2015 city staff report lists all twelve single-story overlay zones adopted by then, 846 lots in all. None is called Triple El. One entry reads "Garland (Elsinore Drive)," 68 lots, Ordinance 4721. The 68 overlay parcels we counted, centered on Elsinore Drive, match that count and the tract table's 68 lots, and the guidelines' map shades Triple El as an overlay. We read the Garland (Elsinore Drive) overlay as the Triple El tract, but no single record we found says so in those words.
Two cautions. First, don't confuse the overlay's name with Garland Park, a separate 1958 tract of 35 lots that the guidelines credit to Jones & Emmons and Anshen & Allen. Second, on the parcel map the overlay stops at these 68 lots. Nearby Garland Drive and El Verano Avenue lots are plain R-1, with build years mostly from the 1940s and 1950s. Blair Court's 1955 lots are plain R-1 too.
We couldn't read Ordinance 4721 itself. The Municipal Code's ordinance list, read in November 2026, dates it November 22, 2001 and describes it as changing part of Tract 1371 from R-1 to R-1(S); the City Clerk’s ordinance list shows it passed on October 22, 2001. It doesn't say what level of owner support the application relied on. Municipal Code section 18.12.100, as posted in November 2026 and in the 2007 printing attached to the 2015 report, limits homes in an overlay to 17 feet and one habitable floor, with lofts and mezzanines counted as floors. Our single-story overlay guide covers how overlays are added and removed.
Flood zones on Elsinore and El Cajon
Flood zones split this tract. By our count from the parcel map, 35 of the 68 overlay parcels are in zone X. Fifteen are labeled AE10.5, and 18 more are split between X and an AE label. FEMA describes zone X as moderate or minimal flood hazard. It lists AE among its special flood hazard areas, the land a flood with a 1-percent chance in any year is expected to cover.
The guidelines explain what that means in Palo Alto. AE areas are where flood waters are expected to pond with a level surface, like a lake. The city's flood rules are in Municipal Code section 16.52 and apply to new construction and "substantial improvement" in a special flood hazard area. The lowest floor must be raised above the flood level, which in effect rules out basements.
The overlay accounts for that. Under the current code text, if a house in a special flood hazard area has to be raised to reach the base flood elevation, its 17-foot limit goes up by half of that rise, to no more than 20 feet. Flood maps change, and the guidelines advise getting a parcel report. FEMA's flood zone definitions are a useful starting point.
This is general information, not legal advice. Before you buy, remodel or rebuild on an AE lot, confirm the current flood zone and rules with the City of Palo Alto, and ask an insurance professional about flood coverage.
A National Register candidate
The guidelines recommend nominating more Eichler tracts to the National Register where there's community interest. They say Triple El and Los Arboles have architectural cohesion that "equals or surpasses" the Greenmeadow and Green Gables historic districts, and that these tracts may be eligible for listing.
Those two districts were nominated by residents and listed in 2005. The guidelines call listing generally honorary, and they note that Eichler tracts with a single-story overlay don't trigger the city's discretionary review. The state's list of listed resources in Santa Clara County, checked in November 2026, shows the two 2005 districts and no Triple El entry.
Checking a Triple El house
Start with the parcel: confirm the "(S)" zoning and the flood label for that lot, since neighbors on the same street can differ. Then look at the paper trail. Ask the city for the building permit history; our guide to checking permit history walks through it. Look for the CC&Rs as well. The guidelines say the city doesn't enforce CC&Rs, though residents may, and that many tracts' CC&Rs have been forgotten.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called Triple El?
We didn't find a record that explains the name. The city's guidelines use it for the 1955 Jones & Emmons tract, and a 2016 city report uses it for a neighborhood that reaches at least a little beyond the tract.
Does Triple El have a single-story overlay?
Yes. By our count, the parcel map shows R-1 (S) zoning on 68 parcels on Elsinore Drive, Elsinore Court, El Cajon Way and Greer Road. The city's 2015 list appears to record it as "Garland (Elsinore Drive)," 68 lots, Ordinance 4721.
Is Triple El in a flood zone?
Partly. By our count, about half the overlay parcels are in zone X, and the rest are wholly or partly in an AE special flood hazard area. Check the flood label for the specific lot.
Is Triple El a historic district?
No. The guidelines say it may be eligible for the National Register, but the state's list has no Triple El entry. A listing would start with a nomination, which the guidelines tie to community interest.
Related reading
Greer Park Eichler History: Palo Alto's 1950 Anshen & Allen Tract
Eichler Architects: Who Designed Which Homes, Tract by Tract
Channing Park Eichler, Palo Alto: The 1951–52 Tracts and Their Overlay
More guides on this topic: Eichler Neighborhoods & Tract Histories
Thinking about buying or selling in Triple El? Call or text the Boyenga Team at Compass at (408) 373-1660 or (650) 383-8606, or contact the Boyenga Team online.
