Montebello City Council
April 10, 2024

2. PLACE-MAKING
Placemaking is a people-centric approach to the planning, design and management of public spaces. The public spaces include downtown streets, parks, Rio Hondo Channel, and public
frontages of buildings.

The Vision capitalizes on existing assets, community desires, and the latent potential of downtown with the intention of creating public spaces that promote people's health, happiness, and well-being. Public space as a system (a network of spaces) delivers exponential benefits. In a network approach, infrastructure and landscape become an inextricable green infrastructure recommended by the Montebello General Plan.

Good access is fundamental for people to reap the numerous social, health, cultural, environmental and economic benefit of the downtown area. Access may be delivered in many ways but the most humane is pedestrian access. Key to this is the design of a public space network that is safe, comfortable, and enjoyable, where walking is done by choice. Recognizing the existing assets of the downtown area, the vision is centered on converging phased public and private investments and activating public streets and open spaces.
24 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan
Aerial rendering of downtown area.

Part B: Vision 25

Rio Hondo
Bike Trail
Whittier Blvd
Montebello Blvd
7th St
Spruce St
Greenwood Ave
4th St
Blu Rd
Montebello
City Park
Cleveland Ave
Olympic Blvd
Los Angeles Ave
26 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan
A. Green Infrastructure
The Montebello General Plan identifies an integrated and connected Green Infrastructure (GI) system that will draw people to the Rio Hondo Channel and create a green network that connects neighborhoods, parks, schools, and other amenities within the City. The Downtown Montebello Specific Plan seeks to weave together the Downtown plaza, parks, open spaces, green streets and paths to the revitalized Rio Hondo Channel to the east and the Montebello City Park to the west. The GI components are:

Major corridors: Maximize shade trees to increase pedestrian activity and calming roadway speeds.

Neighborhood Streets: Flowering shade tree districts that encourages neighborhood identity and connections.

Downtown: Establish Downtown as a pedestrian friendly area with wide sidewalks, shaded street trees, street art, and iconic plazas. Allow for street closures for various events, holiday festivities, farmers market, lively arts and entertainment.

Trail Systems: Increase linkages to the Rio Hondo trail. Encourage urban pedestrian trails within neighborhoods connecting open space and other points of interest.

City Center Plaza: Just east of the intersection of Montebello Boulevard on Whittier Boulevard is the proposed City Center Plaza. The plaza will be a gateway to the central core of the downtown. The plaza arrival will be accented by a mix of strong vertical Italian Cypress trees and Date Palms at the intersection of Montebello and Whittier Boulevards. The plaza open space will be carved in the urban building fabric to be used for community events, celebrations and social gatherings. The plaza paving flows across Whittier Boulevard to Seventh Street Paseo tying together the downtown neighborhoods with easy access to public parking to the north and south. Existing alleys can serve as alternate vehicular routes for those special events when the City chooses to close the Downtown Core for major block party events and celebrations. Vase form trees line the central core of the district that allows for storefront and signage visibility, while providing a shaded canopy above. Special lighting within the core and plaza can be added on festive occasions.
2 2
2 2
3 5
5 4
6 3
1 1
Street trees provide human scale, shade, character, and encourage neighborhood identity.

Downtown Pedestrian Core. The Specific Plan proposes to narrow Whittier Boulevard from 4 lanes to 2, widen sidewalks, and add two urban plazas. Cross streets are proposed to enhanced by promoting flex parking or parklets from Whittier Boulevard to the alleys.

Part B: Vision 27
Stairs, ramps, and public art in
the Sculpture Park leading to the
Rio Hondo Channel.

Parklets on Whittier Boulevard introduce new streetscape features such as seating, planting, bicycle parking, or elements of play.

Located adjacent to the Whittier Boulevard Bridge crossing of the Rio Hondo this connecting space brings accessibility
of the downtown to the water amenity.

Gentle curving ramps and stairs meander
thru the space that is envisioned to have
community works of art accenting the
river walk connector experience.

Bridge abutments are cladded with bas
relief art works and sculptures and other
environmental art elements are dotted
along the walk. The connecter park space
reinforces the daily commuter entry arrival
into Montebello from the east. California
Sycamore trees meander through the lush
native riparian plantings of the connector
walk and ramps. The space is secured at
night with decorative functional art fences
and gates and well-lit spaces.
5 4
4 6
3 Steps and ramps within a sculpture park setting link downtown to the Rio Hondo Channel.

Rio Hondo trail system with enhanced pedestrian and bicycling connectors to neighborhoods.

Revitalized Rio Hondo Channel.

GAS GAS GAS GAS GAS GAS
GAS
GAS
Bas Relief Art Wall
precast concrete
images on walls
Alter horse trail to
go around
sculpture garden
Sculpture pieces, typical
Night time security closure
fencing & gates, open during
specied hours
Accessible ramp to
street & bike route

28 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

Enhancing entry sites to the east of the
city boundary along the revitalized Rio
Hondo Channel – the Plan proposes to
enhance edge sites with development that
helps create a gateway gesture into the city
from the east intended to help delineate the
major commercial corridor in the city.

Part B: Vision 29

B. Vibrant Downtown
Enhancing Whittier Boulevard – The
historic Main Street along Whittier
Boulevard east of 11th Street has the
makings of a memorable downtown. The
Downtown Montebello Specific Plan
developed in conjunction with the General Plan proposes to enhance the street through selective market supported infill
development with two and three-story
buildings that will augment the character
and quality of the street as well as activate
the street giving new energy to the area
through unique, local, and high-quality
experience-based retail opportunities.
30 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan
Figure B.4. Temporary Street Fair along Whittier Boulevard.

Figure B.5. Temporary public event at the urban plaza.

The mid-block large, urban plaza will magnify the downtown’s energy and activity, and also provide rest and relaxation in an urban context.

The paved surface of the plaza would extend into the street and along seventh street drawing people into the plaza while slowing down the traffic to create a safe and comfortable pedestrian priority zone in the downtown area.

Three-story building along Whittier Boulevard with a four-story building element towards the rear provide spatial enclosure and intensity and variety of land uses necessary to activate the plaza. Arcade on the ground level can provide shade and sheltered space for outdoor cafes.

The shape, design, and proportion of the plaza is ideal for hosting large and small community gatherings, celebrations, and events.

Part B: Vision 31

C. Great Streets
Whittier Boulevard — The historic core of the City. The General Plan recommends two larger activity anchors at either end of the downtown: 1) on the western edge, new mixed-use development anchored by a public plaza closer to Montebello Boulevard; 2) and on the eastern edge, a new mixed-use development with a sculpture park that links downtown to the Rio Hondo Trail system. The two anchors are connected by continuous row of smaller existing and new infill buildings along the way.

West of Montebello Boulevard, new mixed-use infill on Whittier Boulevard could generate new housing and also help connect the Main Street environment westward as public realm of comparable quality, with a different character and use based on various residential development typologies.
32 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan
Convert 7th Street one-way street into a plaza & park,
extend plaza across Whittier Boulevard. 7th Street plaza becomes the civic center plaza for holiday festivals, rallies, & other family events.

Bus Stop
Convert existing parking
lot into plaza.

Accent
Palm Trees
Vase form
Shade Trees
Accent
Palm Trees
Reduce Whittier Boulevard to
2 — 13’ wide thru lanes
with left turn pockets
10’ left/thru 12’ right or thru
City-owned parking lot
Future parking garage
Landscaped median
separator for left turn pocket
The General Plan recommends enhancing the City’s principal streets as part of an open space and development scaffold. The grid of streets are the city’s most ubiquitous public space. This vision proposes the enhancement of the city’s main north-south and east-west arterials. These enhancements will include streetscape improvements with landscape and appropriate navigation to make these streets identifiable routes within the overall city grid. These landscaped streets along with new proposed parks, and plazas will create a large open space scaffold around which development will be planned and designed.

Figure B.7. Whittier Boulevard, gateway location. Figure B.8. Whittier Boulevard, within the Downtown Core area.

Figure B.9. Whittier Boulevard, west of Spruce Street.

Figure B.6. Whittier Boulevard streetscape improvements.

Montebello Boulevard — This plan proposes new infill along North Montebello between Washington Boulevard and Whittier Boulevard as means to connect the historic main street and new transit-district. This portion of the street could be designed to be bicycle-friendly and walkable to accord a seamless connection between the two east-west streets.

Residential Streets — Flowering street trees harken back to the Montebello’s moniker as the “City of Flowers” while encouraging neighborhood identity.

Figure B.11. Montebello Boulevard, north of Whittier Boulevard.

Figure B.10. Parklet illustration.

Figure B.12. Typical Residential Streets.

Part B: Vision 33
Whittier Boulevard could be closed to trac from
Montebello Boulevard to 6th Street. Trac could be
redirected through alleys or major north and south streets.

Bus Stop
Relocated
Bus Stop
Relocated
Bus Stop
Landscape areas
Žowers & trees
Flex parking &
parklet use areas
Sculpture
Garden
Bass relief art wall precast
Flex parking & concrete images on walls
parklet use areas
Landscaped median
separator for left turn pocket
Whittier Blvd. - Rio Hondo
Pedestrian & Bicycle Connector
Rio Hondo
Channel
Rio Hondo
Trails
"The street is the river of life of the city, the
place where we come together, the pathway
to the center." —William H. Whyte

Figure B.13. Mobility vision.
34 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan
The City of Montebello’s vision is to provide safe and convenient multimodal travel options for residents, employees, and visitors of all ages and abilities. The City’s aspirational transportation network is one that encourages users to switch from driving alone to other modes such as walking, biking, riding transit, carpooling, and taking rideshare. It is also a network that manages the City’s resources in balance with its land use context and built environment. By providing a multimodal network of complete streets, the City can shift the current driving-dominant mode split towards alternative modes that can bring about public and environmental health benefits.

Moving Cars Moving People
Rio Hondo
Bike Trail
Whittier Blvd
Montebello Blvd
7th St
Spruce St
Greenwood Ave
4th St
Blu Rd
Montebello
City Park
Cleveland Ave
Olympic Blvd
Los Angeles Ave
Downtown Specic Plan Area New Street Public Parking
Mobility Hub
Enhanced Bus Stop
Trail Connection
Downtown Parking District
Walkable Downtown Core
Bus Line 10
Bus Line 20
New alley extension
Enhanced Sidewalk
Proposed Bikelane
Figure B.14. Prioritize moving people over cars.

Downtown Streets will invite people to walk,
bike, scoot, and take reliable, high-frequency public
transit.

D. More Choices for Getting Around

Part B: Vision 35
Montebello will enhance different transport options to get around by focusing on mobility strategies that revolve around the movement of people with sustainable and environmentally friendly modes of transportation. Partially shifting private vehicles to other transport modes like cycling, public- and shared transport has several benefits like improving public health and is an essential step towards improving air quality. This can also be economically beneficial as traffic congestion holds back our economy through lost time and productivity.

To facilitate this shift from private vehicles, Montebello will invest in and prioritize convenient, efficient, affordable, and appealing alternative forms of transport infrastructure and ensure multi-modal network connectivity.

Comfortable bicycle facilities along these roadways can help improve access to local destinations (such as downtown Montebello), improve access to regional destinations such as the Rio Honda Trail, and facilitate connections to major transit hubs.

The General Plan encourages walkable urban development
around transit hubs and corridors. Shaping a more walkable Montebello involves redesigning the space to reduce car dominance and marks the pedestrian re-appropriation of the street in portions of downtown and the corridors. Space for pedestrians, bikes, and transit created by right-sizing the travel lanes for projected vehicular capacity fosters new opportunities for unprecedented urban transformation. Shade trees on major corridors and residential streets with accessible wide sidewalks, enhanced crosswalks, and where feasible reduced number of travel lanes will facilitate walking connections to open space, parks, schools, and other destinations.

Montebello will improve walking/biking access to transit, address gaps in connectivity between transit and destinations through local shuttles, demand responsive services such as Uber or Lyft with appropriate management of curb space for ride-share providers. The Montebello Moves Study will review existing transit services and propose service improvements to improve efficiency and accommodate future growth.

Figure B.15. Mobility Hub at Whittier Boulevard and 4th Street would provide mobility options to residents, employees, and visitors in the Downtown Area and provide connectivity to transit. As shown in the mobility hub illustration, improvements could include providing bus shelters, informational signage, bike parking, and designated loading/unloading curb-space for TNCs.

3. PROSPEROUS
Historically, Whittier Boulevard has been Montebello’s Main Street where the wealth of the community has accumulated over generations. Even today, the small and local businesses in walkable downtown support local business activity, generate greater tax revenue per acre and offer a higher return on investment than any auto-oriented development elsewhere in the City.

Downtown Montebello is also economically significant because of their incredibly high return on public investment. Investment in people-oriented places downtown creates lasting value that will continue to benefit local residents and businesses for decades and even centuries to come.

Adding more building and less parking drives productivity up fastest. As building is added, and downtown grows, multiple factors can continue to boast functionality, private wealth growth, and public productivity:
a. Design and construction for more people (over cars) enables much more land to be used for productive buildings.
b. Mixing of uses on multiple floors improves productivity (value per acre), supports local businesses and makes downtown an enjoyable and safe place for walking.
c. Additional housing types can also improve affordability.

What is productive growth?
Assessing how much a property owner owes in
property tax depends largely on the building
with little value placed on the land beneath as
compared to the building itself. Therefore, if a
developer constructs a cheaper building, they
actually benefit by lower tax value. The result is
that the City loses, both in terms of the property
tax it collects and the long-term legacy of cheap
single-use buildings.

Large-format suburban pattern of buildings
surrounded by acres of parking generate less revenue per acre than a smaller infill mix-use building in a walkable setting. This urban infill pattern of
productive growth that is fiscally prodcutive and
produces mixed-use and walkable urbanism is
desirable in Montebello’s downtown and corridors and the newly planned neighborhoods. 36 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

The General Plan envisions a Montebello that supports and encourages highly productive and efficient land use development as a path towards long-term financial sustainability.  By reinforcing the productivity of downtown, the total assessed value of taxable property will increase and will generate additional public revenue. With the expanded property tax revenue, Montebello will be financially capable of making investments that improve the quality of life for the City’s residents, business owners and visitors. The housing priorities and opportunities identified in this plan have the potential to not only increase the stock of available housing, but to do so in ways that generate sustainable public wealth. By prioritizing a diverse portfolio of residential developments, including multi-family and mixed-use opportunities, the short and long term housing priorities will be good stewards of the finite resource of available land in the City. Specifically, the short-term housing objectives have the potential to add between $1-3 billion in additional taxable value to the City. Collectively, the short-, mid-, and long-term objectives could add an additional $5.7 billion to the property tax base for the City. Infill development along downtown corridors has the potential to tripple the total taxable value in the downtown area from $171 million to $509 million.

Prioratize Productive Growth
$171 M
Total Taxable Value
$509 M
Total Taxable Value
Total Value
per Acre ($) 0
< 1,000,000
1,000,001 - 2,000,000
2,000,001 - 3,000,000
3,000,001 - 4,000,000
4,000,001 - 5,000,000
5,000,001 - 7,000,000
7,000,001 - 10,000,000
10,000,001 - 14,000,000
14,000,001 - 24,000,000
24,000,001 - 45,000,000
45,000,001 - 84,000,000
> 84,000,001
N
Source: Los Angeles County Assessor, 2020
Existing Projected
Downtown
Montebello
Figure B.16. Productive and contextual infill growth proposed in the Downtown Montebello Specific Plan has the potential to tripple the total taxable value of downtown area.

Part B: Vision 37

1di 1dii
1a 1b
B1
B1
B1
B2
B2 B2
B3
B4 B5 B5
B5 B5
B5
B5
B6 B6 B6
B4
B3
B3
B3
B2 B1
B1
B1
2 1c
Figure B.17. Coordinated and phased public and private improvements. 38 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan
Downtown is build out and the opportunities are
limited to smaller infill redevelopment opportunities.

This smaller infill scale is more contextual with
existing development. The infill scale also lowers the
barrier to entry and provides a competitive advantage
to small local developers.

The preferred approach is to prioritize the funding
and development of public realm improvements in
areas where private development is proposed. Public
funding for public realm improvements could be combined with areawide/private sector funding as might be provided through an assessment district in the area
(e.g.: Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District,
Business Improvement District, Community Finance
District, or Community Benefit District).

The public realm projects are prioritized based on
their ability to kick-start or facilitate orderly implementation of the overall vision. These include shortterm improvements and programs that require a short timeline and a small budget, but builds momentum,
partnership, and trust to do bigger and longer term
projects. Periodic evaluation must occur on a regular
basis with adjustments made to keep the vision fresh
and relevant.

4. PHASED IMPROVEMENTS
A. Public Projects
Enhance Whittier Boulevard
Reduce Whittier Boulevard to two 13 foot though Lanes with left turn pockets of 10 feet.

Flex parking and parklet use areas. Due to street crown and sidewalk slope make parking areas flush with sidewalks. Provide warning band and moveable bollards. Move bollards for merchant or restaurant use to increase sidewalk use.

Landscape areas flowers and trees.
• Vase form shade trees; and
• Accent palm trees at entry to downtown
Enhance Whittier Boulevard with paving and new streetscape within the downtown core:
• From half a block west of Montebello Boulevard to half a block east of 4th Street; and
• The intersection of Whittier Boulevard and Montebello Boulevard.

Enhance Whittier Boulevard from 3rd Street to Rio Hondo Channel with new streetscape.

Introduce new street from Whittier Boulevard to Los Angeles Avenue.

Downtown Center Plaza
Terminate 7th Street into a plaza and park and extend the plaza across the street. 7th Street Plaza becomes the City Center Plaza for holiday festivals, rallies, and other events.

During events Whittier Boulevard could be closed to traffic from Montebello to 6th Street and traffic could be redirected through alleys or major streets north and south. 1a
1b
1c
2 1e
1f
1di
1dii

1di
B6 B6 B6 B6
B9 B9
B9 B9 B7 B7
B7
B3
1e
Part B: Vision 39
B. Public-Private Projects
Develop city identified parcels on Whittier Boulevard.

Develop mixed use with street retail on Whittier Boulevard from Montebello Boulevard to 3rd Streeet for a half block.

Develop special sites on Whittier Boulevard at gateway locations.

Develop mixed use with street retail on Whittier Boulevard from Montebello Boulevard to Spruce Street for half a block.

Develop mixed use on Whittier Boulevard from Spruce Street to Taylor Avenue.

New infill on corridor from Whittier Boulevard to Los Angeles Avenue.

Develop special sites on Whittier Boulevard around park.

Develop mixed use on Whittier Boulevard from Park Avenue to Maple Avenue for a half block.

Develop mixed use on Whittier Boulevard from 4th Street to Rio Hondo Channel.

B1
B2
B3
B4
B5
B6
B7
B8
B9
Lean and Local Urbanism
Majority of Downtown Montebello businesses are
small with fewer than 20 employees. The small and
local businesses return majority of their revenue to
the local community as compared to larger nationally owned enterprises. The Downtown Montebello Specific Plan represents Montebello preference to
retain and grow small, locally owned enterprises
that build cultural, social, built, and financial
capital. The locally generated, or “place-based,” and
sustains assets at home. The finer grain aids good
urbanism, walkability, housing affordability, and
stronger tax base by contributing significantly more
property and sales tax, while keeping wealth local.

Small scale infill development allows more people
to participate in building their homes and businesses that leads to inclusive community building and shared prosperity, while avoiding displacement
and dramatic changes to established community
character. Unleashing the power of small projects
and small actors enables community-driven growth
and revitalization, with residents and business
owners not only participating in but also leading
and benefitting from the efforts.

40 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

C Goals & Policies
The Downtown Specific Plan consolidates the interrelated eight General Plan elements into three focuses for the Downtown area:

1. People-based,

2. Place-based, and

3. Prosperous.

This section features policies and actions for these three focuses.

Policies describe context & rationale of desired outcomes.

Policies are focused & specific.

Actions are specific proactive steps to achieve the goals. They are the critical link between long-range planning & current-decision making.

PEOPLE

PROSPEROUS
PLACE
Natural
Creative
Active
Healthy
Safe
Prosperous
Accessible
Well Planned
Part C: Goals and Policies 41

1. PEOPLE-BASED
1) Walkable
People react to cues in the environment. If a space is designed for people — if it’s welcoming, safe and comfortable — they will walk. If a place is designed for cars, people will drive if they can. Walkability is an intuitive and core measure of Downtown success and resiliency. Walkability emerges from the mix and density of land uses, the placement and orientation of buildings, the safety and quality of streets, the accessibility of transit, and the design and interconnection of parks and open spaces. Strong edge conditions also support walkability as they provide interactivity, visual interest, and series of destinations along an axial path.

Policies and Actions
Policies and Actions
P1.1 Make walking safe, comfortable, and enjoyable.

A1.1a Create a fine-grained pedestrian circulation within Downtown. VZ SE R
Provide links across large blocks, and way-finding
signage. Wide sidewalks with streetscape elements like
trees, lighting, street furniture and public art are the connective tissue that links all Downtown assets.

A1.1b Orient buildings to streets and open spaces. VZ SE R Buildings should be placed right at the edges of streets and public spaces, rather than being set back behind
parking lots or expanses of landscaping. These built
edges provide a sense of definition to streets and other spaces, which helps makes the environment more legible
and coherent. Place parking behind or below buildings.

A1.1c Organize land uses along Whittier Boulevard and
Montebello Boulevard to support public activity. VZ
SE R
The way uses are arranged along major pedestrian
routes has a huge impact on the level of activity, vitality, security and identity of Downtown. Active uses such as retail, restaurant, lobbies and event spaces should be placed strategically along pedestrian routes to engage
the public and should be designed for transparency and
interest.

A1.1d Adopt form-based codes within the Downtown
area to facilitate a rich public realm and enable
high-value walkable development. VZ SE R
P1.2 Address the human scale with building and landscape details.

A1.1a Adopt form-based codes within the Downtown
area to facilitate human scale built environment. VZ
SE R
New buildings should relate to the Public Realm
through architectural frontage types that provide
direct access into them and a transition between their
private realm and the public realm of the street. A new residential building’s formal rooms (living room, dining room, etc.) should help establish its human scale to the street by being placed to face the street.

A1.1b Avoid blank walls. SE R
If blank walls cannot be avoided, then they should
be detailed, painted, or landscaped in a manner that
renders the walls attractive to pedestrians.
2) Human-Scale Design
For Downtown to be inviting to people, the walking experience must be also be interesting. Human scale environment means making sure that the built environment of streets, buildings, and open spaces that we interact with every day are of a size and shape that is reasonable for an average person to use. People experience the built environment at the scale of their own bodies in space. Buildings should meet and engage people at that scale, with awnings, façade elements, lighting, signage and other features along sidewalks. Building forms can be broken down or subdivided visually to lighten the sense of mass. Even very large buildings can meet the human scale in a gracious and accommodating manner.

One of Downtown’s most precious attributes is the pedestrian-friendly character of its public realm and the human scale of its buildings. People-oriented environment is achieved by providing access to buildings and courtyards directly from the street through appropriate frontages and prominent entries.

Building frontages, when continuously arrayed, provide a continuity of fabric that gives distinctive character to the street, while also contributing to the specific form of each building. They are the means of access into buildings and consequently visually reinforce their human scale.

A. Inviting People
VZ Vision Zero SE Social Equity R Resilience
42 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

Policies and Actions
Policies and Actions
Policies and Actions
P1.3 Reduce opportunities for criminal activity
through physical design standards, recreation
opportunities, educational programs, and counseling services.

A1.3a For new infill development and major rehabilitation, incorporate natural surveillance principles and best practices into development codes and review
processes. SE R
A1.3b Amend the development codes to require building
designs that promote safety by providing active
street frontages. SE R
P1.5 Employ a range of contextual lighting options to
promote safety and security on downtown streets.

A1.5a Identify downtown public streets and open spaces
that are poorly lit and install context sensitive street lights. VZ SE R
A1.5b Install string lights in alleys that provide
connections to destinations. VZ SE R
A1.5c Require new development to demonstrate on a
lighting plan appropriate level of direct and indirect
lighting in the public and private realm. VZ SE R
P1.4 Downtown Montebello envisions safe streets
designed for people.

A network of safe and slow speed streets in the Downtown area will serve pedestrians, transit users, and cyclists, while allowing vehicular access.

A1.4 Carry out the safety enhancements recommend by
the Downtown Vision for Whittier Boulevard and
Montebello Boulevard. VZ SE R
3) Safe
Downtown Montebello is a safe area with low property and violent crime rate. However, personal and community safety and security in Downtown area is a complex issue. The perception of safety or danger does not always relate directly to the actual incidence of crime. We feel comfortable and confident using areas where there is good visibility and effective lighting, where we can be seen and heard by other people. Thoughtful design, good management, and involvement from downtown merchants and residents is an important instrument in enhancing sense of well being and making places more user-friendly, easy to understand, and secure. The key design principles that promote personal safety and property security are:
a) Natural Surveillance
The objective is to provide surveillance opportunities from buildings and public streets to discourage anti-social activity. For example: shopfront windows, balconies, entries, allow building occupants and passersby to observe on-site and street activities for the purpose of informal informal surveillance. Mix uses, particularly at street level, add vitality at different times of the day and night.
b) Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety
We should protect our most vulnerable road users, including children, older adults, and people walking and bicycling. Wide multi-lane streets with larger block lengths in the Downtown area result in streets that are both difficult to cross and easier to speed on. The Downtown Vision calls for pedestrian and bicycle safety enhancements for Downtown streets. Mid-block crossings on Whittier Boulevard help break the longer block lengths and encourage pedestrian activity along and across the street. A clear and safe alley system could encourage exploration of the Downtown area, and more enjoyable routes, while allowing a finer grain network that is more comfortable for pedestrians.
c) Lighting
To overcome issues such as safety, navigation and visibility – light installations can effectively be used to welcome people in dark public spaces. Improving street lighting can reduce the prevalence and incidence of crime. Besides street lamps, lighting can be mounted on buildings and where appropriate light the facade, or can be integrated into bollards, feature lights, and streetscape elements. Lighting levels should be achieved by increasing the number of lights, not the height or wattage. Rather than be everywhere, lighting levels respond to the context. In downtown area, street lights should be frequent and support nighttime activity. In residential areas, lighting can be limited with well-lit intersections. Light streaming from storefront windows can make a significant contribution to the feeling of security at night.

Mixed-uses along downtown streets, particularly upper level housing as a crime prevention strategy, increases the feeling of safety. Along Whittier Boulevard, upper-floor housing provides “eyes on the street” that follow what is going on in the street and deter crime.

VZ Vision Zero SE Social Equity R Resilience
Part C: Goals and Policies 43

2) Public Art
Integrate high-quality, unique public art throughout Downtown to highlight Montebello’s eclectic culture. Encourage public art that is sensitive to its context and contributes to Downtown’s identity.

Streets as Canvas — Art is incorporated into the fabric of the street by using wider sections of a sidewalk as performance space.

Temporary art element could be installed along a blank wall of a building or vacant lot fence. The sidewalks along Whittier Boulevard and Montebello Boulevard are all sites for continuous art interventions, whether temporary, permanent, or rotating.

Downtown Central Plaza — The proposed Central Plaza in the Downtown Core provides a fertile canvas for public art.

Parklets — A series of parklets are proposed to be distributed throughout Whittier Boulevard. The Parklet could be a venue for public art. Rotating public art installations could be designed by local artists.

Sculpture Garden and the Rio Hondo Corridor —The sculpture garden links the Downtown area to the Rio Hondo Corridor.

The steps and ramps can host a range of sculptures with bas relief art wall precast concrete images on the walls.

Gateway Elements — Gateway elements would establish a
sense of arrival into Downtown. “Gateway” elements could include streetscape features, public art, and landmark buildings.

Installations should be scaled for both pedestrians and drivers, and incorporate maintenance considerations and be resistant to vandalism.

B. Inspiring People
1) Arts and Cultural Programming
Art and cultural experiences cultivate a rich quality of life in Downtown Montebello. Many cultural assets, events, and activities take place in Downtown area, which spotlights art, culture, and entertainment for Montebello. It is an area where residents and tourists can experience the unique character of Montebello.

Downtown has an opportunity to celebrate existing cultural resources, as well as expand existing uses and activities and add new ones to make Downtown an attractive destination with a sense of place.

The Vision is to weave art and culture into the fabric of everyday life in Downtown through the growth and expansion of cultural institutions and by nurturing creative and artistic expression in the public realm. The Vision focuses on authenticity and a desire to nurture Montebello’s unique identity. Part of this emphasis on authenticity includes a comprehensive approach to culture, one that weaves together the broad fabric of the community – artists, architecture, culture, history, and the environment. Through implementation of policies that support the preservation of Montebello’s local heritage while encouraging artistic development, the City is actively pursuing the integration of art, architecture, culture and history to restore and enhance the unique identity of Downtown. Downtown is a signature cultural space for people to gather and reflects the best of what Montebello has to offer. The high quality urban design is achieved through vibrant civic open spaces, streets that support people activity, and architecturally significant buildings.

Figure C.1. Downtown Creative Assets Map
R
1 C
H
F I
G
E
1 3
D
2 B
A
4 1
1 2
1 Rio Hondo Channel
Natural Heritage
R
2 3
4 1
Festivals & Events
1 Schools
Religious Places
B
C
H
1 2
Cultural Spaces & Facilities
1 Cultural Heritage
Montebello City Park
Fremont Elementary School
Washington Elementary School
First Baptist Church of Montebello
First Assembly of God
Iglesia Cristiana
St. Benedict Church
F
E
G
D
Montebello Christian Fellowship
Montebello Foursquare Church
Montebello Plymouth
Congregational Church
I Shri Shirdi Sai Baba Sansthan LA
Old Site Of San Gabriel Mission
Heritage Run, Walk & Heritage Festival,
Movies in the Park / Pet Fair,
Skate Competition, Veterans Day Ceremony,
Memorial Day Ceremony
Farmers Market
Movie at the Pool
Downtown Street Fest
A Evangelical Christian Church
Rio Hondo
Bike Trail
Whittier Blvd
Montebello Blvd
7th St
Spruce St
Greenwood Ave
4th St
Blu Rd
Montebello
City Park
Cleveland Ave
Olympic Blvd
Los Angeles Ave
44 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

Policies and Actions
Policies and Actions
P1.6 Downtown will be re-established as the entertainment and cultural heart of the city by creating a central space in Downtown for community
gathering, supported by complementary uses and
activities.

A1.6a Activate the proposed Central Plaza and Sculpture Garden with arts and cultural programming and
events. SE
A1.6b Enhance existing, and introduce new activities and events that will lead to greater activation and use of
public spaces by people of all ages and abilities. SE R P1.7 Creative businesses have places to work, live,
gather, and promote their art in Downtown.

A1.7a Work to ensure Montebello’s creative sector has
adequate and inviting spaces to create, sell their
products, and network. SE R
A1.7b Develop and market spaces for artists including
studios, affordable housing, and live/work studios.

SE R
A1.7c Establish an arts incubator/accelerator spaces to provide office space, management assistance, technology, and access to funding opportunities. SE R P1.10 Support efforts to expand access to affordable and nutritious food for all people in Montebello.

A1.10a Encourage the use of vacant lots for community
gardens. SE R
A1.10b Encourage new building construction to incorporate green roofs, and encourage conversions of existing roof space to green roofs. R
P1.11 Encourage local food production, processing, and
distribution to the greatest extent possible.

A1.11a Continue to support farmers’ market, fresh food
stands, community gardens, community kitchens,
and other collaborative initiatives to provide healthy
foods, promote food security, and build community.

SE R
A1.11b Encourage restaurants to serve locally sourced
foods and provide nutritional information. Support
businesses that offer healthy foods. SE R
P1.12 Avoid a concentration of unhealthy food providers within the Downtown area.

A1.12a Ban drive-through food outlets within Downtown
area. SE R
A1.12b Restrict approvals of new liquor stores or retailers that sell alcohol for off-site consumption. SE R
P1.8 Facilitate use of vacant retail space by arts and
cultural groups.

A1.8a Facilitate artists’ temporary and opportunistic use of such spaces and venues as vacant walls, storefronts,
empty buildings, open spaces, etc. SE R
A1.8b Provide building owners with tax incentives,
grants, loans, and streamlined permitting process
to renovate buildings that can be used as live/work
spaces by artists. SE R
A1.8c Work with the owners and the developers to put a
variety of pop-up art events, exhibits, performances,
and temporary retail in their empty spaces will
enliven the street. SE R
P1.9 Integrate public art into the development review
and capital improvement program.

A1.9 Embed artists in planning projects and initiatives in City agencies, such as Public Works, and the
Planning and Community Development Departments. SE
C. Supporting People
1) Increase Food Quality and Security
Food is as essential to health and well-being. People choose among foods that are readily available. Information about nutrition helps residents make healthier food choices. The Downtown area has access to several grocery stores located on Whittier Boulevard and Montebello Boulevard. Every Thursday evening, the Famers Market gives all people access to fresh fruits and vegetables.

SE Social Equity R Resilience
Part C: Goals and Policies 45

2. PLACE-BASED
A. Network of Parks and Open Spaces
1) Access to Nature
Trees produce oxygen, provide shade and cooling, encourage walking, filter out air pollution, slow traffic, absorb rainwater and noise, improve property value and reduce people’s stress levels.

Whittier Boulevard redesign includes a tree-lined intimate Main Street with commercial buildings and parklets. Montebello Boulevard is re-designed as grand tree lined north-south arterial.

The adjacent neighborhood streets will be planted with flowering trees consistent with Montebello’s historic “City of Flowers” moniker.

Improving the urban forest and significantly increasing tree canopy in Downtown will require years of investment in infrastructure improvements and many new trees. Once adequate soil volumes are in place, and coordinated with private development and smart stormwater management strategies, the Downtown urban forest will be a sustainable amenity that delivers numerous social, environmental and economic benefits for generations to come.

Recently planted trees, including drought tolerant species, are dependent upon supplemental irrigation until established, typically for two to three years. The method and amount that is applied may vary depending upon soil composition, heat, wind, planted in turf or ground cover, periods of abnormal rainfall or in poorly drained soils. A water audit should be performed to set watering patterns and timing to minimize waste.

The proposed Property-based Business Improvement District (PBID) could provides funds for planting and maintaining street trees in the Downtown area.
2) Social and Inclusive Public Spaces
Downtown’s public streets and parks will be places for everyone to enjoy.

Policies and Actions
Policies and Actions
P2.1 Preserve, manage, and grow the Downtown tree
canopy.

A2.1a Preserve the existing Downtown canopy with
continued maintenance and protection against tree
removal. R
A2.1b Replace the dead, diseased, declining, or poorly
structured, street trees. R
A2.1c Plant at a minimum 50 new trees annually on
Downtown streets and parks. R
A2.1d Craft appropriate incentives that encourage
property owners to add green infrastructure on
private property, including trees, living walls and
green roofs. R
P2.2 Downtown will provide a variety of opportunity
for gathering and physical activity.

A2.2a Create a new central plaza in the Downtown Core
that is programmatically different from City Park,
with supporting retail, civic, and cultural uses and
activities. SE R
A2.2b Introduce additional public spaces, such as pocket parks, plazas, and parklets on public land. SE R
A2.2c Encourage private developers to contribute to
the improvement of the existing public realm, or
to provide new publicly accessible spaces in their
development projects. SE R
A2.2d Incorporate universal design principles in the public realm, encouraging its use by people of all ages and
abilities. SE R
A2.2e Design streets to be places for social interaction in addition to mobility, acting as venues for special
events and activities. SE R
A2.1e Require smart irrigation controls for newly planted trees that adequately water the trees without
wasting water. R
A2.1f Require new development to plant street trees along the property frontages. R
A2.1g Support BID as a funding source for maintaining
trees in the Downtown area. R
SE Social Equity R Resilience
46 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

B. Distinctive
Downtown has many of the physical attributes considered necessary to make a destination successful: an advantageous location, great access by car, bus. and rail, a diverse population, good climate; and a walkable downtown that has considerable small town charm, with eclectic architecture and independent stores. Downtown has tremendous potential to develop as a major regional destination. It needs a distinct identity and a mix of uses that would give it a competitive edge over other downtowns in the region and attract visitors from the greater Los Angeles area. 1) Contextual
Downtown has an opportunity to establish a hierarchy and a visual order through the form-based design of buildings and streetscapes.

The built form, character, and development patterns in
Downtown will evolve and improve, reinforcing its unique character through architecture, landscape and streetscape design.

Downtown will comprise of walkable neighborhoods, each with a distinct function and physical character; with the intensity of uses and activity increasing from the periphery of Downtown to the core.

Policies and Actions
Policies and Actions
P2.3 Enhance Downtown’s character with compact and
walkable infill development.

Introduce new buildings and renovate existing buildings in a manner that preserves and promotes Downtown’s walkable urbanism of interconnected streets lined by pedestrian-friendly buildings that engage, frame,
and activate the street.

Ensure that new buildings fit into their existing context in a way that contributes to Downtown’s architectural and cultural traditions. This entails relating well to the public realm as well as to neighboring private
and public buildings.

New buildings over two stories in height should
respect adjacent buildings by responding to their
massing, scale, and need for light, natural ventilation, and views.

A2.3a The building and public realm standards will reflect the intended use, intensity, and eclectic character of
Downtown’s different neighborhoods. SE R
A2.3b Adopt clear and precise form-baed standards for
the Downtown neighborhoods. R
A2.3c Target façade-improvement incentives in walkable-development focus areas. R P2.4 Promote quality Downtown housing that serves a
broad spectrum of households.

A2.4a Invite development proposals on publicly owned
sites under public/quasi-public control, per defined
plan goals. SE R
A2.4b Activate street-level storefronts with visually
interesting active uses. SE R
A2.4c Manage retail tenant mix with a targeted retail
recruitment program. SE R
2) Mixed-use, Integrated, and Inclusive
Benefits of additional housing in Downtown are many, including higher levels of safety, with more people present at all times of the day, and a more stable economy, due to a larger and more diverse consumer base. This a valuable opportunity for the City to add more housing in a prime location to help meet local and regional housing needs and affordability goals.

SE Social Equity R Resilience
Part C: Goals and Policies 47

C. Moving People
Downtown has the required foundation for a sustainable transportation system, including a well-connected street grid, and local bus services. Most daily needs in Downtown can be met without a car — walking, cycling, and transit are preferred modes of travel.

The Specific Plan will build on these strengths by prioritizing pedestrians, transit and cyclists, and enact measures that will give employees, residents, and visitors better transportation and parking choices.

A well-connected transportation network reduces network distances traveled to reach destinations and increases alternative options for traveling. A multimodal network increases physical activity and access to opportunities that includes jobs, housing, education, recreation, and healthcare.
1) Transit
Montebello Bus Lines' (MBL) provides transportation services to Downtown Montebello. Downtown is served by 10-Whittier Boulevard bus line that operates east-west along Whittier Boulevard, and the 20-San Gabriel bus line that operates northsouth on Montebello Boulevard. Montebello Dial-A-Taxi (DAT) provides transportation services for seniors over 62 in age and qualified disabled residents of any age and their attendants.

The service utilizes vehicles equipped with wheelchair lifts upon request at the time of scheduling. DAT provides transportation service within Montebello and medical trips within the designated DAT boundary service area. MBL is also responsible for the operation of "Montebello LINK,"which offers curb-to-curb shuttle service to and from the Montebello Metrolink Station and employment centers in neighboring cities.

While bus services provide their services on fixed routes, most people rely on other modes to reach bus stops. This may include walking, biking, micro-transit, etc. Mobility hubs provide seamless connections to and between different mobility services. The options range from a small bus shelter, bike parking, Transportation Network Company (Uber, Lyft, and Zipcar) drop-offend pick up spaces, bike share,, micro-transit, bike-share, etc. In Downtown Montebello, identifying key connections to bus stops and policies that would support implementation of mobility hubs will provide better access to transit services for the community. Potential hub locations include near the intersections of Whittier Blvd and 4th St, Whittier Blvd and Montebello Blvd (potentially in combination with a future parking garage at the Parking District site), and Whittier Boulevard and Taylor Ave near Montebello City Park.

Policies and Actions
P2.5 Improve transit service and similar modes to make
Downtown travel accessible and comfortable for
people of all ages and abilities.

A2.5a Create well-designed mobility hubs for a
high-quality user experience. VZ SE R
Mobility Hub Design: Encourage high-quality
architecture and public realms that are sensitive to the surrounding built context and Downtown vision.

Wayfinding: Create well-designed mobility hubs that
are easy to navigate through, complemented by clear
wayfinding.

A2.5b Establish seamless integration of modes at the
mobility hub. VZ SE R
Transfers: Create clear, direct, and short transfers
between different modes and routes.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Access: Create safe pedestrian and bicycle access to mobility hubs from major destinations.

Parking: Provide secure commuter parking, bicycle
parking and locker options at station entrances.

A2.5c Establish amenities and support services for all
modes. VZ SE R
Transit Amenities: Enhance transit amenities for safe
and comfortable access to transit including waiting
area, seating, landscaping, lighting, shade and rain
cover, trash receptacles, passenger loading zones,
complimentary Wi-Fi, daily schedule information, and
real-time transit arrival alerts.

Pedestrian Amenities: Enhance pedestrian amenities
to and from transit and other services by providing
wide sidewalks, landscaping, pedestrian scale lighting, enhanced paving, high visibility crosswalks, and other
urban design improvements.

Bicycle Amenities: Enhance bicycle amenities to and
from transit and other services by providing bikeway
facilities, landscaping, bicycle parking, bike share, etc.

Motorized Infrastructure: Consider enhancing infrastructure for motorized services including dedicated transit lanes, car share, EV charging stations, smart
parking, on-demand rideshare, flexible curb space, etc.

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48 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

3) Parking
Downtown parking options include on-street parallel parking, and public and private parking lots. These parking options are strategically located throughout the Downtown Area to provide convenient access to the various amenities providing opportunities for the community to park only once and enjoy the Downtown area on foot. The park once approach will decrease vehicle trips, which would result in less congestion, delays to transit, and conflicts with pedestrian activity.

The City current owns and operates three off-street parking lots that could be used for this program:
• Approximately 52-space lot north of Whittier Boulevard between 10th Street and Spruce Street
• Approximately 69-space lot south of Whittier Boulevard between Montebello Boulevard and 7th Street (Parking
District 2)
• Approximately 135-space lot north of Whittier Boulevard between Montebello Boulevard and 6th Street (Newmark
Mall)
The park once approach would be supported by a parking
management plan, which could include elements such as:
• Shared Parking: Current and future parking facilities shared between uses. For instance, private parking at a bank could be used overnight by nearby residents.
• Off-Site Parking: New developments are able to build
parking facilities away from the downtown for the use of their residents, employees and/or visitors.
• In-Lieu Parking: New developments are able to pay into a city-operated fund that is used to construct new parking facilities in the area.

In combination, these plan elements would help reduce the amount of parking that needs to be supplied within the Downtown.

The boundaries of the parking management plan and the Park Once district would generally extend one block to the north and south of Whittier Boulevard (Cleveland Avenue to the north and Los Angeles Avenue to the south) for the width of the Downtown area.

In the future, if parking demand increases due to new development or the supply of parking is reduced due to the redevelopment of private or public parking lots, the City can construct a multi-level parking garage on one or more of the off-street parking lots. In addition, it may be possible for these new garages to be multi-use with ground-floor retail and/or residential uses on the top or along the sides. Given its location and potential for redevelopment, the Parking District 2 lot would likely be the first parking facility to be upgraded.

Policies and Actions
P2.6 Redesign Whittier Boulevard in the Downtown
Core to prioritize pedestrian safety and comfort.

A2.6 Reduce Whittier Boulevard to two lanes of traffic in the Downtown Core with wider sidewalks, pavers,
street trees, and parklets. VZ SE R
P2.7 Connect Whittier Boulevard to the Rio Hondo
Channel.

A2.7a Provide an outdoor sculpture garden with ramps
and steps to the Rio Hondo Channel. R
A2.7b Encourage new development with frontage along
the channel to provide links to the Rio Hondo
Channel. R
P2.8 Reconnect streets and alleys to form a network.

Frequent and densely interconnected pedestrian routes
are fundamental to walkability, shortening both actual
and perceived distances. This can be accomplished by
making downtown blocks smaller or by providing access
through blocks via publicly accessible alleys, pathways or paseos coupled with frequent crosswalks.

A2.8 When superblocks are redeveloped, new streets and
alleys can reconnect the mobility network, while
keeping the blocks smaller. VZ SE R
Smaller blocks with frequent intersection are safer for walking, offering more choices to vary path between
destinations.

Alleys are the capillaries of Downtown’s circulation
system — the smallest unit, where movement is the
slowest and exchange the highest. Beyond the utility of loading, parking and rear access, alleys subdivide blocks into shorter segments, providing shortcuts and frequent route choices.Alleys provide connectivity throughout
downtown and to adjacent neighborhoods. Super-block
development over the years have clipped the network of
alleys. When these superblocks are redevelopment, the
alley should be reconnected back into the network.
2) Walking and Biking
A clear hierarchy of streets will balance vehicular traffic with the needs of pedestrians and cyclists, prioritizing different modes based on the physical context. The ability to walk among destinations within the Downtown area will be improved, facilitating walking as a replacement for driving short distances. In addition to wider sidewalks and bulb-outs at intersections, improvements such buffers and pedestrian-scale lighting will be incorporated into the streetscape. To improve the connectivity along the corridor, crosswalks can feature decorative paving or treatments, dedicated pedestrian signals or other safety elements.

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Part C: Goals and Policies 49

Along both Whittier Boulevard and the north/south crossstreets within the Downtown area, on-street parking is typically provided. This parking is unmetered and generally have two-hour time limits. With the plan, these on-street curb parking spaces will be dedicated to short-term parking (such as with 30-minute limits along major commercial areas), with long-term parking accommodated at the City-owned off-street parking facilities.

Limiting the on-street spaces to short-term parking would increase turnover and optimize the usage of the spaces. In addition, limiting the number of on-street parking spaces and establishing short time limits can affect how people travel: walking, biking and riding transit can be a more efficient than circling and looking for available parking.
4) Loading/Deliveries
To accommodate rideshare services and to minimize the potential for double-parking, portions of the curbside space will be designated as passenger loading zones. At these locations, drop-off and pick-up activities will be allowed. Passenger loading zones will be provided throughout the Downtown corridor, including locations near major destinations.

In addition, deliveries to the adjacent businesses and residential uses may occur from the street; these could be accommodated within designated delivery spaces or could be shared during off-peak hours with the passenger loading zones. It should be noted that larger deliveries (such as move-in/move-out activities for residential units or daily grocery store deliveries) should be accommodated within off-street facilities to minimize the potential for double-parking along Whittier Boulevard and the side streets.

Policies and Actions
P2.9 Public parking facilities will be managed and
operated to serve Downtown.

A2.9a Require new development to prepare a Parking
Management Plan. R
A Parking Management Plan will ensure efficient
sharing of parking between land uses with different
parking peak demand times.

A2.9b Short-term improvements, such as better lighting, cleaning, signage, and landscaping, should be
considered in City-operated lots. R
A2.9c Suitable incentives for converting underused private parking into shared public parking should be
considered. R
The City can require the parking facility to be made
available to the public (at some or all hours) as a condition of approval of a new development or change of use.

Incentives can include the City taking on the liability insurance, maintenance, operation, and enforcement.

P2.10 Develop a system of incentives and regulations for new development to improve mobility choices and
reduce parking demand.

A2.10 Require new development to develop a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Plan. VZ SE R TDM Plan will include incentives, programs, outreach,
education, and marketing and communications methods
to shift travel behavior and trips in ways that optimize the use of existing infrastructure.

P2.11 Manage curb space effectively for different users.

A2.11a Prioritize curb space for reliable transit and safe bicycling infrastructure first, followed by other
important uses of the curb like deliveries, passenger
pick-ups, green stormwater infrastructure, and small
public spaces—including short term parking. VZ SE
R
A2.11b Curb parking should be managed with the objective of ensuring that curb parking is well-used but
readily available, by achieving a target occupancy
range of approximately 65 to 85 percent on each
block. R
In the short term, time limits can help manage curb
parking. In the longer term, performance based prices
for curb parking can be explored for the Downtown
area.

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50 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

3. PROSPEROUS
This section lays out specific economic development initiatives to deploy in the Downtown area. This section aligns with the 20-year timeframe of the Montebello General Plan and seeks to complement the Specific Plan with initiatives to help bring a unique, and coherent identity to the Downtown area.

Downtown Montebello offers a range of services and amenities to serve the needs and wants of both residents and visitors alike.

Downtown can be a vibrant community for entrepreneurs, local businesses, culinary venues, residential and office space, and cultural and arts enterprises. There is opportunity to fill in some of the amenity gaps by attracting new business to locate through incentive programs, marketing tactics, and support for catalysts, incubators and testing grounds. The three driving focus for Downtown’s economic development strategy are: local, productive, and resilient.

A. Local
1) Promote Local Business Development
Existing Downtown businesses provide jobs, revenue and services that add value to the local and regional economy.

Policies and Actions
P3.1 Continue to nurture small, independently-owned
businesses.

A3.1a Engage with the Chamber of Commerce or
future Downtown BID (if implemented) to better
connect local entrepreneurs with US Small Business
Administration loans and other Federal or State
assistance programs. R
The Montebello Chamber of Commerce already offers a
number of services for potential small business owners.

Facilitating access to other funding assistance programs can help to build the City’s retail tax base while
ensuring that home-grown entrepreneurship may be
nurtured within City limits.

A3.1b Engage with successful Farmers’ Markets tenants in locating them in retail space in Downtown Montebello. R The City can engage the broker community to help the
most popular vendors to find permanent storefronts
within Downtown Montebello. This will enhance the
retail mix of Specific Plan Area while strengthening the retail tax base of the City.

P3.2 Retain existing and attract small, unique, and
locally-owned entrepreneurial and creative businesses that reinforce Downtown’s identity.

The potential to create a brick and mortar or virtual
incubator space where small scale manufacturing,
which is unique and authentic to Montebello, should be
fostered and encouraged. These entrepreneurial activities would be driven by leveraging the talents of existing
residents. The entrepreneurship program can combine
goals of equity while furthering other goals, such as
adaptive reuse. The vacant space created by temporary
or permanent retail and office vacancies occurring as
a result of COVID-19 offers opportunities for new
businesses to develop.

A3.2a Establish an incubator space to grow local start-up businesses in target industries. SE R
The City can establish an incubator space for businesses in targeted industries to help cement the Downtown’s
relationship along these industries’ pipelines. The City should take care to consider how it may want to acquire and establish space for an incubator – for instance, it could negotiate community benefits with large scale
developers to provide funding (or physical space) for
the incubator. Alternatively, it could purchase its own site for the incubator, or launch it in partnership with an existing property owner, before scaling up. The
City should also consider how it can ensure space for
local start-ups in the incubator, through (for instance) preferential selection to local businesses, or hosting
events tailored to local business outreach.

A3.2b Develop a Tenant Mix Incentive Program based
on business gap analysis to incent specific business
types to locate within the Downtown area. SE R
To entice a diverse and creative array of retail to
activate vacant tenant spaces, the City can offer access to a variety of incentives. These may include (but are
not limited to) discounted licensing taxes, waived
business fees, or fast-tracked permitting. While they
may require additional partnerships, the City could also provide extra business support and technical assistance, or discounted space at the Downtown incubator (once
established).

A3.2c Allow temporary retail, pop-up shops, culinary
space and cultural enterprise to test the market. SE
R
Build upon examples such as BLVD MRKT and create
a plan to promote and support future retail that helps
improve the attractiveness of the area. This can be
accomplished by promoting retail uses that encourage
pedestrian oriented activities as well as retail uses that enhance the sense of place characteristics of a traditional downtown area. Attracting a new or potentially
relocating existing businesses, potential locally-owned, small-scale, ethnic and/or quick-service restaurants,
comparable to other smaller downtown areas, would
add to the overall vibrancy of the downtown area and
SE Social Equity R Resilience keep economic benefits in the local community.

Part C: Goals and Policies 51

B. Productive
Walkable urban environment produces more wealth (net revenue per acre from land) than auto-oriented development and is more fiscally resilient.
1) Encourage Mixed-Use Development
While keeping the existing character of the downtown, encourage the addition of higher density residential development (single or mixed use) that will add to the vitality of the Downtown Specific Plan area. Housing development should be done in an intentional way, that doesn’t displace current businesses, on select sites that will increase the overall activity of the area.

P3.3 Promote higher levels of foot traffic with activities and events.

A3.3a Encourage property owners to collaborate on new
“pop-up” events to make use of vacant storefronts or
parcels and to generate greater interest in Downtown as a unique retail destination. SE R Pop-up events will bring more activity in the area
while demonstrating the viability of the area for additional retail and businesses. The strategy should include food trucks and seasonal festivals or other temporary
uses in vacant spaces such as temporary art exhibitions or eating and drinking experiences.

A3.3b Create a coordinated calendar of events for different organizations to allow for combined marketing of
events. SE R
Greater coordination in marketing of existing events
will allow for more consistent messaging, while
strengthening the brand of Downtown Montebello.

Greater coordination could also foster more collaboration between event organizers and local businesses. For example, to complement already scheduled movie or
concert nights at Montebello City Park, businesses could offer extended hours or pre-event specials, which could potentially boost attendance and attract a wider audience, setting the area apart as a singularly compelling destination in the region.

P3.4 Encourage mixed-use infill and compact
development.

Vacant or underutilized sites that currently detract from the Downtown’s pedestrian environment by breaking
with retail frontages and provide no or little street
activation, and do not fully capitalize on the City’s
fiscal opportunity.

Introduce new infill buildings and renovate existing
buildings in a manner that preserves and enhances
Downtown’s walkable urbanism of interconnected
streets lined by buildings that engage, frame, and
activate the street. The infill building design should
respect the existing small and fine-grain context and
enrich the public realm.

A3.4a Engage the development community and property
owners to promote infill development on underutilized sites that increase the productive value per acre in the Downtown area. R
A3.4b Ensure that new infill development is not a fiscal burden to the City. R
A3.4c Remove regulatory and procedural barriers to
fiscally productive land uses and good design. R
A3.4d Amend development standards to allow more
intensive uses while being respectful to the contextual setting. R A3.4e Support and facilitate reinvestment through
streamlined regulatory processes. R
A3.4f Explore incentives such as unbundling parking
from housing costs to stimulate the production of
more housing units. SE R
A3.4g Encourage diversity in housing sizes and types to cater to diverse income groups. SE R
Policies and Actions
SE Social Equity R Resilience
52 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

C. Resilient
1) Property-based Business Improvement District (PBID)
PBIDs are a self-imposed, self-governed financing mechanism used to provide revenue for improvements and activities, such as safety, maintenance, economic vitality and image enhancements, that are in addition to those provided by local government. Local business investments via a self-imposed tax can help ensure their role in the downtown vision and commitment to future improvements. The enhanced services provided by the PBID, relate directly to the priorities identified by Downtown stakeholders and will enhance the Downtown experience for property owners, businesses, residents, employees, and visitors.

P3.5 Gauge participation in a Property-based Business
Improvement District (PBID) to provide
high-quality district services.

Local investment in minor and major District
improvements, via the establishment of a Business
Improvement District, can go a long way in supporting
public funding and initiatives in the area. However,
to assure support for such a self-imposed tax, local
landowners must have an active role in its visioning
and be committed to making the investment work.

A3.5a Build a coalition of Downtown property owners to
coordinate with the Downtown vision. R
Without first rallying a set of landowning stakeholders behind a unified vision for the district, a PBID is not likely to succeed.

A3.5b Establish the Property-based Business
Improvement District (PBID) for Downtown. R
P3.6 Explore un-tapped opportunities for value capture
and revenue generation.

A3.6a Use developer agreements to support the
Downtown’s public realm improvement goals. R
New development projects in the Downtown Area
should be leveraged to further public realm improvement goals through the use of developer agreements.

Such agreements provide certainty to the developer that development standard will remain fixed for a particular site, while contracting the developer to provide benefits to the City, such as infrastructure improvements, public open space, or other public realm improvements.

A3.6b Fortify the City’s existing Development Impact Fee regime. R
To most effectively leverage the positive impact of new development, the City must develop a rational nexus
between desired public realm improvements and the
scale of development that City will allow. Given the
relatively high performance of real estate in the City, the City should consider significantly increasing the fees levied on new development.

Policies and Actions
SE Social Equity R Resilience
Part C: Goals and Policies 53

54 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

4.0 INTRODUCTION
D Code
The Code will facilitate orderly implementation of the
Downtown Vision.

Downtown Montebello provides a range of living,
working, and recreational options to suit diverse
needs. The form and character of the different human
habitats is conceived as a geography of diverse place
types such as districts, neighborhoods, and corridors.

The Downtown is built out with commercial and
residential areas. Some of the vacant and underutilized sites in the Downtown area offers the greatest potential for preserving commercial development and
attracting new growth.

Community preferences and directions throughout
the visioning process guide the coding of the built
environment — from a broad, citywide scale, to a
detailed scale of individual downtown neighborhoods,
blocks, buildings and physical character, consistent
with the history and desired future of the place.

Many of the downtown improvements will be
carried out by the private sector. Providing clear and
precise standards promotes objectivity and allows for a streamlined development review process.

This section outlines a number of plans, regulations,
processes, and incentives that will be applied in implementing the Downtown Montebello Specific Plan. 5 min. walk
Rio Hondo
Bike Trail
Whittier Blvd
Montebello Blvd
7th St
Spruce St
Greenwood Ave
4th St
Blu Rd
Montebello
City Park
Cleveland Ave
Olympic Blvd
Los Angeles Ave
Neighborhood
Corridor (frontage)
District (Downtown)
Figure D.1: Downtown Montebello Urban Form Concept.

Part D: Code 55

The Downtown Montebello Code is
a form-based code (FBC). FBCs are
an alternative to conventional zoning
regulations. FBCs are purposeful placebased regulations with an increased focus on the design of the public realm: the
public space defined by the exterior of
buildings and the surrounding streets and
open space.

FBCs are used to protect and preserve
stable areas from incompatible development and to attract appropriate (re) development to transform areas at risk.

This FBC reinforces the historical form
patterns with the use of streets, frontages,
buildings, and open spaces that are appropriate for Downtown Montebello context.

A key difference between conventional
use-based and FBCs is that FBCs do not
determine entitlements through FAR
or floor units per acre. The conventional
density controls have failed to produce diversity in living and working arrangements in a contextual manner. Overly restrictive
use and density regulations are common
barriers to small-scale development.

The focus of this code is on the few but
critically important urban standards that
shape the public realm. These include
design of streets and open spaces, setback,
building height, building frontage at street
level, parking, and access.

The properties in Downtown Montebello are build-out. The vision for Downtown Montebello calls for incremental and
contextual infill development.

The regulations in this code focus on
creating a unifying public realm and is
intended to be lean and less regulatory
on the private side. The Downtown
Montebello area is distinctively different
than neighboring downtown or residential
areas. The area will develop incrementally
and more organically.

This code intentionally encourages improvisation and innovative infill development that creates a rhythmic patterns of existing and new buildings unified by a
distinctive, vibrant, and walkable public
realm.

Form-Based Code
Figure D.2: The standards are carefully calibrated for varying context offering a rich public realm and a variety of living and working environments. 56 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

4.1 PURPOSE AND APPLICATION

4.1A Purpose

1.1A Intent
The Development Code implements the Downtown Montebello Specific Plan’s Vision, Goals and Policies. This Development Code is intended to facilitate the continuing evolution of the Plan Area into a place where:

1. A mixture of land uses including shops, workplaces, and residences are within walking distance of one another and produce an urban form that is inviting, comfortable, safe, and ecologically resilient;

2. Streets and open spaces promote vibrant, safe, healthy, and prosperous place; and

3. New infill and remodeled buildings work together with existing buildings to define the pedestrian-oriented space of the public streets within the Specific Plan area, and are harmonious with each other and the desired character of the Specific Plan area.

1.1.B Relationship to the Montebello General Plan
The Downtown Montebello Specific Plan Code is consistent with the Montebello General Plan currently in effect, as required by Government Code 65000, et seq., California Statute. The Downtown Montebello Specific Plan Code implements the General Plan’s community supported goal to 'direct new growth to downtown, corridor, and neighborhoods in need of reinvestment where viable infrastructure is already in place."

1.1.C Relationship to the Municipal Code
Title 17, Chapter 17.040.110 of the Montebello Municipal Code (MMC) shall be referred to as the “Downtown Code.” The Dowtown Code provides all requirements for development and land use activity within the boundaries identified in Figure D.3. Except as specifically referenced within the Downtown Code, the Montebello Municipal Code requirements in place prior to the adoption of the Downtown Code are hereby replaced by Chapter

17.040.110.

Part D: Code 57

4.1B Use and Applicability

1.2A Use of Downtown Code
The Downtown Code shall be administered by the Montebello City Council, hereafter referred to as the “Council;” the Planning Commission, hereafter referred to as the “Commission;” the City Planner; and the Montebello Planning Division, hereafter referred to as the “Planning Division.”

1. Responsibility for Administration: The Planning Division shall be the primary body responsible for administering the Downtown Code subject to the provisions of Title 17.

1.2.B Applicability to Municipal Code
Property, including structures, land uses and physical improvements such as signs, landscaping, and lighting within the boundaries of the Downtown Code (Figure D.3) shall comply with all applicable requirements of the Downtown Code as follows:

1. Zoning District(s) Requirements: All property subject to the Downtown Code shall comply with the relevant requirements of the applicable zoning district(s).

2. Conflicting Requirements: Where a requirement exists for the same topic, in both the Downtown Code and other sections of the Montebello Municipal Code, the requirement of the Downtown Code shall prevail unless otherwise specified.

Rio Hondo
Bike Trail
Whittier Blvd
Montebello Blvd
10th St
7th St
Spruce St
Greenwood Ave
6th St
5th St
4th St
3rd St
Blu Rd
Montebello
City Park
Cleveland Ave
Olympic Blvd
Los Angeles Ave
Whittier Blvd
Figure D.3: Downtown Boundary Map.
58 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

1.2.B 3. Permit Approval Requirements: Each structure
and land use shall be constructed, reconstructed,
enlarged, altered, or replaced in compliance with
the following requirements:
a. Allowable Use: The land use must be allowed
in the zoning district where the site is located
(see Table D.3).
b. Permit and Approval Requirements: Any and
all permits or other approvals required by the
Downtown Code shall be obtained before the
issuance of any required grading, building,
or other construction permit, and before the
proposed structure is constructed and land use
established or otherwise put in operation.
c. Development Standards and Conditions of
Approval: Each land use and structure shall
comply with the applicable development
standards of the Downtown Code for the
zoning district in which the site is located.
4 Improvements, Modifications, or Expansions of
Sites or Structures
a. Improvements to Conforming Structures or
Sites: Applicants that involve an improvement
to a conforming site, an existing conforming
structure(s), or a modification/expansion of an
existing conforming structure(s), sign(s) are
subject to the applicable requirements of the
Downtown Code.
b. Improvements to Non-Conforming
Structures or Sites: Applicants that involve
an improvement to a non-conforming site,
an existing non-conforming structure(s),
or a modification/expansion of an existing
non-conforming structure(s), or sign(s) shall
comply with the applicable requirements of
Section 1.2C.
c. Civic Buildings: Applications that involve a
civic building as defined by the Downtown
Code shall comply with Section 1.2B.7.
5 Modification or Subdivision of Existing Parcel(s):

Applications involving the modification of an existing parcel or the subdivision of an existing parcel shall comply with the applicable requirements of the
applicable zoning district(s) and Section 4.3 Public
Realm (Subdivision, Streets, and Block Standards).
6 Approved Entitlements: Entitlements approved
prior to the adoption of the Downtown Code that
have yet to be constructed are not subject to the
Downtown Code. The entitlement(s) may not be
extended beyond the four-year approval period
and upon expiration, the owner must demonstrate
substantial completion in constructing the approved
structure(s) or the property shall then comply with
the Downtown Code. Substantial completion means
at least 90% completion of the approved structure(s)
as determined by the Building Official.

1.2.B 7 Civic Buildings: Applications involving the
modification or construction of a building for civic
purposes as defined in Section 10.0 “Glossary,”
shall comply with the following:
a. Section 4.4 Development Standards and
Section 4.5 Frontage Standards are not
required of civic buildings.
b. All other sections of the Downtown Code
apply.

1.2.C Non-conforming Lots, Uses, and Structures
1 Intent: The regulations of this section are intended to:
a Recognize the interests of property owners
in continuing to use their property for uses
that were lawfully established.
b. Promote maintenance, reuse, and rehabilitation of existing buildings. c. Place reasonable limits on nonconformities
that have the potential to adversely affect
adjacent properties.
2 Non-conforming Lots: Lots which are non-conforming as to lot area or lot width may be adjusted or subdivided provided the resulting
re-configuration brings the non-conforming lot
into, or closer to conformity with the requirements of current applicable regulations. 3 Non-conforming Use: Non-conforming uses are
those that were legally established but that are
not currently listed as permitted or conditionally
permitted in the zoning district in which they are
located or those that currently require a conditional use permit but at the time of their initiation did not require a conditional use permit. The
following provisions shall apply to legal Non-conforming uses:
a. No Non-conforming use shall be expanded
or moved in whole or part to any portion of
the lot or parcel upon which it is located or
other structure other than that occupied by
such use at the time it was established.
b. No Non-conforming use shall be changed
to a different Non-conforming use.
c. If a Non-conforming use is discontinued or
abandoned for a continuous period of 180
days or more, such use shall be deemed to
have lost its Non-conforming status and
shall not be reestablished.

Part D: Code 59

4 Non-conforming Structures:
a. Additions: A Non-conforming building or other structure may be added to, provided that an addition of 50% or more of the floor area existing as of the adoption of this Downtown Code shall trigger compliance with all Downtown Code provisions for the portion of the building or structure comprising the addition. b. Repairs and Maintenance: General non-structural repairs and normal maintenance necessary to keep a nonconformity in sound condition are permitted. Structural repairs to a legal non-conforming structure may be authorized by the Building Official if it is determined that said repairs are necessary to protect the health and safety of the occupants, public at-large, or adjacent property and the cost does not exceed 50% of the replacement cost of the legal non-conforming structure. Structural improvements required to strengthen unreinforced masonry structures in compliance with seismic safety standards shall be permitted without replacement cost limitations.
c. Replacement of Non-conforming Structures: Any non-conforming structure that is involuntarily damaged by fire or other catastrophic event may be restored or reconstructed to its original condition provided that the cost of such restoration/reconstruction does not exceed 50% of the replacement value of the structure and that the restoration shall commence within one year from the date the damage occurred.
60 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

4.2 Zones and Regulating Plan

4.2A Zoning Districts and Overlays

4.2A.1 Purpose and Establishment of Zoning Districts and Overlays
This section establishes the zoning districts and
overlays to implement the Downtown Montebello
Specific Plan for property and rights-of-way within
the Downtown Code boundaries. Property and
rights-of-way subject to the Downtown Code shall
be divided into the following zones and overlays,
which shall be applied to all property as shown on
Figure D.4.

4.2A.2 Zoning Districts and Overlays
The Downtown Code is consistent with the Montebello General Plan currently in effect, as required by Government Code 65000, et seq., California Statute.

The Downtown Code implements the General Plan’s
community supported goal to direct majority of
the new infill growth to downtown in a contextual
manner.

4.2B Regulating Plan

4.2B.1 Purpose and Establishment of Regulating Plan
This section establishes the regulating plan, Figure
D.4, as the map that identifies and implements the
various intentions and principles of the Downtown
Plan. Table D.1 defines the zoning districts, overlays
and standards for site development, design and land
use through the following:
a Zoning Districts: Each zoning district is
allocated standards in the following areas:
• Building Placement
• Allowed Development Standards
• Allowed Frontage Types
• Building Height and Size
• Allowed Encroachments into Required
Yards
• Parking Placement and Site Access
• Required Parking
• Allowed Land Uses
b Shopfront Frontage Overlay: This overlay
requires buildings to have shopfront frontage
and a minimum floor-to-ceiling height. This
requirement is to accommodate ground floor livework, commercial, retail or other such non-residential activity on streets where the vision expects active, pedestrian-oriented streetscapes.
c Spatial Enclosure Frontage: Spatial enclosure is
the three dimensional alignment of facades with
one another in a coherent manner so as to define
the public realm and create a sense of place. The
spatial enclosure also projects the unique geometry of the streets and traffic flow vertically around the uniquely shaped parcels thereby promoting
safe driving. This overlay requires the frontages
of the parcels to be lined with building facades to
shape and enclose the streets or open spaces.
d Regulating Plan Diagram: Each zoning district
and overlay established by the Downtown Code is
identified on Figure D.4 to show the boundaries
of each zoning districts, overlay, and the parcels
within each boundary. Figure D.4 is established
as the zoning atlas for all property within the
Downtown Code boundaries.

Part D: Code 61

Whittier Blvd
Montebello Blvd
7th St
Spruce St
Greenwood Ave
Montebello
City Park
Olympic Blvd
Civic
Downtown Edge
Main Street
Core
Shopfront
Spatial Enclosure
Approximate
Location of Central
Plaza Parks & Open Space
Overlays
Figure D.4: Regulating Plan.
62 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

Rio Hondo
Bike Trail
4th St
Blu Rd
Cleveland Ave
Los Angeles Ave
Part D: Code 63

Zoning District Downtown Core Main Street Downtown Edge Intent
Desired Form
New buildings are block scale,
four stories (up to 45 feet) with
provision for five stories element
(up to 55 feet), buildings close to
property line, and active ground
floor commercial activities on key
intersections.

New buildings are block scale, up
to 3 stories (up to 35 feet) with
provision for four stories element
(up to 45 feet), buildings close to
property line, and active ground
floor commercial activities on
Whittier Boulevard.

New buildings are house scale
up to 2 stories (up to 25 feet)
with provision for three stories
element (up to 35 feet), buildings
close to property line.

Streetscape and Public
Realm Improvements
Active streetscapes on Whittier
Boulevard and Montebello
Boulevard provide continuity
with adjacent areas. Commercial
frontages such as shopfronts,
arcades, or galleries; wide sidewalks; and street trees encourage interesting, safe, and comfortable
walking environment.

Whittier Boulevard is envisioned
to be configured as a grand
tree-lined main street with
active frontages, wide sidewalks,
slower traffic on 2 travel lanes in
the Core area, and parklets and
on-street parking on both sides.

Mobility hubs facilitate transit,
bicycle, and other options to get
around downtown.

Active streetscape providing
continuity with adjacent areas.

Flowering trees give distinctive
character to the neighborhoods.

Residential frontages and street
trees encourage interesting,
safe, and comfortable walking
environment.

Parking
Parking consists of on-site spaces
located either behind buildings
or in above- or underground
parking structure. On-street
public parking spaces are provided. Parking ratios are lower due to available transit and shared
parking options.

Parking consists of on-site spaces
located either behind buildings
or in above- or underground
parking structure. On-street
public parking spaces are provided. Parking ratios are lower due to available transit and shared
parking options.

Parking consists of on-site spaces
located either behind buildings or
in above- or underground parking structures. On-street public parking spaces are provided.

General Use
Buildings are occupied with
ground floor retail, cultural,
entertainment, and office activity.

Upper floors and the floor area
behind shopfronts is flexible for a
wide variety of office, lodging, or
housing uses.

Buildings are occupied with
ground floor commercial, retail,
office, and entertainment activity.

Upper floors and the floor area
behind shopfronts is flexible for
a wide variety of office, lodging,
and housing uses.

Buildings are occupied with
residential uses with live-work
uses if desired.

Table D.1: Zoning District Characteristics.
64 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

4.3 Public Realm Step 1: Existing Site
Sites that are 4 acres or larger
in size or existing blocks with
700 feet of frontage on any side
shall be subdivided further to
create additional blocks per the
requirements of Table 4.2.

Step 2: Introduce Streets
Sites being subdivided into
additional blocks shall introduce
streets as allowed in the applicable
zoning district(s) and comply
with the applicable block-size
requirements of Table 4.2.

Step 3: Introduce Alleys
Access to new blocks and their
individual lots is allowed primar-
ily by alley or, side street, with a
certain portion of lots allowed
to access the lot via the primary
street. The intent of limiting
access to the rear or side of lots is
to maintain the continuity of the
streetscape without interruptions
such as driveway access.

Step 4: Introduce Lots
Lots are introduced on each block
to correspond with the selected
building type(s) allowed by each
zoning district.

Step 5: Introduce Projects
Each lot is to receive no more
than one main building. The main
building is then designed per the
requirements of the applicable
zoning district along with the
allowed frontages and arranged to
suit the particular organization of
buildings desired for the block.

4.3A Blocks

4.3A.1 Purpose
The design of blocks influence the type of street net-
work, building types, and the quality of urban space.

Smaller blocks produce more intersections, therefore
more human scale buildings, greater public realm
and superior street network system. All blocks shall
be designed per the applicable requirements identi-
fied in Table D.2 to ensure that new and modified
blocks result in walkable, interconnected streetscapes
aligned by appropriately scaled buildings.

4.3A.2 Applicability
The standards shall apply to all new or modified
blocks in the Downtown area.

4.3A.3 Streetscape Standards a New or modified blocks shall front a street (public or private).
b New or modified blocks shall be subdivided to
generate individual lots for buildings or open
space as required by the applicable zoning
district(s) and overlay(s) and in compliance with
Section 4.4 Development Standards.
c New or modified blocks may be designed in a
variety of shapes. Individual block faces and the
total block perimeter shall follow the standards
established in the Table D.2 below.

Zone Face
Length
Perimeter
Length
Core 400 ft. max. 1,600 ft. max.

Corridor 600 ft. max. 1,800 ft. max.

Neighborhood 600 ft. max. 2,000 ft. max.

Table D.2: Block standards.

Part D: Code 65

1 Figure D.6. Proposed Whittier Boulevard within the Downtown Core.

4.3B Streets

4.3B.1 Intent
The key to transforming the Downtown into walkable
area is the introduction of an interconnected street
network with streets that are sized appropriately for
intended volume and safe traffic speeds. The principal
characteristics and strategies of this kind of network
are:
a. Interconnected streets that serve all modes of
travel, including walking, biking, taking transit, or
driving.
b. A diversity of context based street types, each
designed according to the adjacent building
intensities and uses and each with its own unique
character.
c. Streets that accommodate two-way traffic, facilitating navigation and safe traffic speeds, while eliminating traffic-related fatalities.
d. On-street parking that provides convenient
parking in front of businesses and residences,
reduces the amount of required off-street parking,
provides a barrier between vehicles in the travel
lane and pedestrians on sidewalks, and provide a
presence on the street that helps calm vehicular
speeds.
e. Approrpiate lane widths, tight curb radii, and
narrow street crossings that calm traffic and
provide a more comfortable and safe environment
for pedestrians, cyclists, and automobiles.
f. Ample sidewalks, crosswalks, street trees, and
generous streetscapes that provide shady, comfortable, and inviting places for pedestrians to walk, while defining the Montebello Downtown’s
unique and memorable sense of place.
g. Streets that result in a reduced quantity and
improved quality of stormwater runoff, and a
diminished heat island effect.
h. Energy-efficient, pedestrian-oriented lighting
that generates an inviting and safe environment
for pedestrians, cyclists, and commerce.

4.3B.2 Applicability
a. The standards in this section apply to all new
streets and to the substantial improvement of an
entire block length of an existing street, subject
to the review and approval of Public Works
Director.
b. Figure D.5 shows the proposed street and block
network applied to the entire Plan Area. Additionally, Figure D.10 shows specific landscape characteristics for each street, differentiating it
from other streets within the Plan Area, and
contributing to the richness of the Downtown
area’s sense of place.
18'
42'
Sidewalk
78' RIight of Way
13'Drive Lane8'Parking
W E 13' 8' 18' Drive Lane Parking Sidewalk
66 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

2 Figure D.7. Existing (left) and Proposed (right) Whittier Boulevard, Gateway Locations to the Downtown Core.

Median/
Turn Lane
W E Sidewalk Parking Drive Lane Drive Lane Parking Sidewalk 8' 10' 8' 11'
78' Right of Way
15' 15'
56'
11' 11'
56'
10' 10'
78' Right of Way
8' 10' 10' 8' 11'
Sidewalk
ParkingDrive LaneDrive Lane
Drive LaneDrive Lane
Parking
Sidewalk
W E
Figure D.5. Proposed street and block network.

Rio Hondo
Bike Trail
Whittier Blvd
Montebello Blvd
10th St
7th St
Spruce St
Greenwood Ave
6th St
5th St
4th St
3rd St
Blu Rd
Cleveland Ave
Olympic Blvd
Los Angeles Ave
2 2 Whittier Blvd
2 3 1
4 Part D: Code 67

Bike Lane
BuerDrive LaneParkingBuerBike Lane
W E Sidewalk Parking Drive Lane Sidewalk
8' 4' 18' 12' 12' 18' 4' 8'
84'
8'
100' Right of Way
8' 8'
100' Right of Way
8'
84'
23' 12' 14' 12' 23'
Sidewalk
Drive Lane + ParkingDrive LaneMedian
/Turn Lane
Drive LaneDrive Lane + Parking
Sidewalk
W E
3 Figure D.8. Existing (left) and Proposed (right) Whittier Boulevard, West of Spruce Street. 68 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

4 ParkingDrive LaneDrive LaneDrive LaneDrive LaneParking S N Sidewalk Median/ Turn Lane Sidewalk
8' 11' 11' 11' 11' 8'
86' Right of Way
14' 6'
74'
6' 6'
74'
20' 11' 12' 11' 20' 6'
86' Right of Way
Sidewalk
Drive Lane + Parking
Drive Lane
Center
Turn Lane
Drive Lane
Drive Lane + Parking
Sidewalk
S N
Figure D.9. Existing (left) and Proposed (right) Montebello Boulevard north of Whittier Boulevard.

Part D: Code 69

70 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

4.3C Street Trees

4.3C.1 Intent
The intent of Street Trees is to provide a comfortable, rich pedestrian experience with shade, planted edges in the public right of way, and increase environmental performance with low impact development strategies that absorb and clean urban runoff.

The Street Tree Master Plan (see Figure D.10) locates specific tree species amongst the public realm's street network, open spaces, and greenways. Tree species are chosen for each type of thoroughfare and open spaces to support its unique aesthetic character, spatial quality, and environmental value. Tree selection considerations included the tree's shape, color, seasonal change, scent, size at maturity, drought tolerance, and resilience.

The numerous qualitative benefits from selecting a diverse street tree palette include shade for pedestrians walking along the sidewalk, a visual rhythm to reduce driving speeds along vehicular streets, and overall balance of the built environment. A street tree's environmental benefits include cooling the immediate area, local air quality improvement through carbon sequestration, and stormwater management which contribute toward pedestrian friendly urban character of Downtown Montebello.

The street tree species shown in Figure D.10 (Street Tree Master Plan) are conceptual and may be adjusted subject to Public Works Director and/or Planning and Community
Development Director approval.

Part D: Code 71

Whittier Boulevard
Platanus acerfolia
London Plane Tree
30-35 ft on center
Downtown Core
Zelkova serrata 'Green Vase'
Japanese Zelkova
30-35 ft on center
Entry Accent
Phoenix dactylifera
Date Palm
30-35 ft on center
Alternating with Cupressus
sempervirens
Italian Cypress
Montebello Boulevard
Magnolia grandiflora
Southern Magnolia
30-35 ft on center
Alternates:

Quercus agrifolia
Coast Live Oak
30-35 ft on center
Pinus torreyana
Torrey Pine
Residential Streets South of Whittier
Boulevard, Blue/Purple Flowering
Trees
Bauhinia Spp
Orchid Tree
Calodendron capense
Cape Chestnut Tree
Chilopsis linearis
Desert Willow
Jacaranda mimosifolia
Jacaranda
Robina ambigua
(Purple Robe)
Purple Robe Locust
Residential Streets North of Whittier
Boulevard, Red/Pink Flowering Trees
Cercis canadensis
Eastern Redbud
Chitalpa x tashkentensis
(Pink Dawn)
Pink Dawn Chitalpa
Chilopsis linearis
Desert Willow
Eucalyptus ficifolia
Red Flowering Gum
Erythrina coralloides
Naked Coral Tree
Handroanthus heptaphyllus
Pink Trumpet Tree
Koelreuteria bipinnata
Chinese Flame Tree
Tabebuia impetiginosa
Pink Trumpet Tree
Downtown Plaza
Pyrus calleryana
(Chanticleer)
Chanticleer Pear'
Alternates
Ginkgo biloba (Sky Tower)
Sky Tower Ginkgo Tree
Liriodendron tulipifera
(Fastigatum)
Columnar Tulip Tree
Quercus Agrifolia
Robinia Purple Rose
Tabebuia Impetginosa
Zelkova Serrata
Figure D.10. Street Tree Master Plan.
72 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

Bauhinia Spp Calodendron Capense Chilopsis Linearis
Cercis Canadensis Chitalpa Tashkentensis
Erythrina Coralloides
Cupressus Sempervirens
Eucalyptus Ficifolia Gingko Biloba ‘Sky Tower’
Pinus Torreyana
Koelreuteria Panniculata Magnolia Grandiflora Phoenix Dactylifera Handroanthus Heptaphyllus Jacaranda Mimosifolia Liriodendron Tulipifera ‘Fastigatum’ Platanus Acerfolia Pryus Calleryana Spp
Part D: Code 73

Plaza
Community
Park
Pocket Park Community
Garden
Yard Courtyard Terrace
Patio Roof Garden
Figure D.11. Range of Public Parks and Open Spaces.
74 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

4.3D Parks and Open Space

4.3D.1 Intent
This section establishes a range of open spaces specified based on location and characteristics such as size, landscaping, access, and frontage conditions needed to implement the intended form and character for Downtown.

The Downtown Specific Plan vision seeks to establish a seamless weave of public and private open spaces at the regional, neighborhood, block, lot, and building level. The Development Standards include private open space requirements for different building types.

The intent of this section is to:
a. To improve quality of life, instill civic pride, and sense of community. b. Provide places for diverse people to meet and interact thereby increasing social capital of the neighborhood.
c. Increase property values and helps attract and retain knowledge workers and businesses.
d. Provide venues for many arts and cultural programs which also promotes tourism.
e. Through informal play and shared experiences with peers, open spaces inspire children to explore, discover, learn and become better stewards of the about natural environment.
f. Promote walking, biking, and other physical activities essential for fitness and well being and to reduce diabetes, and heart and mental illness.
g. Reduces the urban heat island effect. Trees in parks and open spaces sequester carbon and other pollutants from the area.

4.3D.2 Applicability
The standards shall apply to all new or modified blocks in the Downtown area. Additional Public Open Spaces can be integrated into this section as they are approved by the City.

Part D: Code 75

I Rio Hondo Channel Greenway
a Description
The Greenway is a linear open space intended to provide extensive opportunities for recreation. The Greenway corridor would connect many neighborhoods, existing parks, schools, and other regional parks and open spaces along the Rio Hondo Channel.

It would also connect the wildlife habitat and reducing the heat island effect.
b Standards
i Size: The greenway would be variable width and span the entire city. The greenway is part of a regional trail network. ii Design:
a) The landscape along the greenway shall consist of
unobstructed lawns, planting beds, naturalistically
arranged trees. Hardscape is minimal in the form of
access pathway and peripheral connections.
b) Pedestrian amenities such as benches, picnic tables, drinking fountains, excercise equipment, bike racks and playground equipment may be located at appropriate
intervals along the greenway.
76 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

II Central Plaza
a Description
Plaza is an urban public space that serves as a public gathering place or a place for celebratory events.
b Standards
i Size: 0.25 acre to 0.5 acre
ii Design:
a) Plazas are highly visible located at the intersection of important streets and enclosed by active building
frontages.
b) Plazas are hardscape with little or no vegetation,
usually requiring minimal maintenance.
c) Amenities may include pergolas, flexible gathering and event spaces, benches, chairs, tables (movable recommended), bike racks, and public art. d) Infrastructure for special events, including water,
power, and data, should be designed into the layout of
select plazas.

Part D: Code 77

IV Rio Hondo Connector Park
a Description
This park connects the Downtown area to the Rio Hondo
Channel. The connecter park space reinforces the daily commuter entry arrival into Montebello from the east.
b Standards
i Size: Variable linear space.
ii Location: Located adjacent to the Whittier Blvd Bridge crossing of the Rio Hondo this connecting space brings
accessibility of the downtown to the river amenity.
iii Design:
a) Gentle curving ramps and stairs meander thru the
space that is envisioned to have community works of
art accenting the river walk connector experience.
b) Bridge abutments are cladded with bas relief art works and sculptures and other environmental art elements
are dotted along the walk.
c) California Sycamore trees meander through the lush
native riparian plantings of the connector walk and
ramps.
d) The space is secured at night with decorative functional art fences and gates and well-lit spaces.
78 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

IV Pocket Park
a Description
Pocket parks are urban open spaces on a small-scale and provide a safe and inviting environment for surrounding community members. They also meet a variety of needs and functions, including: small event space, play areas for children, spaces for relaxing or meeting friends, taking lunch breaks, etc. b Standards
i Size: Up to 0.25 acre
ii Design:
a) The parks shall be accessible by both foot and bike. b) Pocket parks shall strive to accommodate as many
different users as possible, prioritizing the needs
of surrounding neighborhoods. Pocket parks may
include seating, play or fitness equipment, open lawn
space, dog runs, community gardens, ecological/educational displays, and community bulletin boards. c) Pocket parks may be designed to serve as stormwater
retention and infiltration areas.

V Parklet
a Description
A parklet is a sidewalk extension into parking spaces that provides more space and amenities for people using the street. b Standards
i Size: Variable linear space that includes one or more onstreet parking spaces. ii Location: Parklets must be located at least one parking space away from an intersection or street corner.
iii Design:
a) Parklets are permitted on streets with speed limits of 25 mph or less.
b) Parklets must include a platform/deck that is flush
with the sidewalk, unless the parklet is designed to be terraced. Parklets must end at the sidewalk and parklet furniture, heaters, and landscaping may not spill onto
sidewalk.
c) Stable and sturdy traffic barriers must be installed on all three sides open to the roadway traffic. The
barrier must have a minimum height of 36 inches and
maximum height of 42 inches.
d) To allow for water flow, parklets must provide a
drainage channel that is a minimum of 3 inches tall
and 2 feet wide, along the entire length of the parklet, adjacent to the curb.
e) Parklets design and construction will be subject to
Public Works approval. The design must be flexible to
allow for any roadway or utility maintenance. Public
Works has the right to close a parklet from use to
perform maintenance work on adjacent infrastructure.

Part D: Code 79

VII Private Open Spaces
a Lot Level
Each building type shall prescribe private open space. For example the open space for single dwelling is provided in yards, courtyard buildings includes courts, and flex buildings and tower may provide terraces.
b Within the building
In urban areas where private yard is not an option, balconies, patios, and roof garden allow residents access to open space, area for small-scale cultivation, recreation, and entertaining.

VI Paseos
a Description
Paseos are pedestrian-only pathways that make the block porous, and provide opportunities to create unique public spaces. b Standards
i Size: Variable linear space
ii Design:
a) Paseos create short cuts through long blocks, and may connect interior courtyards to street frontages.
b) Use native plants to provide new bird and insect
habitats, strengthening Montebello's urban ecosystems.

Edible paseo gardens can also be planted, incorporating herbs and vegetables. The simplest solutions are potted plant gardens and window boxes.
c) Well-lit paseos discourage crime, encourage pedestrians, and can introduce artful elements. Adding softer lights, creating spaces with lighting, and playing with lighting temperature can bring new life and atmosphere to an alley. d) Amenities may include pergolas, flexible gathering and event spaces, benches, chairs, tables (movable recommended), bike racks, and public art. e) Paseoes need to ensure emergency and maintenance
vehicle access as appropriate.
80 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

4.4 Development Standards

4.4A Purpose and Intent
This section establishes standards to ensure that development within the Downtown area promotes a safe, comfortable, and interesting walkable environment along the street by:
• Placing the buildings in the front and locating the parking behind the building;
• Providing access to adequate public and private parks and open space; and
• Providing contextual building scale and mass, and pedestrian access and visibility that establish a human scale to the street.

4.4B Applicability
All proposed buildings and related improvements shall be designed in compliance with the development standards of this Section for the applicable zone, except for public and institutional buildings, which because of their unique disposition and application are not required to comply with these requirements.

4.4C Average Building Height
Building within the Downtown Core, Main Street, and Downtown Edge zones may exceed the maximum allowed base building height by one story for up to 30% of the building footprint area provided an equal amount of building footprint area is one story shorter than the maximum allowed base building height (see Figure D.12).

Figure D.12. Average Building Height.

Part D: Code 81

4.4D Downtown Core
1 Setbacks
a Primary Street Setback
i Ground Floor
non-residential 0 ft. min./5 ft. max.
ii Ground Floor
residential 5 ft. min./10 ft. max.
b Side Street Setback
i Ground Floor
non-residential 0 ft. min./5 ft. max.
ii
Ground Floor
residential and
upper floors
5 ft. min./10 ft. max.
c Side Yard Setback
i Non-residential 0 ft.
ii Residential 8 ft. min.
d Rear Setback
i With Alley 5 ft. min.
ii Without Alley 15 ft. min.
3 Parking Placement
On-site parking shall be located as indicated
below and shown in the diagram on the right:
a Primary Street Setback
i Podium/Suface 20 ft. min.
ii Subterranean 0 ft.
b Side Street Setback
i Podium/Suface 20 ft. min.
ii Subterranean 0 ft.
c Side Yard Setback
i Podium/Suface 5 ft. min.
ii Subterranean 0 ft.
d Rear Setback
i Podium/Suface 5 ft. min.
ii Subterranean 0 ft.
4 Signs
Allowed Signage Types. A maximum of two of the
below sign types are allowed per business. Signs
may encroach into Primary Street and Side Street
rights-of-way as measured from the building
facade as identified below.

Sign Type Encroachment
a Awning Canopy Within 2 ft. of curb
b Window Sign 0 ft.
c Projecting Sign 3 ft.
d Wall Sign Thickness
e Directory/Building
ID Sign Sign Thickness
2 Heights
a Top of plate height 4 stories/ 45 ft.
max. •
b Parapet height 4 ft. max.

Pitch roof above top of
building plate Allowed
c Ground Floor above grade
i Non-residential 0 ft.
ii Residential 3.5 ft. min.
d Ground story floor to floor height
i Non-residential 15 ft. min.
ii Residential 12 ft. min.
c
d
b
a
Alley
Side Street
Primary Street
c
d
b
a
Alley
a
Side Street
Primary Street
c
d b
a
a
• Up to 30% of the building footprint area may be
five (5) stories/55 ft. to top of plate, provided an equal amount of building footprint area is no taller than
three (3) stories/35 ft. to top of plate (see Figure 4.9). 82 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

5 On-site Open Space a One (1) or more of the Open Space Types listed below shall be provided on each lot and must be accommodated behind the Primary Street setback line.

Open Space type Minimum
Area
Minimum
Dimensions
i Side Garden
15% of total
lot area 20 ft. by 20 ft.
ii Courtyard
iii Back yard
iv Roof deck
b Residential projects without a back yard shall provide for each residential unit a private open space in the form of a balcony, door yard, or yard. Private open space shall have a minimum area of 40 square feet with a minimum width of
5 feet.
6 Building Size and Separation a Buildings shall be designed according to the following building length and building separation standards: i Building lenght along Primary Street 150 ft. max
ii Building lenght along
Side Street 100 ft. max
iii Building separation
along Primary Street 0 ft.
7 Frontage Elements, Encroachments. and Access a Required Frontage Elements: Street- and
Court-facing building
facades shall provide
at least one (1) of the
frontage elements listed
below. These Frontage
Elements may encroach
into the Primary Street
and Side Street setbacks
as identified below. i Arcade,
Gallery
To
R.O.W.
line
ii Shop
-
front 0 ft.
iii Stoop 5 ft.
iv Door
yard
To
R.O.W.
line
ci Pedestrian Access: All ground floors shall be accessed directly from the sidewalk either directly to each unit or commercial space through an appropriate frontage
element, lobby, or open space, such as a court. Upper
floor uses may be accessed through an exterior or
interior stair, or lobby.
ii Vehicular Access: Parking shall be accessed from an
alley. Where an alley is not present, parking/service
areas may be accessed from primary street. Driveways
shall be located as close to side property line as possible.

Parking/service areas for corner lots shall be accessed from side street.
b Optional Frontage
Elements. The following
elements may be pro-
vided on all Street- and
Courtyard-facing fa-
cades, and may encroach
into in the Primary
Street and Side Street
setbacks or right-of-way
as identified below. i Balcony 3 ft. into
R.O.W. or
setback ii Bay
Window
iii Awning,
Canopy
Within 2
ft. of curb
open space
iii
iv iv
iv
iv
iv
iv
i
i
iii
i
i
i
i
i ii
vehicle
people
frontage element
Part D: Code 83

4.4E Main Street
3 Parking Placement
On-site parking shall be located as indicated below
and shown in the diagram on the right:
a Primary Street Setback
i Podium/Suface 25 ft. min.
ii Subterranean 0 ft.
b Side Street Setback
i Podium/Suface 20 ft. min.
ii Subterranean 0 ft.
c Side Yard Setback
i Podium/Suface 5 ft. min.
ii Subterranean 0 ft.
d Rear Setback
i Podium/Suface 5 ft. min.
ii Subterranean 0 ft.
4 Signs
Allowed Signage Types. A maximum of two of the
below sign types are allowed per business. Signs
may encroach into Primary Street and Side Street
rights-of-way as measured from the building
facade as identified below.

Sign Type Encroachment
a Porch Sign 0 ft.
b Yard Sign 0 ft.
c Awning Canopy Within 2 ft. of curb
d Window Sign 0 ft.
e Projecting Sign 3 ft.
f Wall Sign Thickness
g Directory Sign Thickness
c
d
b
a
Alley
Side Street
Primary Street
c
d
b
a
a
Alley
Side Street
Primary Street
c
d b
a
a
1 Setbacks
a Primary Street Setback
i Ground Floor
non-residential 0 ft. min./5 ft. max.
ii Ground Floor
residential 10 ft. min./15 ft. max.
b Side Street Setback
i Ground Floor
non-residential 0 ft. min./5 ft. max.
ii
Ground Floor
residential and
upper floors
10 ft. min./15 ft. max.
c Side Yard Setback
i Non-residential 0 ft.
ii Residential 8 ft. min.
d Rear Setback
i With Alley 5 ft. min.
ii Without Alley 15 ft. min.
2 Heights
a Top of plate height Average 3 stories/ 35
ft. max. •
b Parapet height 4 ft. max.

Pitch roof above top
of building plate Allowed
c Ground Floor above grade
i Non-residential 0 ft.
ii Residential 3.5 ft. min.
d Ground story floor to floor height
i Non-residential 15 ft. min.
ii Residential 12 ft. min.
• Up to 30% of the building footprint area may be
four (4) stories/45 ft. to top of plate, provided an
equal amount of building footprint area is no taller
than two (2) stories/25 ft. to top of plate (see Figure

4.9).
84 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

5 On-site Open Space a One (1) or more of the Open Space Types listed below shall be provided on each lot and must be accommodated behind the Primary Street setback line.

Open Space type Minimum Area Minimum
Dimensions
i Side Garden
15% of total lot
area
20 ft. by
20 ft.
ii Courtyard
iii Back yard
iv Roof deck
b Residential projects without a back yard shall provide for each residential unit a private open space in the form of a balcony, door yard, or yard. Private open space shall have a minimum area of 40 square feet with a minimum width of
5 feet.
6 Building Size and Separation a Buildings shall be designed according to the following building length and building separation standards: i Building lenght along Primary Street 280 ft. max
ii Building lenght along Side
Street 120 ft. max
iii Building separation along
Primary Street 15 ft.
7 Frontage Elements, Encroachments. and Access a Required Frontage Elements: Street- and
Court-facing building
facades shall provide
at least one (1) of the
frontage elements listed
below. These Frontage
Elements may encroach
into the Primary Street
and Side Street setbacks
as identified below. i Arcade,
Gallery
To
R.O.W.
line
ii Shopfront n/a
iii Stoop 5 ft.
iv Door yard
To
R.O.W.
line
ci Pedestrian Access: All ground floors shall be accessed directly from the sidewalk either directly to each unit or commercial space through an appropriate frontage
element, lobby, or open space, such as a court. Upper
floor uses may be accessed through an exterior or
interior stair, or lobby.
ii Vehicular Access: Parking shall be accessed from an
alley. Where an alley is not present, parking/service
areas may be accessed from primary street. Driveways
shall be located as close to side property line as possible.

Parking/service areas for corner lots shall be accessed from side street.
b Optional Frontage
Elements. The following
elements may be pro-
vided on all Street- and
Courtyard-facing fa-
cades, and may encroach
into in the Primary
Street and Side Street
setbacks or right-of-way
as identified below. i Balcony 3 ft. into
R.O.W.
or
setback ii Bay
Window
iii Awning,
Canopy
Within
2 ft. of
curb
open space
Liner
Mixed- use
Stacked Dwelling
iii
iv
iv
iv
i
iii
iii
i
i
i
i
ii
vehicle
people
frontage element
Part D: Code 85

4.4F Downtown Edge
1 Setbacks
a Primary Street Setback
i Ground Floor
non-residential 10 ft. min./25 ft. max.
ii Ground Floor
residential 10 ft. min./25 ft. max.
b Side Street Setback
i Ground Floor
non-residential 5 ft. min.
ii
Ground Floor
residential and
upper floors
10 ft. min.
c Side Yard Setback
i Non-residential 5 ft. min.
ii Residential 5 ft. min.
d Rear Setback
i With Alley 10 ft. min.
ii Without Alley 15 ft. min.
3 Parking Placement
On-site parking shall be located as indicated
below and shown in the diagram on the right:
a Primary Street Setback
i Suface
5 ft. min. for 34% max.
of lot width; 50% of
lot depth for remaining 66% of lot width;
parking prohibited on
corners.
ii Podium 50% of lot depth
iii Subterranean 10 ft. min.
b Side Street Setback
i Suface 5 ft. min.
ii Podium 25 ft. min.
iii Subterranean 5 ft. min.
c Side Yard Setback
i Suface 5 ft. min.
ii Podium 15 ft. min.
iIi Subterranean 5 ft. min.
d Rear Setback
i Suface 5 ft. min.
ii Podium 20 ft. min.
iii Subterranean 5 ft. min.
4 Signs
Allowed Signage Types. A maximum of two of the
below sign types are allowed per business. Signs
may encroach into Primary Street and Side Street
rights-of-way as measured from the building
facade as identified below.

Sign Type Encroachment
a Porch Sign 5 ft. in conjunction
with Porch or Stoop
b Yard Sign Within 3 ft. of R.O.W.
c Awning Canopy To R.O.W. in conjunction with Awning
2 Heights
a Top of plate height Average 2 stories/ 25
ft. max. •
b Parapet height 4 ft. max.

Pitch roof above top
of building plate Allowed
c Ground Floor above grade
i Non-residential 0 ft.
ii Residential 3.5 ft. min.
d Ground story floor to floor height
i Non-residential 12 ft. min.
ii Residential 10 ft. min.
c
d
b
a
Alley
Side Street
Primary Street
c
d
b
a
a
Alley
Side Street
Primary Street
c
d
b
a
a
• Up to 30% of the building footprint area may be
three (3) stories/35 ft. to top of plate, provided an
equal amount of building footprint area is no taller
than one (1) stories/15 ft. to top of plate (see Figure

4.9).
86 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

5 On-site Open Space a One (1) or more of the Open Space Types listed below shall be provided on each lot and must be accommodated behind the Primary Street setback line.

Open Space type Minimum
Area
Minimum Dimen-
sions
i Side Garden
15% of
total lot
area
ii Courtyard 20 ft. by 20 ft.
iii Back yard
b Residential projects without a back yard shall provide for each residential unit a private open space in the form of a balcony, door yard, or yard. Private open space shall have a minimum area of 40 square feet with a minimum width of
5 feet.
6 Building Size and Separation a Buildings shall be designed according to the following building length and building separation standards: i Building lenght along Primary Street 60 ft. max.
ii Building lenght along
Side Street 75 ft. max.
iii
Building separation
must extend entire lot
depth or width or lead
to Courtyard.
15 ft. min.
iv Building length along
rear property line. 150 ft. max.
7 Frontage Elements, Encroachments. and Access a Required Frontage Elements: Street- and
Court-facing building
facades shall provide
at least one (1) of the
frontage elements listed
below. These Frontage
Elements may encroach
into the Primary Street
and Side Street setbacks
as identified below. i Shopfront n/a
ii Stoop 5 ft. max.
iii Door
yard
To
R.O.W.
line
iv Porch 5 ft. max. i Front
yard n/a
ci Pedestrian Access: All ground floors shall be accessed directly from the sidewalk either directly to each unit or commercial space through an appropriate frontage
element, lobby, or open space, such as a court. Upper
floor uses may be accessed through an exterior or
interior stair, or lobby.
ii Vehicular Access: Parking shall be accessed from an
alley. Where an alley is not present, parking/service
areas may be accessed from primary street. Driveways
shall be located as close to side property line as possible.

Parking/service areas for corner lots shall be accessed from side street.
b Optional Frontage
Elements. The following
elements may be provided
on all Street- and Court-
yard-facing facades, and
may encroach into in the
Primary Street and Side
Street setbacks or right-ofway as identified below. i Balcony 3 ft. max.
ii Bay
Window
iii Awning,
Canopy
To R.O.W.
line
open space
iii iii
iii
iii
iii
ii
ii
i
i
i
iii
iii
iv
i
i
i
i
i
i
i
ii
vehicle
people
frontage element
Part D: Code 87

4.5A Purpose and Intent
This Section establishes standards to ensure proposed
development promotes a walkable environment
along the street through the provision of street-facing windows, entries, and appropriately designed frontages; and commercial ground floors that support
pedestrian activity through maximum ground floor
transparency. Frontages consist of the street facade of the building(s), including any projecting elements, and any landscape, hardscape, walls, and fences between
the building facade and the back of sidewalk. They
provide a transition between the public environment
of the street and the semi-private and private environments of the building interior. They also signal the location of the building entrance and provide a
semi-public space within which neighbors and visitors
can interact.

4.5B Applicability
The requirements of this Section apply to all new
buildings within the Downtown area.

4.5C Frontage Types
This Section identifies the frontage types allowed
within the Downtown area, and for each type
provides a description and design standards to ensure
that proposed development is consistent with this
Specific Plan’s goals for building form, character, and quality. Frontage types are divided into two categories, Required (Porch, Stoop, Dooryard, Shopfront, Gallery, and Arcade) and Optional (Balcony, Bay
Window, Awning, Canopy). The provisions of this
Section work in combination with the underlying
Zone as identified on the Regulating Plan. Refer
to Sections 4.4D, 4.4E. and 4.4F for required and
optional frontage types within each zone and allowed
encroachments into the setback or right-of- way.

Front Yard Dooryard (residential)
Dooryard (non-residential) Shopfront
Arcade
Bay Window
Canopy
Gallery
Balcony
Awning
Porch Stoop

4.5 Frontage Standards
88 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

4.5Di Front Yard
a) Description: The area between the building facade and the property line. Front Yards may be visually continuous with adjacent yards with a common landscape, or enclosed by a low fence, wall, or hedge. On sloping sites, front yards may be raised above the level of the adjacent sidewalk and supported by a low retaining wall at the property line with steps providing access between the sidewalk and the yard. Porches, stoops, balconies, and bay windows may encroach into Front Yards. b) Design Standards
i) Front yards and continuous planters between the curb and sidewalk along the primary and side streets shall be landscaped. ii) Paved areas shall be limited to walks and driveways, where present. iii) Fences defining the front yard shall not exceed four (4) feet as measured from the adjacent sidewalk.

Part D: Code 89

4.5Dii Porch
a) Description: A roofed, unenclosed room attached to the exterior of a building that provides a physical transition between the sidewalk and the building. Porches may be provided on buildings that are set back from the Primary and/or Side Street property lines and may encroach into the front yard and side street yard.
b) Design Standards
i) Porches may be enclosed with insect screens if recessed from the exterior wall plane and if visibility is maintained from the sidewalk. ii) Porches shall be designed according to the following dimensional requirements:

Dimensions Min. Max.
a Depth (clear) 6 ft. -
b Width (clear) 12 ft. -
c Height: ceiling (clear) 8 ft. 12 ft.
d Height: floor above grade 12 in. 3 ft.
e Height: fence or hedge - 3 ft.

R.O.W Parcel Setback
Line
c d e
b
a
90 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

4.5Diii Dooryard
a) Description: An elevated or at-grade garden or terrace that is located in the front yard setback and that is enclosed by a low wall located at or near the property line. For elevated Dooryards, access from the sidewalk to the Dooryard is via a stair or ramp. The Dooryard can accommodate a variety of activities, ranging from dining patios for commercial uses to patios for residential uses. In addition, the interior building spaces are separated from the adjacent sidewalk by the depth of the Dooryard and in the case of raised Dooryards, by the terrace height.
b) Design Standards
i) Walls and/or fences shall be consistent with the architectural style of the building in their design, materials, and finishes. ii) Dooryards shall be designed according to the following dimensional requirements:

Dimensions Min. Max.
a Depth (clear) 7 ft. -
b Height above grade 0 ft. 3 ft.
c Fence or railings may extend to
height required by building code.
- -
a
R.O.W Parcel Setback
Line
b
c
Part D: Code 91

4.5Div Stoop
a) Description:A stair and landing leading directly from the sidewalk to a building entrance. The ground floor of the building is typically raised to provide increased privacy for the rooms facing the public street.

Accordingly, stoops are ideal frontage types for ground floor housing that is near the street.
b) Design Standards
i) The exterior stairs may be perpendicular or parallel to the adjacent sidewalk. The landing may be covered or uncovered.

Landscaping shall be placed on the sides of the stoop.
ii) Stoops shall be designed according to the following dimensional requirements:

Dimensions Min. Max.
a Depth: Landing (clear) 4 ft. 10 ft.
b Width (clear) 4 ft. 10 ft.
c Height: floor above grade 12 in. 3 ft.
d Height: Fence or hedge - 3 ft.
d c
R.O.W Parcel
Curb
Setback
Line
b
a
92 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

4.5Dv Shopfront
a) Description: Shopfronts are large openings in a building facade that are enclosed with large transparent windows and doors that provide direct, at-grade access to ground floor commercial/retail uses. The basic required architectural elements of shopfronts include large windows, doors with glass, transom windows, and a solid base (bulkhead).

Optional elements include awnings, canopies, signage, lighting, and cornices.
b) Design Standards
i) Storefront glass shall be clear without reflective coating or dark tinting. Lightly tinted glazing less than 15%, low emissivity, solar) is acceptable.
ii) Shopfront shall be designed according to the following dimensional requirements:

Dimensions Min. Max.
a Height (clear) 10 ft. 16 ft.
b Distance to bottom of awning 8 ft. 10 ft.
c Width of storefront bay(s) 10 ft. 15 ft.

Glass area % of ground floor wall 70 90
Curb
Parcel/
Setback
Line
Right of Way
b a
c
Part D: Code 93

Right of Way Parcel/
Curb
d e
b
c
a

4.5Dvi Gallery
a) Description: Galleries are facades with ground floor colonnades that support a cantilevered shed roof or a deck that covers the sidewalk.

Galleries contain ground floor storefronts, making them ideal for retail use. Railing on top of the gallery is only required if the gallery roof is accessible as a deck.
b) Design Standards
i) Along primary frontages, the Gallery columns shall correspond to Shopfront openings. Galleries shall be a minimum of two (2) bays wide.
ii) Galleries shall be designed according to the following dimensional requirements:

Dimensions Min. Max.
a Depth (clear) 10 ft. 16 ft.
b Width (clear) 20 ft. 80 ft.
c Width: single bay (clear) 10 ft. 16 ft.
d Height (clear) 12 ft. 16 ft.
e Distance from face of curb (clear) 2 ft. -
94 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

Right of Way
Curb
d
b
c
a

4.5Dvii Arcade
a) Description: Arcades are facades with a ground floor colonnade that supports the upper stories of the building, or for one-story buildings, the roof. Arcades contain ground-floor shopfronts, making them ideal for retail or restaurant use, as the arcade shelters the pedestrian while shading the storefront glass, preventing glare that might obscure views of merchandise.
b) Design Standards
i) Along primary frontages, the Arcade shall correspond to Shopfront openings. Arcades shall be a minimum of two (2) bays wide.
ii) Arcades shall be designed according to the following dimensional requirements:

Dimensions Min. Max.
a Depth (clear) 10 ft. 16 ft.
b Width (clear) 20 ft. 80 ft.
c Width: single bay (clear) 10 ft. 16 ft.
d Height (clear) 12 ft. 16 ft.
e Distance from face of curb (clear) 2 ft. -
Part D: Code 95

4.5Dviii Balcony
a) Description: A platform enclosed by a wall or balustrade on the outside of a building, with access from an upper-floor door. b) Design Standards
i) Balcony design character, palette of materials, and approach to detailing shall be consistent and compatible with the building's style.
ii) Balconies of traditionally styled buildings shall have visible supports in the form of projecting beams or braces. Balcony railings on traditional buildings shall be made of wood, wrought iron, steel bar or tube faithfully simulating true wrought iron. Balconies on modern styled buildings may
simply project. Modern buildings may also use galvanized or painted steel, aluminium, and cable railing components. Vinyl substitutes shall be avoided.
96 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

4.5Dix Bay Window
a) Description: A large window or series of windows projecting from the outer wall of a building and forming a recess within. b) Design Standards
i) Bay windows shall be a maximum of ten (10) feet wide and shall have a height that is equal to or greater than their width. ii) Bay windows shall be placed a minimum of two (2) feet from any building corner and a minimum of three (3) from any other bay window.
iii) Bay windows shall consist of at least 75% transparent fenestration.

Part D: Code 97

4.5Dx Awning
a) Description: A cloth cover fastened to a building or structure and supported by a frame that is used to protect pedestrians from the sun or rain.
b) Design Standards
i) Awnings shall be of a simple shed form, made of code-compliant fire-resistant canvas or materials of similar appearance; materials which are shiny, stiff, and synthetic shall be avoided. ii) Each awning shall correspond to a storefront.
iii) Upper floor awnings may be provided. Each individual awning shall cover no more than one Shopfront or window opening.

Signage is not permitted on upper floor awnings.
iv) Awnings shall be positioned so that signage is not obstructed. v) Awning color(s) and pattern(s) shall be coordinated with the overall design of the building. As appropriate awning colors may vary between adjacent businesses.
vi) Internally illuminated and backlit awnings and any associated light diffusers are prohibited.
98 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

4.5Dxi Canopy
a) Description: A flat, metal awning that extends perpendicular from the building and parallel to the sidewalk. The canopy's frame is connected to the wall and spanned by a variety of materials, including metal lattice, glass, and metal slats.
b) Design Standards
i) Canopies shall be of a simple form, made of metal and/or glass.
ii) Canopies shall be supported either from below by metal brackets, or from above by rods, wires, or chains that affix to the wall.
iii) Canopies may extend across multiple storefronts.
iv) Upper floor awnings may be provided. Each individual canopy shall cover no more than one window opening. Signage is not permitted on upper floor canopies.
v) Canopies shall be positioned so that signage is not obstructed. vi) Canopies shall be coordinated with the overall design of the building; all canopies on a single building shall be consistent in their design, color, and material.

Part D: Code 99

4.6 Land Uses

4.6A Allowable Land Uses
A parcel or building within the specific plan area shall be occupied by only the land uses allowed by Table D.3 within the zones specified within the Regulating Plan. Land uses are defined in Section 4.10B.ii (Glossary).
a Use not listed. When a use is not specifically listed in Table D.3, the Planning and Community Development Director or his/her designee, shall have the authority to determine whether the proposed use is permitted based on the finding that the use is similar to, and no more detrimental than, those permitted in the zone. Uses not listed, or otherwise determined by the Planning and Community Development Director or his/her designee to be permitted, are prohibited.

4.6.B Permit Requirements
a Permitted subject to compliance with all applicable provisions of this Development Code, and a Site Plan in compliance with Zoning Code Title 17. These are shown as “P” uses in the tables;
b Allowed subject to the approval of a Conditional Use Permit in compliance with Zoning Code Chapter 17.70, and shown as “CUP” uses in the tables; and c Not allowed in particular zones, and shown as a “—” in the tables.

Downtown
Core Main Street Downtown Edge
1 Commerce, Manufacturing, Processing
Artisan/craft manufacturing, commercial kitchen
printing and publishing P P —
Research and Development P P —
Warehouse and Distribution — — —
Personal storage facility — — —
Makers Space P P P
2 Retail
Supermarket, home improvement center P P —
Neighborhood market, pharmacy P P P
Restaurants P P P
Retail businesses P P P
Retail Pop-Ups P P P
Restaurant with dancing, live entertainment, craft
brewery and winery (including retail sales), nightclub CUP CUP CUP Medical Marijuana cultivation, manufacturing, sales,
delivery, and distribution — — —
3 Services
Personal Services: Personal Services, such as barber and beauty shops, dry cleaning pick-up stores, home electronics and small appliance repair, nail shops - manicure, pedicure, and tailors
P P P
Personal Services (restricted): Banquet facility/catering, accessory massage (licensed, therapeutic, and in conjunction with primary businesses such as day spa, beauty salon, barber shop or similar uses) and tanning salons

CUP CUP CUP
Professional Services: Includes professional offices for banks, commercial art and design, counseling services,
scientific and research organizations, media post production and news services, urgent care clinic, and medical clinic (doctor, dentist)
P P P
4 Accessory Commercial Uses
Drive-through facility — — —
Incidental entertainment P P —
Table D.3. Land Use Table
100 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

Table D.3. Land Use Table
DowntownCore Main Street Downtown
Edge
Outdoor cafe (Dining) P P P
Outdoor display CUP CUP CUP
Outdoor storage — CUP —
5 Automobile Related
Vehicle Sales and associated vehicle
service and parts — CUP —
Vehicle parts, maintenance, or repair,
detailing, painting, service stations — — —
Drive-through establishments including
car wash — — —
6 Utility, Transportation
Mobility hub P P P
Parking facility (public or commercial) P P —
Utility Facilities and Infrastructure — CUP CUP
Wireless telecommunication facility CUP CUP CUP
7 Residential Uses
Dwelling, single-family attached — — P
Dwelling, multi-family P P P
Live/work Unit P P P
Transitional housing P P P
Emergency shelter — — —
Lodging: Hotel, B&B inn CUP CUP —
8 Accessory Residential Uses
Accessory dwelling unit P P P
Home occupation P P P
9 Recreation, Education, Public Assembly
Museums, art galleries, and libraries P P P
Athletic club/gymnasium, religious
facility, and recreational centers CUP CUP CUP
Open Space P P P
Studios for arts, dance, music, martial arts P P P
Health/fitness facility CUP CUP CUP
Community garden — P P
School, public P P P
School, private (trade schools, colleges) CUP CUP CUP
Theater, cinema, performing arts, outdoor
community events CUP CUP CUP
Art lounges or theaters with alcohol sales CUP CUP —
Recreation, entertainment uses CUP CUP —
Bowling allies, billiards parlors, indoor
racquetball/pickleball courts. CUP CUP —
Farmers market, certified P P P
10 Other Uses
Alcohol sales (on-and off-sale outlets) CUP CUP CUP
Vending machine (regular and reverse) P P P
Secondhand stores — — —
Day care center — child CUP CUP CUP
Key to Table
P Permitted
CUP Conditional Use Permit
— Not Permitted
Part D: Code 101

4.7 Signs

4.7A Sign Standards

4.7A.1 Purpose
These sign regulations are intended to appropriately
limit the placement, type, size, and number of signs
allowed within the Downtown area, and to require
the proper maintenance of signs. The purposes of
these limitations and requirements are to:
a Avoid traffic safety hazards to motorists,
bicyclists, and pedestrians, caused by visual
distractions and obstructions;
b Promote the aesthetic and environmental values
of the community by providing for signs that do
not impair the attractiveness of Downtown as a
place to live, work, and shop; and
c Provide for signs as an effective channel of
communication, while ensuring that signs are
aesthetically designed and proportioned in
relation to adjacent structures and the structures
to which they are attached.

4.7A.2 Applicability
a Section 4.7 applies to all signage within the
Downtown Code boundaries except for the
following which are subject to the requirements
of Chapter 17.62 of the Municipal Code:

1. Real estate signs, special event signs,
directional signs; and

2. Billboard or other off-premise sign
regulated by Chapter 17.62.105 of the
Municipal Code, and any sign located in
the public right-of-way and installed or
maintained by the City or by any other
public entity having legal authority to
maintain signs.
b Applicability to sign content. The provisions
of this Section do not regulate the message
content of a sign (sign copy), regardless of
whether the message content is commercial or
noncommercial.
c Sign permit requirements. Installation of signs
shall require approval of a sign permit:

1. Wall, window, awning/canopy, and
sidewalk signs shall be processed ministerially by the Planning and Community Development Director; and

2. All other sign types shall be subject to
Chapter 17.62 of the Municipal Code.

Each proposed sign or existing sign to be modified shall be designed as one of the signage types allowed for the zoning district as identified in Table 4.4

4.7B Sign Types
Table D.4. Sign Types
Wall Window Awning/Canopy
Core Main
Street Edge Core Main Street Edge Core Main Street Edge A sign that is painted or applied directly
to the wall, typically
above the shopfront
or more creatively as
approved by the City.

This type consists of
a single externally
illuminated panel
or individual letters
including a logo and
does not include cabinet signs. This type
of sign is intended
for viewing from
across the street and
along the sidewalk.

A sign that is painted or applied directly
to the storefront
window(s) and/or
door(s). This type
consists of individual
letters, including a
logo with allowances
for contrasting background. This type of
sign is intended for
viewing from across
the street and at
close range.

A sign that is integral to the awning or
canopy above a shopfront. This type of
sign may be located
either on the valence
face of the awning
that faces the street
or on the valence
perpendicular to
the building. Also
included is a feature
area on the main
panel. For canopies,
this type of sign is
located on top of
and along the front
edge of the canopy.

This type of sign is
intended for viewing
at close range.
102 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

Sidewalk Marquee Projecting Monument Roof Pole
Core Main
Street Edge Core Main Street Core Main Street Core Main Street Core Main Street Core Main Street A two-sided,
non-illuminated,
portable sign that
is placed outside of
the shopfront on the
adjacent sidewalk
for viewing at close
range. The sidewalk
sign is intended for
use by restaurants,
cafes, other foodoriented businesses,
theaters and other
such activities.

A vertically-oriented
two- to three-sided
sign that projects
from the facade over
a sidewalk, public
open space or other
public right-of-way
and may project
above the building’s
parapet. This type of
sign is intended for
viewing along the
sidewalk and down
the street from the
adjacent block.

A two-sided sign
that projects over
a sidewalk (public
or private) or open
space (public or
private). This type
of sign is intended
for viewing at close
range.

A sign that is located
within front and
side yards where the
building is setback
substantially from
the sidewalk and the
sign is to be viewed
from a distance
along the street.

Wall-integral:

Occurs as part of
site-defining landscape, in the form of
a low wall that may
include a gateway
that encloses outdoor
dining or open space.

Freestanding: Occurs as a freestanding sign subject to location and size
limitations aimed at
scale and compatibility with pedestrian
frontages.

A sign that is for
use on block-scale
buildings at least 3
stories in height such
as hotels, conference
centers, and certain
civic building.

This type of sign is
intended for viewing
from a distance to
help emphasize the
identity and presence
of a particular area
as a whole and therefore, the signage is
allowed to be more
inventive.

A vertically-oriented
sign that is detached
from the main building, located along
the primary frontage
within the front
setback, consisting of
a structural support
with the sign mounted at the top. This
type of sign is for use
on property that has
a certain amount of
street frontage and if
intended for viewing
from a distance to
identify a business
set back and not
readily visible from
the street.

Part D: Code 103

4.7B1 Wall Sign
1 Description
A sign that is painted or applied directly to
the wall, typically above the shopfront or
more creatively as approved by the City. This
type consists of a single externally illuminated panel or individual letters including a logo and does not include cabinet signs. This type
of sign is intended for viewing from across
the street and along the sidewalk.
2 Size
Height 24 in. max.

Width (as % of facade
width) 60%
Features (allowed
beyond sign area) 6 ft. max.
3 Design Standard
a. Maximum of 1 wall sign per storefront
bay along frontage of building;
b. Multi-story buildings qualify for a
building identification sign located on the
uppermost story;
c. Maximum thickness of sign as measured
from the wall shall not exceed 4 inches;
d. Minimum of 24 inches between sign
and any opening or edge of the building
facade;
e. Minimum of 12 inches between sign and
an eave or parapet; and
f. If illuminated, individual letters required
and shall be either internally illuminated
or externally illuminated with decorative
lamps mounted to maintain visual integrity of the sign.

4.7B2 Window Sign
1 Description
A sign that is painted or applied directly to
the storefront window(s) and/or door(s). This
type consists of individual letters, including a logo with allowances for contrasting background. This type of sign is intended for
viewing from across the street and at close
range.
2 Size
Height 18 in. max.

Width (as % of storefront width) 40%
Features (allowed
beyond sign area) 2 ft. max.
3 Design Standard
a. Maximum of 1 window sign per storefront;
b. Minimum of 75% of window sign shall be
independent of contrasting background;
c. Sign inside the shop-space is not allowed
within 4 feet of the window; and
d. Storefront width is measured between
walls or columns of at least 8 inches in
width.

4.7B3 Awning/Canopy Sign
1 Description
A sign that is integral to the awning or
canopy above a shopfront. This sign may
be located either on the valence face of the
awning facing the street or on the valence
perpendicular to the building. Also included
is a feature area on the main panel. For
canopies, this type of sign is located on top
of and along the front edge of the canopy.

This type of sign is intended for viewing at
close range.
2 Size
Height awning
valance
6 in. min.;
12 in max.

Height canopy
valance 2 ft. max.

Width (as % of awning/canopy width) 75%
Features (logo) for
awning main panel 2 sq.ft.

Feature (beyond
canopy sign area) 3 sq.ft.

Encroachment within 2 ft.
of curb
3 Design Standard
a. Maximum of 1 sign per awning / canopy;
b. Each awning / canopy shall correspond
to a storefront;
c. The main panel of awnings shall only be
used for a logo feature and shall not be
for additional signage area;
d. Internal illumination of awning(s) is
prohibited;
e. Canopy sign may extend up to 24 inches
above the top of the canopy; and
f. Encroachment permit required.
104 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

4.7B4 Sidewalk Sign
1 Description
A two-sided, non-illuminated, portable sign
that is placed outside of the shopfront on
the adjacent sidewalk for viewing at close
range. The sidewalk sign is intended for use
by restaurants, cafes, other food- oriented
businesses, theaters and other such activities.
2 Size
Height 18 in. min.;
3 ft. max.

Width 18 in. min.;
2 ft. max.

Thickness on each
side 4 in. max.

Horizontal
clearance from
adjacent curb
18 in. max.
3 Design Standard
a. Maximum of 1 sign per business with a
minimum distance of 25 feet from the
nearest sidewalk sign;
b. Sign shall be vertically oriented and have
no more than 2 sides;
c. Sign shall be placed as close as possible
to the business storefront/edge of outdoor
seating or along the street edge of the
adjacent sidewalk;
d. Encroachment permit required within
the r.ow. Adequate pedestrian access
shall be maintained; and
e. Materials shall not include vinyl or
plastic. Lighting shall be from ambient
sources.

4.7B5 Marquee Sign
1 Description
A vertically-oriented two- to three-sided
sign that projects from the facade over a sidewalk, public open space or other public rightof-way and may project above the building’s parapet. This type of sign is intended for
viewing along the sidewalk and down the
street from the adjacent block.
2 Size
Height single-story
building
max. 35% of
facade height
Height multi-story
building
max. 75% of
facade height
Height above eave
or parapet
10 ft. max
Width of each sign
face (up to 3 max.) 20 ft. max
Distance from wall 18 in.

Thickness 4 in. max.

Feature (allowed
beyond sign area) 6 sq. ft.

Encroachment within 3 ft.
of curb
3 Design Standard
a. Maximum of 1 marquee sign per building;
b. Sign shall be vertically-oriented and
placed within the top half of single-story
buildings and on the upper floor(s) of
multi-story buildings; and
c. Encroachment permit required.

4.7B6 Projecting Sign
1 Description
A two-sided sign that projects over a sidewalk (public or private) or open space (public or private). This type of sign is intended for
viewing at close range.
2 Size
Height 2 ft. max.

Width 3 ft. max.

Thickness 3 in. max.

Feature (allowedbeyond sign area) 1.5 sq.ft.

Vertical clearance
from sidewalk 8 ft. min.

Encroachment within 3 ft. of
curb
3 Design Standard
a. Maximum of 1 projecting sign per business along frontage; b. If illuminated, shall not be internally
illuminated cabinet sign;
c. Supporting hardware such as brackets
shall be architecturally compatible with
the building facade;
d. Not allowed under an awning or
horizontally within 10 feet of another
projecting sign; and
e. Encroachment permit required.

Part D: Code 105

4.7B7 Monument Sign
1 Description
A sign within front and side yards where the
building is setback from the sidewalk and
the sign is to be viewed from a distance along
the street.

Wall-integral: Occurs as part of site-defining
landscape, in the form of a low wall that
may include a gateway that encloses outdoor
dining or open space.

Freestanding: Occurs as a freestanding sign
subject to location and size limitations aimed
at scale and compatibility with pedestrian
frontages.
2 Size
Height of wall or
freestanding panel
3 ft. min. 5
ft. max.

Height of sign area 18 in. max.

Width (freestanding) 2 ft. min.,
7 ft. max.

Thickness 18 in.

Feature (allowed
beyond sign area) 2 sq. ft.

Distance from adjacent curb 5 ft. min.

Encrochment into
setbacks
within
3 ft. of
property
line
3 Design Standard
a. Wall-integral: Maximum 1 sign may be
placed at each end of the wall if there is at
least 50 feet between each sign;
b. Freestanding: Maximum of 1 sign and
minimum of 75 feet horizontal separation
from another monument sign;
c. Not allowed in any required visibility
area, right-of- way, or private street;
d. Colors and materials shall match the
building style and details; and
e. Lighting shall be from external or ambient sources.

4.7B8 Roof Sign
1 Description
A sign that is for use on block-scale buildings
at least 3 stories in height such as hotels,
conference centers, and certain civic building.

This type of sign is intended for viewing from
a distance to help emphasize the identity and
presence of a particular area as a whole and
therefore, the signage is allowed to be more
inventive.
2 Size
Height 7 ft. min.,
15 ft. max.
max.

Length 10 ft. min.,
30 ft. max.

Thickness 18 in. max.

Features (allowed
beyond sign area)
25 sq.ft.
max.
3 Design Standard
a. Maximum of 1 roof sign per building;
b. Minimum building height of 3 stories
and minimum site frontage along primary
street of 150 feet;
c. Signs shall not encroach into right-of-way
or private street;
d. If illuminated, external illumination required and shall be mounted to maintain visual integrity of the sign; and
e. Supporting hardware such as brackets
shall be architecturally compatible with
the main building.

4.7B9 Pole Sign
1 Description
A vertically-oriented sign that is detached
from the main building, located along the
primary frontage within the front setback,
consisting of a structural support with the
sign mounted at the top. This type of sign is
for use on property that has a certain amount
of street frontage and is intended for viewing
from a distance to identify a business set
back and not readily visible from the street.
2 Size
Height to top of the
sign 25 ft. max.

Width of sign 15 ft. max.

Height of sign area 10 ft. max.

Thickness 12 in. max.

Feature (allowedbeyond sign area) 25 sq.ft.

Distance from r.o.w. min. 2 ft.
3 Design Standard
a. Maximum of 1 pole sign per site;
b. If illuminated, illumination shall maintain visual integrity of the sign; and c. Supporting hardware such as brackets
shall be architecturally compatible
with the architectural style of the main
building.
106 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

4.8 Other Development Standards

4.8A Parking Design

4.8A.1 Applicability
a Parking required. Every use, including change
or expansion of a use, or structure, shall have
appropriately maintained parking and loading
spaces or areas in compliance with the regulations identified in this section. b Number of parking spaces
i Off-Street Parking Spaces. Off-street
parking spaces shall be provided for each
land use per the below standards:
a) Residential: 1 space per unit (minimum).
b) Residential Guest: 1 space for every 4
units (minimum)
c) Lodging: 1 space per room (minimum).
d) Live/Work: 1 space per unit under
1500 s.f.; if unit is greater than 1500 sq.
ft.: 1 space for every 400 gross s.f.
e) Office, Retail, Civic: 1 space per 300
gross s.f. of building area.
f) Restaurants, Cafes, or similar: 1 space
per 200 gross s.f. of building area.
c On-Street Parking
i On-street parking located along the development’s frontage may be counted towards fulfilling the minimum number of spaces
for the commercial component within the
development up to twenty-five percent
(25%) of the minimum required number of
off-street parking spaces.
ii In no case shall on-street parking be used
for meeting minimum residential parking
requirements within a mixed-use development.
iii Where street parking spaces are counted
toward meeting required on-site parking
as allowed by this section, all such on street
spaces must remain available for common
use and not be exclusively assigned or
reserved to any individual use.

4.8A.2 Parking Reduction Requirements
a Shared Parking
Shared parking may be utilized as an effort to
promote an overall reduction in parking. The
amount of off-street parking required for a mixed
use development may be reduced up to fifteen
(15) percent as determined by the Planning
and Community Development Director and
approved by the Planning Commission when it
can be demonstrated through a Parking Demand
Study that sufficient parking is or can be met
by the subject uses through a shared parking
arrangement. Said study should explain the
parking demands of the land uses within the
development and how business practices or hours
of operation impact the demand for parking at
different times of the day.
b Waiver of Parking
Any project site where it can be demonstrated
that the land use thereon will not utilize the
required number of parking spaces due to the
nature of the specific land use, or the manner
in which the specific land use is conducted,
the number of parking spaces required may be
reduced pursuant to the following:
i Approval Required. A parking reduction
based upon low parking demand may be allowed upon the approval of a Low Demand Parking Reduction Agreement by the City.
ii Alternate Parking Plan. In approving a
parking reduction, the City may require
the preparation of an Alternate Off-Street
Parking Plan, which demonstrates that
additional parking spaces can be provided
on-site, as necessary, to accommodate future
land use changes or intensifications in land
use. Furthermore, a restrictive covenant that
runs with the land may be required by the
City, which restricts the use of the subject
property for the duration of the parking
reduction.

Part D: Code 107

iii Low Demand Parking Reduction Agreement. A Low Demand Parking Reduction Agreement by and between the City, the
applicant, and all other affected property
owners, shall be executed and recorded with
the County Recorder, which, at a minimum,
shall:
a) provide confirmation that the parking
supply proposed will be adequate
during periods of maximum demand,
b) confirm that the parking demand is
provided within a reasonable walking
distance to the use it serves, and
c) identify parking management strategies that are necessary to ensure the availability of the necessary number
of parking spaces for the duration of
the current use and future users of the
project site. The Low Demand Parking
Reduction Agreement shall be subject
to City Attorney review and approval
as to form and content.
iv Parking Analysis. The City may require
the applicant to submit a parking analysis,
prepared by a person/firm experienced in
preparing such analyses, to assist the City in
determining the appropriate reduction.

4.8A.3 Parking Design and Development Standards
Required parking areas shall be designed and
constructed as follows. The standards of this Section
may be modified by the review authority where it
determines that alternative parking designs and standards will more appropriately relate to the operating characteristics of the proposed development or new
land use, while being equally effective in providing
parking areas that are safe, convenient, use land
efficiently, and are aesthetically attractive.
a Access to Parking
i Within the Specific Plan area, no new
parking shall be placed between a building
and a street, except where allowed adjacent
to a side street in the residential zone.
ii Parking, including parking garages, shall be
accessed from an alley or secondary frontage
when possible. The opening of a parking lot
or garage on a frontage shall not exceed two
lanes in width.
b Tandem Parking. Tandem parking may be
allowed at the discretion of the City:
i Non-Residential Uses.
a) The use of tandem parking for non-residential uses shall require that the operator of the parking facility provide
a valet or attendant at all times that the
parking is accessible to users, except
where the City determines that the
nature of the use and its operation will
not require attended parking.
b) Tandem parking shall be a maximum
of two (2) parking spaces in depth.
c) Vehicle movements necessary to move
cars parked in a tandem configuration
shall not take place on any public street.
ii Residential Development. Tandem parking
is allowed within multi-family projects and
the residential component of mixed-use
projects subject to the following standards:
a) Up to thirty (30) percent of the total
required off-street parking spaces may
be provided in a tandem configuration.

The maximum number of spaces
permitted in a tandem configuration
refers to the total individual spaces, not
the total number of tandem spaces. For
example, if twenty (20) total residential
spaces are required, three (3) tandem
space with two (2) cars in the tandem
space for a total of six (6) individual
spaces may be provided.
b) Tandem parking shall be a maximum
of two (2) parking spaces in depth.
c) Both tandem spaces shall be assigned
to the same dwelling unit.
d) Vehicle movements necessary to move
cars parked in a tandem configuration
shall not take place on any public street.
e) Guest parking spaces shall not be
provided in a tandem configuration.
f) When tandem parking spaces are used
in private garages or other parking
facilities with more than two (2)
parking spaces, they shall be assigned
and marked for resident use.
c Disabled Parking Spaces. Parking spaces for
the disabled shall be provided in compliance
with the requirements of State Law (California
Administrative Code [Title 24, Part 2, Chapters
2B71]. Disabled spaces required by this Section
shall count toward fulfilling off-street parking
requirements.
108 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

d Loading Spaces
i A minimum of one (1) off-street loading
space shall be provided for every non-residential or mixed use building over 3,000 sq.ft. in gross area.
ii Loading spaces shall be generally located at
the rear of a building or along the alley when
present in a fashion that allows for adequate
maneuvering, loading, or unloading of
vehicles without interfering with the orderly
movement of traffic or pedestrians on the
street.
iii Off-street loading spaces may be striped
“loading zone” by the City of Montebello as
approved by the Planning and Community
Development Director.
e Parking space and lot dimensions. Parking lots
and stalls shall be designed with the following
minimum dimensions.
f Landscaping. Parking areas shall be landscaped
in compliance with the following requirements.
i Surface parking areas shall be planted with
shade trees at a minimum ratio of one tree
for every four spaces in an orchard planting
arrangement.
ii Parking areas adjacent to a street or sidewalk
shall be screened with landscaping and a
decorative wall between 36 and 48 inches in
height as approved by the review authority.
g Lighting. Parking lot lighting shall comply with
the following requirements:
i Outdoor light fixtures shall be limited to a
maximum height of 15 feet or the height of
the nearest building, whichever is less.
ii Lighting shall be energy-efficient, and
shielded or recessed. Each light fixture shall
be directed downward and away from adjoining properties and public rights-of-way. h Surfacing.The City desires to reduce stormwater
run-off and water pollution, and to allow for
the replenishment of groundwater. For parking
areas, the goal is to reduce the amount of run-off
generating surface area. Therefore, permeable
surfaces for parking and maneuvering areas
are encouraged. Acceptable permeable surfaces
include:
i Pervious pavers (products such as Unipaver,
Eco-stone and SF Rima or an approved
equivalent).
ii Gravel, bark or grass when reinforced to
provide adequate load-bearing (including
geotechnical structures such as Invisible
Structures’ Grasspave and Gravelpave
products, or an approved equivalent).
iii Other permeable surfaces may be approved
by the Public Works Director.
i Passenger Loading and Unloading Zones.

On-street, curb-side passenger loading and
unloading zones, including for transit network
companies (such as Uber and Lyft) are permitted
as approved by the Planning and Community
Development Director.

Angle of
Parking
Length of
Parking
Stall
Width of
Parking
Stall
Aisle
Width
600 or less
(one-way)
900
(one-way)
18 ft 8.5 ft or
9 ft 18 ft
900
(two-way) 18 ft 8.5 ft or 9 ft 24 ft
900
(tandem) 36 ft 9 ft 24 ft
Part D: Code 109

4.8B Solid Waste Standards

4.8B.1 Purpose
A successful solid waste collection and removal
strategy will include appropriate accommodations for
the collection, storage, access, and removal of solid
waste and recyclable materials from the project site.

Early planning to meet this requirement is essential
to avoid major redesign of the project during later
design phases and to ensure compliance with the
standards and requirements of this Section.

4.8B.2 Location, Access and Design Criteria
The location of all solid waste collection and/or
storage spaces shall meet the following requirements:
a To the extent possible, collection/storage locations shall be accessed from an alley. Where an alley is not present, collection/storage locations
may be accessed from the street. Collection/
storage locations for corner lots shall be accessed
from the Side Street.
b The collection/storage space shall be located
to minimize visual, noise, and odor impacts to
adjacent building occupants both on the subject
lot and on adjacent lots.
c Outdoor trash enclosures or collection rooms
within a structure shall not be located on a
street-facing facade of the structure. Outdoor
trash enclosures shall not be located between the
building faced and the street.
d The design of outdoor trash enclosures and
exterior facing elements of a collection/storage
area attached to, or within a building/structure,
shall complement the architectural features of
the building or development that they serve.

The incorporation of landscaping around trash
enclosures is encouraged as part of a successful
design. All outdoor trash enclosures shall include
a solid roof to minimize or prevent spilled or
trash contaminants from entering the stormwater
system.
e The property owner or manager shall maintain
both the interior spaces and surrounding exterior
areas and keep them clean and free of graffiti,
trash, residue, debris, and leaks.

4.8C GHG Emissions Reductions Standards
The following design features shall be incorporated for all new development:
a. Gas or propane fireplaces shall not be allowed in
residential development.
b. All residential development will provide outdoor
electrical outlets to accommodate the use of electric
landscape equipment.
c. New development shall install at least one electric
vehicle charging station on the specific project site,
or through coordination with the City in other
public parking areas within the City.

4.8D Other Municipal Code Standards
All other requirements of the Municipal Code not specifically provided in the Downtown Montebello Specific Plan apply including, but not limited to, screening (i.e. rooftop mechanical equipment), trash enclosures, the
installation of underground utilities.
110 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

4.8E Landscape and Outdoor Lighting Standards

4.8E.1 Landscape Materials: Context appropriate
landscaping shall be provided for each project and
designed to achieve an attractive “urban” landscape
setting. Landscaping is also instrumental in creating
and delineating public and private spaces. Appropriate landscaping will depend on factors such as the setbacks, shape, size, and orientation of the building. a Proposed developments shall incorporate site
amenities such as linear planting beds or seat
walls, street furniture, enhanced paving surfaces,
public art, lighting, etc, where appropriate. These
features should be architecturally compatible
with the styles, materials and colors of the
principal building on the lot and those in the
immediate area.
b Plant species should be selected based on their
suitability for an urban environment, for their
cleanliness, and for their ability to survive in
a healthy state despite constrained growing
conditions. Ease of maintenance should also be
considered.
c The majority of plant materials shall consist
of drought tolerant and/or native plants with
minimum water requirements.
d The use of canopy trees for shading and cooling
is encouraged where appropriate, particularly
in publicly accessible open spaces and plazas,
to mitigate the urban heat island effect. Where
canopy trees are used, site design should provide
sufficiently sized tree pits or planting beds and
appropriate planting medium to provide for
healthy tree growth.
e Decorative water features shall use re-circulating
water and, where available, shall use recycled
water.

4.8E.2 Sustainable Storm Water Management: The intent
of this Downtown Specific Plan is to create an urban
walkable community. When fully implemented, the
development of the Downtown planning area will result in an urban setting characterized by commercial, residential, and mixed use buildings, and structured
or underground parking on sites with minimal to
no landscape areas available at grade. In some cases,
buildings could approach 100 percent coverage of
the site. As part of the development review process,
developers and their landscape architects will need to
focus on tailoring each project to provide stormwater
treatment facilities that are functional and visually
attractive and that avoid the use of surface infiltration basins, which are not conducive to an urban setting.

In preparing mandated Water Quality Management
Plans (WQMPs) the following design guidelines
shall be considered and implemented to the greatest
extent possible:
a Consider the range of BMP alternatives for
drainage, infiltration, and stormwater quality for
the site, including drainage from roofs, plazas,
courts, and any surface parking areas.
b Utilize Low Impact Development (LID) design
principles and practices to address infiltration of
runoff through the use of:
i Pervious surfaces in lieu of impermeable
surfaces in plazas, courtyards, and surface
parking areas where technically feasible.

Acceptable pervious surfaces include:
landscaping; pervious pavers including
pervious interlocking pavers and permeable
concrete; etc.; as approved by the Planning
and Community Development Director and
Public Works Director.
ii Landscaped areas integrated into the drainage design where runoff can be directed into planters with subsurface features to further
enhance storage or towards permeable
surfaces where technically feasible. Amended soils shall be utilized where technically feasible to enhance infiltration, to provide
water quality improvement, and to maintain
healthy plant life.
c Surface infiltration basins are not allowed, unless:
i They are accommodated within an active
or passive park or open space that can be
closed during flood events.
ii They are not visible from a street or public
open space and they are in addition to the
required on-site open space.

4.8E.3 Site Lighting
a Site lighting should be shielded by permanent
attachments to light fixtures so that light sources
are not visible from a public way and to prevent
off-site glare.

Part D: Code 111

4.9 Administration

4.9A Review Authority
The standards and other requirements of this Development Code shall be administered and enforced by the Planning Division of the Montebello Planning and
Community Development Department, the Planning
Commission, and City Council in the same manner as
the provisions of the City's Zoning Code.
a Chapter 17.74 of the Municipal Code specifies
standards for Site Plan Review application. The
following types of applications shall be reviewed and
acted upon by the identified body or individual:
i. Ministerial Applications: The Planning and
Community Development Director review shall
be the Review Authority for ministerial applications as listed in Table 4.5. ii. Discretionary Applications: Discretionary application shall be reviewed as listed in Table D.5.

4.9.B Minor Deviations
a A Minor Deviation permits a design solution that
is not consistent with a specific provision of this
Development Code, but is justified by its ability to
fulfill this Specific Plan’s intent while not compromising its vision and intent. b All development standards within this Development
Code may deviate up to a maximum of ten percent
(10%).
c Minor Deviations are subject to Planning and
Community Development Director review prior to
Planning Commission consideration.

4.9.C Compatibility and Architectural Review
For the purposes of maintaining consistency with this
Specific Plan; establishing a high standard of architectural quality and design variety; and maintaining compatibility with adjoining properties, all development applications within the Downtown Specific Plan area will be subject to an external peer review. Such a review will be conducted by an architect, urban designer, or planner in private practice, as chosen by the review authority (City).

The review authority shall establish fees and procedures for such review.

4.9DTreatment of Potential Historic Resource
a Prior to completion of the Historic Resource Survey,
applications for all demolition permit and development proposals involving structures over 50 years in age will include a historic, technical assessment
or "Phase I" prepared by a City-designated historic
professional.
b Upon reviewing a "Phase I" historic assessment, the
Planning and Community Development Director
may request additional documentation in the form of
a Phase II study.
c Planning and Community Development Department
staff shall evaluate the Phase I and/or Phase II to
determine whether the application involves a Historic
Resource as defined by CEQA.
d If the Director determines a potential Historic
Resource is present, but not formally designated as
a landmark or already on a State or Federal register,
the development proposal shall be reviewed by the
Planning Commission for compliance with the
Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Guidelines
for the Treatment of Historic Properties.

Planning and
Community
Development
Director
Planning
Commission City Council
Ministerial
Zoning
clearance Approve
Outdoor
dining in
r.o.w.

Approve
Outdoor
display Approve
Discretionary
Site plan
(Design
Review)
Final Decision Review
Appeal
Review
Appeal
Conditional
use permit
(CUP)
Final Decision Review
Appeal
Zoning
change Recommend Final Decision
Subdivision Final Decision
Variance Final Decision Review
Appeal
Specific Plan
Amendment Recommend Final Decision
Table D.5 Review Authority.
112 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

4.10 Glossary

4.10A Purpose
This Section provides definitions of terms and phrases used in this Development Code that are technical or specialized, or that may not reflect common usage. If any of the definitions in this Section conflict with definitions in the Zoning Code or other provisions of the Municipal Code, these definitions shall control for the purposes of this Development Code. If a word is not defined in this Section, or in other provisions of the Montebello Municipal Code, the Planning and Community Development Director shall determine the correct definition.

4.10B Definitions of Specialized Terms and Phrases
As used in this Development Code, each of the following terms and phrases shall have the meaning ascribed to them in this Section, unless the context in which they are used clearly requires otherwise.

4.10Bi Definitions of General Terms
Access, Building The physical point(s) and type of pedestrian access to a building from the public sidewalk.

Also see building access.

Access, Site The physical point(s) of vehicular access from a street or other right-of-way to a site.

Access, Lot The physical point(s) of access to an individual lot for vehicles and pedestrians from a street,
other right-of-way or sidewalk.

Accessory
Structure
A subordinate building such as garages, carports,
storage sheds, shelters, pools or similar structures, the use of which is incidental to that of the main building (residential, commercial, or
industrial) on the same lot and/or building site.

Alley A low capacity thoroughfare with one shared
lane and no parking lanes, designed and intended for service and/or secondary access purposes.

Block All property fronting on one side of a street
between intersecting and intercepting streets, or
between a street and a right-of-way, end of an
existing cul-de-sac, or city boundary.

Block-scale
Building
The physical appearance when a building by
its physical length and overall size is massed
and organized to be larger than a house in its
footprint.

Building Access Buildings are accessed in either of two ways:
walk-up or point access.

Walk-up access means when an individual
suite or dwelling is accessed by the pedestrian
directly from a public sidewalk or private open
space directly accessed by the public sidewalk.

House-scale buildings are accessed only by
walk-up access.

Point access means when individual suites or
dwellings are accessed by the pedestrian through
a common lobby. Block-scale buildings are
accessed by either walk-up or point-access, or
through a combination of the two.

Building
Accessory
Building(s) which are in support of the main
building on the lot and subject to the building
placement standards for accessory buildings.

Building Height The vertical extent of a building measured in stories to the eave of the highest story, not
including a raised basement or a habitable attic.

Height limits do not apply to masts, belfries,
clock towers, chimney flues, and similar structures. Building height shall be measured from the average grade of the fronting thoroughfare.

Building Type A structure defined by the combination of configuration, placement and function.
• Mixed-Use Block. A building designed for
occupancy by retail, service, and/ or office
uses on the ground floor, with upper floors
also configured for service, office, and/or
residential uses as allowed by each zone’s
use requirements. The upper floor may be
accessed directly from the street via a stair
or through a street-level lobby.
• Court. A group of attached dwelling units
arranged to share one or more common
courtyards, with pedestrian visitor access
taken from the courtyard, Front Street,
and/or Side Street. The courtyard is
intended to be a semi-public outdoor area
that is visible from and accessed from
the Primary Street. Courtyard buildings
may accommodate housing as well as
ground floor commercial uses in either a
live-work configuration or as commercial/
retail space that directly faces the Primary
Street, if and as allowed by the zone.
• Liner. A building that conceals a larger
building such as a public garage, theater,
or "big box" store that is designed for
occupancy by retail, service, and/or office
uses on the ground floor, with upper
floors also configured for those uses or for
residences.

Top of plate
Sloped Roof
Height
Top of bridge
Top of parapet
Top of plate
Parapet Height
Maximum Height
Highest point of
natural grade
Part D: Code 113

Building Type
(continued)
• Rowhouse. Two or more detached twoor three-story dwellings arrayed side by side with zero lot line side setbacks. The
building is located at the front of the lot,
with the garage at the rear of the lot,
separated from the primary building by a
rear yard. An integrated housing unit and
working space, occupied and utilized by
a single household in a structure, either
single-family or multi-family, that has
been designed or structurally modified to
accommodate joint residential occupancy
and work activity.
• Stacked Dwelling. A building comprised
typically of single-floor dwellings usually
accessed from a central lobby that provides
access to individual units via corridors.

Ground floor dwellings facing the street
may additionally take direct access via
stoops or semi-private dooryards.
• Flex Shed. A building designed for occupancy by light manufacturing, workshop, and warehouse uses.
• Live-work. An integrated housing unit
and work space, occupied and utilized by a
single household in a structure, either single family or multi-family, that has been designed to accommodate ground floor
work uses and ground floor and/or upper
floor residential uses.
• Quad/Triplex/Duplex. Duplexes, triplexes, and quadplexes are multiple dwelling forms that are architecturally presented as
large single family houses. Each dwelling
unit is accessed directly from the street.
• Single-family residence. A structure
occupied by one primary residence that
also accommodates commercial uses as
allowed.
• Carriage House. A Carriage House
is an attached or detached residence,
also known as an accessory dwelling,
which provides complete independent
living facilities and which is located or
established on the same lot on which
a single-family residence is located.

Such dwellings may contain permanent
provisions for living, sleeping, eating,
cooking, and sanitation.

Civic The term defining not-for-profit organizations dedicated to the arts, culture, education, government, transit and municipal parking
facilities.

Civic Building A structure operated by governmental or notfor-profit organizations and limited to civic uses.

Civic Space An outdoor area dedicated for civic activities.

Courtyard An unroofed area that is completely or partially enclosed by walls or buildings.

Driveway A vehicular lane within a lot, or shared
between two lots, usually leading to a garage,
other parking or loading area.

Encroachment Any architectural feature or structural element, such as a fence, garden wall, porch, stoop,
balcony, bay window, terrace or deck, that
breaks the plane of a vertical or horizontal
regulatory limit extending into a setback,
beyond the build-to-line, into the public
frontage, or above a height limit.

Frontage A strip or extent of land abutting a thoroughfare, civic space or other public right-of-way. a. Frontage, Private. The area between the
building facade and the shared lot line between the public right-of-way and the lot. b. Frontage, Public. The area between the
curb of the vehicular lanes and the edge of
the right-of-way.

House-scale The physical appearance when a building is
massed and organized similar to a single-family
house.

Infill A site developed within existing urban fabric,
balancing, completing and/or repairing the
surrounding area.

Lot A parcel of real property shown on a plat recorded in the office of the county recorder.

Massing The overall shape or arrangement of the bulk or volume of buildings and structures.

Overlay The method for addressing additional topics
such as certain types of commercial frontage.

Parapet A low wall along the edge of a roof or the portion of a wall that extends above the roof line.

Parkway
(planting strip)
The landscaped area between the sidewalk and
the curb which is reserved for trees which are
intended to shade the sidewalk and provide
spatial definition to the streetscape.
114 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

Paseo A public place or path designed for walking
that is often within a block, between buildings
or along the edge of a public open space.

Pedestrian Shed An area centered on a major destination. Its size is limited by an average distance that
may be traversed at an easy walking pace in
a given amount of time from its center to its
edge. Pedestrian sheds are useful for planning
walkable areas.

Podium A continuous projecting base or pedestal under
a building.

Setback The area of a lot measured from a lot line to a building facade or elevation that must be maintained clear of permanent structures excepting galleries, fences, garden walls, arcades, porches,
stoops, balconies, bay windows, terraces and
decks (that align with the first floor level)
which are permitted to encroach into the
setback.

Setback line,
front yard (frontage zone).

The line which defines the depth of the
required front yard for the lot to generate and
support the intended public realm of the zoning
district.

Setback line, rear
yard or side yard.

The line which defines the width or depth of
the required rear or side yard. Said setback
line shall be parallel with the property line, removed therefrom by the perpendicular distance prescribed for the yard in the zoning district.

Story A habitable level within a building from
finished floor to finished ceiling.

Non-conforming
Buildings
A building or portion thereof which was lawful
when established but which does not conform
to subsequently established zoning or zoning
regulations.

Non-conforming
Use
A land use lawful when established but which
does not conform to subsequently established
zoning regulations.

Yard The area between the Buildable Area on a lot
and a lot line.
a. Yard, Front. The area between the Buildable Area on a lot and the front lot line. b. Yard, Side. The area bounded by the
Building Area on a lot, a side lot line, the
front lot line and the rear lot line.
c. Yard, Rear. The area between the Buildable Area on a lot and the rear lot line.

Art Gallery A building or space, accessible to all, for the display or production of art from or for a public
or private art collection typically having public
or private ownership. Art galleries may have
some limited restrictions in place.

Auto Service
Station
Retail sale, from the premises, of vehicle
fuel which may include the incidental sale of
other petroleum products, tires, batteries, and
replacement items, and the incidental minor
repairs and lubricating services.

Bank/Financial
Services
Financial institutions, including, but not
limited to: banks and trust companies, credit
agencies, holding (but not primarily operating)
companies, lending and thrift institutions,
other investment companies, securities/commodity contract brokers and dealers, security and commodity exchanges, and vehicle finance
(equity) leasing agencies. Does not include
check-cashing stores.

Civic Building A building that is operated by not-for-profit organizations dedicated to arts, culture, education, recreation, government, transit, and municipal parking.

Cultural
Institution
A nonprofit institution engaged primarily
in the performing arts or in the display or
preservation of objects of interest in the arts or
sciences that are open to the public on a regular
basis. This classification includes performing
arts centers for theater, dance and events, museums, art galleries, and libraries.

Day Care Center Any child day care facility, licensed by the State of California, other than a family day
care home, and includes infant care centers,
preschools, and extended day care facilities.

Display, Outdoor Refers to the use of outdoor space in which goods are placed outside a building for display
or sale purposes, and in conjunction with permanent commercial uses located inside adjacent buildings.

Drive-through
Services
Facilities where food or other products may be
purchased or services may be obtained by motorists without leaving their vehicles. Examples of drive-through sales facilities include fastfood restaurants, drive-through coffee, photo stores, pharmacies, bank teller windows and
ATMs, dry cleaners, etc., but do not include
gas station or other vehicle services.

Dwelling A room or group of internally connected rooms
that have sleeping, cooking, eating, and sanitation facilities, but not more than one kitchen, which constitute an independent housekeeping
unit, occupied by or intended for one household
on a long-term basis.

Dwelling Accessory
An auxiliary dwelling unit located within an
accessory structure of a primary dwelling on
the lot. Includes, but is not limited to dwelling
units in guest houses, pool houses and carriage
houses, above or beside a garage.

4.10B.ii Definitions Of Land Use Terms
Part D: Code 115

Fitness Studio Establishments offering individual or small group physical exercises and health-related
fitness activities, including, but not limited to,
yoga, meditation, pilates, aerobics, martial arts,
and self-defense training in facilities under
25,000 square feet.

Group Homes A dwelling in which persons reside in a group occupancy setting, but not including a hotel,
motel, fraternity, sorority, rooming and/or
boarding house. Residents of a facility may
also receive medical treatment in addition
to any non-medical supportive services in
a residential or congregate care setting, as
opposed to a hospital.

Health/Fitness
Facility
Establishments offering participant sports
within an enclosed building. Typical uses include health or fitness clubs larger than 25,000 square feet, indoor ice- or roller-skating rinks,
indoor skate parks, indoor batting cages, and
other recreational sports or fitness activities not
expressly listed within “Table D.3. Land Use
Table.”
Home
Occupation
Residential premises used for the transaction of
business or the supply of professional services.

Home occupation shall be limited to the
following: agent, architect, artist, broker, consultant, draftsman, dressmaker, engineer, interior decorator, lawyer, notary public, teacher, and other similar occupations, as determined
by the Director. No external employees are
allowed.

Home Office Residential premises used for the transaction of business or the supply of professional services
which employ up to three external employees. Home office shall be limited to: agent, architect, artist, broker, consultant, draftsman, dressmaker, engineer, interior decorator, lawyer, notary public, teacher, and other similar
occupations, as determined by the Director.

Hotel, Motel Establishments containing six or more rooms or suites for temporary rental and which may
include incidental food, drink, and other sales
and services intended for the convenience of
guests.

Maker Space A makerspace is a collaborative workspace
inside a public or private facility for making,
learning, exploring and sharing that could
utilize high tech equipment and tools to limited
or no equipment and tools.  These spaces are
open to kids, adults, and entrepreneurs and
have a variety of maker equipment including
3D printers, laser cutters, CNC machines,
hand tools, audio-visual equipment, soldering
irons and sewing machines.  A makerspace,
however, doesn’t need to include all or any of
these machines to be considered a makerspace.

One of the primary goals of the makerspace is
to allow for the creative expression of tangible
objects and activities.

Medical Services,
Clinic
A facility other than a hospital where medical,
mental health, surgical and other personal
health services are provided on an outpatient
basis. Examples of these uses include: medical
offices with five or more licensed practitioners
and/or medical specialties, outpatient care
facilities, urgent care facilities, other allied
health services. These facilities may also include
incidental medical laboratories. Counseling
services by other than medical doctors or psychiatrists are included under “Offices - Professional.” Medical Services,
Doctor’s Office
A facility other than a hospital where medical,
dental, mental health, surgical, and/or other
personal health care services are provided on
an outpatient basis, and that accommodates no
more than four licensed primary practitioners
(for example, chiropractors, medical doctors,
psychiatrists, etc., other than nursing staff)
within an individual office suite. A facility with
five or more licensed practitioners is instead
classified under “Medical Services – Clinic, Urgent Care.” Counseling services by other than medical doctors or psychiatrists are included
under “Office – Professional.”
Meeting Facility Consisting of group gatherings conducted indoors. Typical uses include churches, synagogues, mosques, temples, bingo halls, private clubs, fraternal, philanthropic and charitable
organizations, and lodges. Does not include
theaters.

Neighborhood
market/convenience store
A neighborhood serving retail store of 5,000
square feet or less in gross floor area, which
carries a range of merchandise oriented to daily
convenience shopping needs.

Offices —Professional
Office-type facilities occupied by businesses that provide professional services, or are engaged in the production of intellectual
property. Examples of these uses include:
accounting, advertising agencies, attorneys,
commercial art and design services, counseling
services, urgent care clinic, and medical clinic,
scientific and research organizations, financial management and investment counseling, literary and talent agencies, management and
public relations services, media postproduction services, news services, and photography studios.

Parking Facility,
Public or Private
Parking lots or structures operated by the City
or a private entity, providing parking either
for free or for a fee. Does not include towing
impound and storage facilities.

Personal Services Establishments providing non-medical services for the enhancement of personal appearances,
cleaning, alteration, or reconditioning of garments and accessories, and similar non-business related or non-professional services. Typical
uses include reducing salons, barber shops,
tailors, shoe repair shops, self-service laundries, and dry cleaning shops, but exclude uses classified under the Office and Trade School.
116 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

Personal Services
(Restricted)
Personal services that may tend to have adverse
effects upon surrounding areas and which may
need to be dispersed to minimize their adverse
impacts. Examples of these uses include: bailbonds, check cashing stores, massage (licensed, therapeutic, non-sexual), pawnshops, spas and
hot tubs for hourly rental, tattoo and body
piercing services, and tanning salons.

Production,
Artisan
Establishments primarily engaged in on-site
production of goods by hand manufacturing,
involving the use of hand tools and small-scale
equipment.

Restaurants A commercial establishment where food is
prepared for and served to the customer, for
consumption on or off the premises. It shall
be operated as a bona fide eating place that
maintains approved and permitted suitable
kitchen facilities within the establishment,
thereby making actual and substantial sales
of meals. A restaurant may provide entertainment for the customer by performers of the arts (music, dance, comedy, readings, etc.), and
differs from a Night Club in that it does not
provide floor space for customer dancing and
dancing is prohibited. A restaurant differs from
a Tavern because it must prepare and serve food
at all times during business hours and the sale
of alcoholic beverages is secondary to the sale
of food. As allowed by the Downtown Code, a
restaurant may operate on the sidewalk or open
space adjacent to the main building in which
the restaurant is located.

Retail Stores and shops engaged in the sale of
goods and merchandise such as antiques or
collectibles, art galleries, art supplies, including
framing services, bicycles, books, magazines,
and newspapers, cameras and photographic
supplies, clothing, shoes, and accessories,
department stores, drug stores and pharmacies,
dry goods, fabrics and sewing supplies, florists
and houseplant stores, hobby materials,
jewelry, luggage and leather goods, musical
instruments, parts and accessories, orthopedic
supplies, small wares, specialty shops, sporting
goods and equipment, stationery, thirft shop
(second hand store), toys and games, variety
stores, videos, DVDs, records, CDs, including
rental stores.

Retail Pop-Up A retail shop or store that is deliberately temporary in providing a lease for a limited period to achieve a particular retail goal and is typically
set up in areas with high foot traffic such as
busy streets, malls, and city centers.

School Elementary, Middle, Secondary. A public
or private academic educational institution,
including elementary (kindergarten through
6th grade), middle and junior high schools (7th
and 8th grades), secondary and high schools
(9th through 12th grades), and facilities that
provide any combination of those levels. May
include any of these schools that also provide
room and board.

School —
Business, Trade
Schools, Colleges
A school that provides education and/or
training, including tutoring, or vocational
training, in limited subjects. Examples of
these schools include art school, ballet and
other dance school, business, secretarial, and
vocational school, computers and electronics school, drama school, driver education school, establishments providing courses by
mail, language school, martial arts, music
school, professional school (law, medicine, etc.),
seminaries/religious ministry training facility.

Studio — Art,
Dance, Martial
Arts, Music
(School)
Small scale facilities, typically accommodating
no more than two groups of students at a time,
in no more than two instructional spaces.

Examples of these facilities are individual
and group instruction and training in the
arts; production rehearsal; photography, and
the processing of photographs produced only
by users of the studio facilities; martial arts
training studios; gymnastics instruction, and
aerobics and gymnastics studios with no other
fitness facilities or equipment. Larger facilities
are included under the definition of “Schools.

Business, Trade Schools, Colleges.”
Supermarket A grocery market having 15,000 or more
square feet of floor area devoted principally to
the sale of food.

Taverns An establishment whose primary business is
the sale of alcoholic beverages to customers
for consumption on the premises. This does
not include on-site manufacturing of alcoholic
beverages. While a Tavern may have facilities
for performers of the arts (music, comedy, etc.)
for the entertainment of the customer, it differs
from a Night Club in that customer dancing is
prohibited. A Tavern differs from a Restaurant
in that it is not required to prepare and serve
food.

Part D: Code 117

118 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

E Implementation
Part E: Implementation 119
The Downtown Montebello Specific Plan vision, guiding principles, policies, actions, and development code will drive: budget priorities; capital investments; and operational decisions.

Downtown Montebello Specific Plan Consistency in Implementation: The Downtown Montebello Specific Plan serves as a tool to align City decisions and actions with the General Plan and community’s vision for the Downtown area. The Downtown Montebello Specific Plan will be implemented through municipal policy decisions, ordinances and regulations, and future actions that are consistent with the Downtown Plan.

Conformance with the Downtown Montebello Specific Plan
will be assessed for public and private investment items placed on the agenda before the City Council and Planning Commission.

This Section describes the steps and actions to implement the Downtown Montebello Specific Plan based on collaboration with community members, City decision makers, and City Staff. The Downtown Montebello Specific Plan guides decision-making, therefore it must be updated periodically and provide accountability for implementing it over time.

Forge a Healthy Private/Public Partnership: The City will need to develop robust partnerships with Downtown businesses, residents and other public agencies to fully implement the vision outlined for Downtown Montebello. The City can combine its efforts with private sector efforts to improve public service delivery, manage public sector assets, or leverage private sector investment.

By expanding the role of the private sector, the City can use its technical, management, and financial resources in creative ways to achieve objectives of the Downtown Montebello Specific Plan.

These partnerships will be crucial to ensuring the most important actions are being implemented, and the most pressing community needs are being addressed.

Most actions include one or more City Departments. In
some cases, however, the action is entirely within the private or non-profit sector. The Lead for an action item represents the agency or partner most likely to take a leadership role in the measure. The leadership may shift to a new department depending on circumstances needed for the issue, and resources available at the time.

Establish Business Improvement Districts: One of the leading ways the private/public process is implemented is through business improvement districts (BID). The BID is the quasi-government for the downtown, the “keeper of the flame” of the downtown vision and strategy. A downtown BID is funded by property owners who voluntarily increase their property taxes to pay for BID functions. The BID’s operational role is usually (1) increasing the perceived and actual safety of downtown; (2) making the place cleaner; (3) creating festivals and events to encourage suburbanites to come downtown, and; (4) improving downtown’s image. The BID acts as downtown’s management team—ensuring its many complex elements work together to create a safe, attractive, unique, and well-functioning place.

120 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan
Time frames: The Downtown Montebello Specific Plan is
designed to be implemented over the next 20 years (2024—2044) by residents, business and property owners, non-profit organizations, community groups, city and county agencies, and elected and appointed officials. Some actions are straightforward and relatively easy to achieve, others will demand significant investment of time and resources and will require steadfast commitment on numerous levels.

Each action includes a time frame, within which the action should be carried out. These are intended to provide a general sense of how long it will take to implement the action.

Ongoing Some actions require continuous monitoring or
effort. These are identified as ongoing actions.

Immediate Begin work immediately.

Short term Begin work within 1 to 4 years.

Mid term Begin work within 4 to 8 years.

Long term Begin work within 8 to 10 years.

At the time of adoption, the time frames set in the Downtown Montebello Specific Plan and the city’s approved Capital Improvement Program may not be in complete agreement.

Over time, a stronger link should be established so that the two documents are synchronized and eventually are in full agreement.

Periodic Progress Report and Updates: Periodically a monitoring report will be prepared and presented to the Montebello Planning Commission and City Council. This report will review the progress made in implementing the Downtown Montebello Specific Plan. This is a vital part of keeping the Downtown Montebello Specific Plan implementation process open, transparent, and responsive. The public will be kept up to date as implementation actions are completed over time, i.e., checking off completed actions and reprioritizing remaining actions, reporting back to elected and/or appointed officials regarding progress, and periodically updating the plan. Providing regular updates on implementation actions and opportunities to participate in implementation activities are ways to engage the community on an ongoing basis.

Funding and Resources: Given the constrained fiscal environment and competing priorities under that are typical of local governments, identifying funding, staffing, and other resources are critically important for successful implementation. It is particularly important to establish their availability for short-term actions that generate momentum for further progress. However, financial feasibility should not constrain the ambition and potential of the Downtown Montebello Specific Plan to realize the community vision and goals. The strong plan with a compelling vision can be used to secure grants, philanthropic funding, leverage resources from external partners, and attract private investment.

Some actions may not be feasible in the short term, but could have a high impact if resources become available in the future.

The cost estimates are identified into three categories:
• Actions primarily involving internal staff time with limited outside funding required ($);
• Actions requiring outside consulting services or relatively minor ($100,000 to $1 million) investment in infrastructure or project development ($$);
• Actions requiring significant investment in infrastructure or project development ($$$).

Potential funding sources are identified for each action item.

Part E: Implementation 121

FUNDING SOURCES
To carry out the actions recommended in this Plan, a variety of Federal, State, regional, local, and private funding sources have been identified:

FEDERAL
Community Development Block Grant
This fund accounts for activities of the
Community Development Block Grant
received from the U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development, including monies received from this agency as part of the federal stimulus program.

Low Income Housing Tax Credit
The Low Income Housing Tax Credit
(Housing Credit) is designed to encourage
private sector investment in the new construction, acquisition, and rehabilitation of rental housing affordable to low-income
households.  The Housing Credit offers a
dollar-for-dollar reduction in a taxpayer’s
income tax liability in return for making a
long-term investment in affordable rental
housing. State agencies award Housing
Credits to developers, who then sell the
Credits to private investors in exchange for
funding for the construction and rehabilitation of affordable housing. The 4% tax credit (30% subsidy) is for the acquisition
of existing buildings for rehabilitation and
new construction financed by tax-exempt
bonds. The 9% tax credit (70% subsidy)
is usually for new construction and
substantial rehabilitation without federal
subsidies.

National Endowment for the Arts Grants
for Arts Projects
The NEA Grants fund institutions
whose projects are vehicles for any of the
following: the portfolio of American Art
is expanded, Americans throughout the
nation experience art, and Americans of all
ages acquire knowledge or skills in the arts,
and American communities are strengthened through the arts.

Highway Safety Improvement Program
The Highway Safety Improvement
Program (HSIP) is a core Federal-aid
program with the purpose to achieve a
significant reduction in traffic fatalities
and serious injuries on all public roads,
including non-State-owned roads and
roads on tribal land.

STATE
Enhanced Infrastructure Financing
District (EIFD)
An EIFD is a governmental entity
established by a city that carries out a plan
within a defined area (boundaries of which
do not need to be contiguous) to construct,
improve and rehabilitate infrastructure;
construct housing, libraries, and parks;
remediate brownfields, etc.

Active Transportation Program (ATP)
ATP taps both state and federal funds
for bike and pedestrian projects across
California. The program allows cities to
compete for grants to build bicycle/pedestrian paths, install bike racks, and other projects or programs that make walking or
biking easier, safer and more convenient.

Caltrans Transportation Planning Grant
The Caltrans Sustainable Transportation
Planning Grants seek to fund projects
that ensure consideration of sustainability,
preservation, mobility, safety, innovation,
economy, health, and equity in transportation planning.

California Strategic Growth Council
(CSGC)
The CSGC provides grants to cities to
promote sustainable community planning
and natural resource conservation. The
grant program supports development,
adoption, and implementation of various
planning elements in three focus areas:

Local Sustainable Planning, Regional SB
375 Plus, and Regional Planning Activities with Multiple Partners.

California Arts Council (CAC)
CAC offers grants as well as provides a
great resource to search for other grants by
applicant type and field.

Proposition 68
Authorizes $4 billion in general obligation
bonds for: creation and rehabilitation of
state and local parks, natural resources
protection projects, climate adaptation
projects, water quality and supply projects,
and flood protection.

Proposition 41
Authorizes $600 million in general obligation bonds for affordable multifamily supportive housing to relieve homelessness, affordable transitional housing, affordable
rental housing, or related facilities for
veterans and their families.

Highway Users Tax Account (HUTA)
The HUTA, also known as the Gas Tax,
can be used for any street or road purpose
including new construction, bikeways,
curbs, landscaping, signs, signals etc.

REGIONAL
Prop A
The Proposition A requires that Local
Return (LR) funds be used exclusively to
benefit public transit. Expenditures related
to fixed route and paratransit services,
Transportation Demand Management,
Transportation Systems Management
and fare subsidy programs that exclusively
benefit transit are all eligible uses of
Proposition A LR funds. Proposition A
LR funds may also be traded with other
Jurisdictions in exchange for general or
other funds.

Prop C
The Proposition C directs that Local
Return funds also be used to benefit public
transit, and provides an expanded list of
eligible project expenditures including
Congestion Management Programs, bikeways and bike lanes, street improvements supporting public transit service, and
Pavement Management System projects.

Measure M
Measure M was approved by the voters of
Los Angeles County in 2016 to improve

122 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan
transportation and ease traffic congestion
consistent with the LosAngeles County
The Measure M Ordinance specifies that
Local Retrun funds be used exclusively for
transportation purposes.

Measure R
Measure R is a half-cent sales tax increase
to fund mass transit projects in the county
like new light rail lines,
Measure W
Los Angeles County Stormwater Fee
Transportation Development Act Article
3 Fund
Transportation Development Act Article
3 (TDA 3) provides funding annually for
bicycle and pedestrian projects.

AQMD Program
The AB 2766 Motor Vehicle Subvention
Program is a funding source for cities to
encourage the development of measures
or projects that result in the reduction of
motor vehicle emissions. Projects include
alternate fuels/electric vehicles, vehicle
emissions abatement, land use strategies
that encourage people to walk, bike or
use public transit, traffic management,
transportation demand management,
effective bike expenditures, PM reduction
strategies, and public education.

SCAG Sustainable Planning Grant
The Southern California Association of
Government (SCAG) offers direct funding of innovative planning initiatives for member cities through the Sustainability
Planning Grants program. The Sustainability Planning Grants Program provides direct technical assistance to SCAG
member jurisdictions to complete planning
and policy efforts that enable implementation of the regional Sustainable Communities Strategy. Grants are available in the following three categories:

Integrated Land Use – Sustainable Land
Use Planning, Transit Oriented Development (TOD) and Land Use & Transportation Integration; Active Transportation – Bicycle, Pedestrian and Safe Routes to School Plans; Green Region – Natural Resource Plans,
Climate Action Plans (CAPs) and Green
House Gas (GHG) Reduction programs.

Part E: Implementation 123
Local
Capital Improvement Program (CIP)
The CIP identifies all of the major projects
to be undertaken to improve facilities
and infrastructure within the city. During
the fiscal year, a separate CIP document
that reflects the current year program and
proposes a program of prioritized projects
for the next four to five years is prepared.

City Departments submit all proposed
projects in the foreseeable future, along
with their best cost-estimate. The request
includes the year a project will commence,
any funding sources that may be available
with either future sources or ones which
might have been previously designated,
justification for the project, and on-going
costs expected to occur after the project
has been completed. The CIP budget
team then compiles the information and
presents a draft CIP program to the City
Council. Projects are prioritized, based on
City Council and staff input.

General Fund
The General Fund is the City’s largest
single fund type used to account for basic
City services such as police, fire, public
works, parks and recreation, community
development, information technology, and
general administration. The two major
sources of revenue are property and sales
taxes.  For the 2023-2024 budget, the
breakdown is as follows:

Total Revenue [$XX,XXX,XXX.]
Sales Tax [$XX,XXX,XXX] or [XX%] of the
total.

Property Tax [$XX,XXX,XXX] or [XX%] of
the total.

Property Business Improvement District
A Property and Business Improvement
District (PBID) is a mechanism of funding improvements through assessments to businesses and real property within the
established PBID boundaries. Under the
Property and Business Improvement District Law of 1994, revenues from PBID assessments may be used to fund capital
improvements and maintenance costs for
projects such as parking facilities, street
furniture, public restrooms, art, parks,
street and streetscape enhancements, and
plazas. A PBID formation petition, which
is initiated by property owners, requires
the signature of more than 50 percent of
the property owners, weighted by assessment liability.

Park Dedication Fees
The City receives fees from developers to
fund recreation facilities. These funds are
used for qualified recreational purposes
throughout the City.

Various Grant Funds
Various Federal, State, and regional grant
programs distribute funding for public
improvements. Because grant programs are
typically competitive, grant funds are an
unpredictable funding source.

Developer Contributions
Development Impact Fee
The City charges one-time impact fees on
new private development to offset the cost
of improving or expanding City facilities
to accommodate the project. Impact fees
are used to help fund the construction or
expansion of needed capital improvements.

Development Agreements
Development agreements are contracts
negotiated between project proponents
and public agencies that govern the land
uses that may be allowed in a particular
project. Development agreements provide
a developer with assurances for a specified
length of time that the proposed project
may proceed as originally approved, and
not be affected by future changes in land
use regulations. In exchange for this assurance, the landowner/developer may agree to public improvements, land dedications,
or in-lieu fees, as negotiated with the City,
as a condition of the agreement.

Community Facilities District
The Mello-Roos Community Facilities
Act of 1982 allows any county, city, special
district, school district, or joint powers
authority to establish a Mello-Roos
Community Facilities District (a “CFD”)
which allows for financing of public improvements and services. The services and improvements that Mello-Roos CFD can
finance include streets, sewer systems and
other basic infrastructure, police and fire
protection, ambulance services, schools,
parks, libraries, museums, and other
cultural facilities. By law, the CFD is also
entitled to recover expenses needed to
form the CFD and administer the annual
special taxes and bonded debt.

1. People-based
Policies/Actions Timeframe
Responsible Party Lead Cost Funding Source Other Partners Walkable
P1.1 Make walking safe, comfortable, and enjoyable.

A1.1a Create a fine-grained pedestrian circulation within Downtown. VZ SE R Mid-term

PCD, PW
$ General Fund,
Developer Developer
A1.1b Orient buildings to streets and open spaces. VZ SE R On-going PCD
$ General Fund,
Developer Developer
A1.1c Organize land uses along Whittier Boulevard and Montebello Boulevard to support public activity. VZ SE R On-going
PCD
$ General Fund,
Developer Developer
A1.1d Adopt form-based codes within the Downtown area to facilitate a rich public realm and enable high-value walkable development. VZ SE R Immediate PCD
$$ General Fund, Grants
Consultant
Human-Scale Design
P1.2 Address the human scale with building and landscape details.

A1.2a Adopt form-based codes within the Downtown area to facilitate human scale built environment. VZ SE R Immediate
PCD
$$ General Fund, Grants
Consultant
A1.2b Avoid blank walls. SE R On-going PD $ General Fund Safe
P1.3 Reduce opportunities for criminal activity through physical design standards, recreation opportunities, educational programs, and counseling services.

A1.3a
For new infill development and major rehabilitation, incorporate natural surveillance principles and best practices into development codes and review processes.

SE R
Immediate
PCD
$ General Fund, Grants
Consultant
A1.3b Amend the development codes to require building designs that promote safety by providing active street frontages. SE R Immediate
PCD
$ General Fund
Consultant
P1.4 Downtown Montebello envisions safe streets designed for people.

A1.4 Carry out the safety enhancements recommend by the Downtown Vision for Whittier Boulevard and Montebello Boulevard. VZ SE R Mid-term PD, PW
$$ Developer, Grants, CIP Consultant
P1.5 Employ a range of contextual lighting options to promote safety and security on downtown streets.

A1.5a Identify downtown public streets and open spaces that are poorly lit and install context sensitive street lights. VZ SE R On-going
PD, PW
$ Businesses, General
Businesses Fund
A1.5b Install string lights in alleys that provide connections to destinations. VZ SE R Long-term PD, PW $ Businesses, Grants A1.5c Require new development to demonstrate on a lighting plan appropriate level of direct and indirect lighting in the public and private realm. VZ SE R On-going PD
$ Developer Businesses
Arts, Cultural Programming, and Public Art
P1.6 Downtown will be re-established as the entertainment and cultural heart of the city by creating a central space in Downtown for community gathering, supported by complementary uses and activities.

A1.6a Activate the proposed Central Plaza and Sculpture Garden with arts and cultural programming and events. SE Mid-term

PCD, RCS
$$ General Funds, Grants
PW
A1.6b
Enhance existing, and introduce new activities and events that will lead to greater activation and use of public spaces by people of all ages and abilities. SE R
Long-term
RCS
$$ Grants, General Funds
PCD
124 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

Policies/Actions Timeframe
Responsible Party Lead Cost Funding Source Other Partners P1.7 Creative businesses have places to work, live, gather, and promote their art in Downtown.

A1.7a Work to ensure Montebello’s creative sector has adequate and inviting spaces to create, sell their products, and network. SE R On-going PCD $ Grants, General Funds A1.7b Develop and market spaces for artists including studios, affordable housing, and live/work studios. SE R Short-term PCD $$ Grants, General Funds A1.7c Establish an arts incubator/accelerator spaces to provide office space, management assistance, technology, and access to funding opportunities. SE R Short-term PCD
$$ Grants, General Funds CM, RCS, MBL,
Consultant
P1.8 Facilitate use of vacant retail space by arts and cultural groups.

A1.8a Facilitate artists’ temporary and opportunistic use of such spaces and venues as vacant walls, storefronts, empty buildings, open spaces, etc. SE R On-going PCD
$ Grants, General Funds
Businesses
A1.8b
Provide building owners with tax incentives, grants, loans, and streamlined permitting process to renovate buildings that can be used as live/work spaces by artists. SE R
On-going PCD $$ Grants, General Funds
A1.8c
Work with the owners and the developers to put a variety of pop-up art events, exhibits, performances, and temporary retail in their empty spaces will enliven the street. SE R
On-going PCD $$ Grants, General Funds
P1.9 Integrate public art into the development review and capital improvement program.

A1.9 Embed artists in planning projects and initiatives in City agencies, such as Public Works, and the Planning and Community Development Departments. SE On-going PCD
$ General Funds
PW
Increase Food Quality and Security
P1.10 Support efforts to expand access to affordable and nutritious food for all people in Montebello.

A1.10a Encourage the use of vacant lots for community gardens. SE R On-going RCS
$ Grants, General Fund
PD
A1.10b Encourage new building construction to incorporate green roofs, and encourage conversions of existing roof space to green roofs. R On-going PD
$ General Fund
Developer
P1.11 Encourage local food production, processing, and distribution to the greatest extent possible.

A1.11a
Continue to support farmers’ market, fresh food stands, community gardens, community kitchens, and other collaborative initiatives to provide healthy foods, promote food security, and build community. SE R
On-going RCS $ Grants, General Fund
A1.11b Encourage restaurants to serve locally sourced foods and provide nutritional information. Support businesses that offer healthy foods. SE R On-going PCD $ Grants, General Fund P1.12 Avoid a concentration of unhealthy food providers within the Downtown area.

A1.12a Ban drive-through food outlets within Downtown area. SE R Short-term PD $ General Funds A1.12b Restrict approvals of new liquor stores or retailers that sell alcohol for off-site consumption. SE R Short-term PD $ General Funds
Part E: Implementation 125

2. Place-based
Policies/Actions Timeframe
Responsible Party Lead Cost Funding Source Other Partners Acces to Nature
P2.1 Preserve, manage, and grow the Downtown tree canopy.

A2.1a Preserve the existing Downtown canopy with continued maintenance and protection against tree removal. R On-going
PW
$ General Funds
PD
A2.1b Replace the dead, diseased, declining, or poorly structured, street trees. R On-going PW $$ CIP, General Funds A2.1c Plant at a minimum 50 new trees annually on Downtown streets and parks. R On-going PW $$ Grants, General Fund, Developer
A2.1d Craft appropriate incentives that encourage property owners to add green infrastructure on private property, including trees, living walls and green roofs. R Short-term PD
$ Developer, General
Fund Developer
A2.1e Require smart irrigation controls for newly planted trees that adequately water the trees without wasting water. R On-going
PD, PW
$$ CIP, General Fund,
Developer Developer
A2.1f Require new development to plant street trees along the property frontages. R On-going Developer $ Developer PD A2.1g Support BID as a funding source for maintaining trees in the Downtown area.

R Mid-term PCD, MCC, Consultant $$ Grants, General Fund Social and Inclusive Public Spaces
P2.2 Downtown will provide a variety of opportunity for gathering and physical activity.

A2.2a
Create a new central plaza in the Downtown Core that is programmatically different from City Park, with supporting retail, civic, and cultural uses and activities. SE R
Mid-Term
PD
$$ Grants, General Fund
RCS, Businesses, MCC
A2.2b Introduce additional public spaces, such as pocket parks, plazas, and parklets on public land. SE R Mid-Term
PD
$$ CIP, General Fund,
RCS, PW Grants
A2.2c
Encourage private developers to contribute to the improvement of the existing public realm, or to provide new publicly accessible spaces in their development projects. SE R
On-going
PD
$$ Grants, General Fund
Developer
A2.2d Incorporate universal design principles in the public realm, encouraging its use by people of all ages and abilities. SE R On-going
PD
$$ Grants, General Fund
RCS
A2.2e Design streets to be places for social interaction in addition to mobility, acting as venues for special events and activities. SE R On-going PD
$$ Grants, General Fund

PW, MBL, MFD, MPD
Contextual
P2.3 Enhance Downtown’s character with compact and walkable infill development.

A2.3a The building and public realm standards will reflect the intended use, intensity, and eclectic character of Downtown’s different neighborhoods. SE R On-going PD $ General Fund A2.3b Adopt clear and precise form-baed standards for the Downtown neighborhoods.

R On-going
PD
$$ Grants, General Fund
Consultant
A2.3c Target façade-improvement incentives in walkable-development focus areas. R On-going PD
$$ General Funds,
Developer Developer
Mixed-use, Integrated, and Inclusive
P2.4 Promote quality Downtown housing that serves a broad spectrum of households.

A2.4a Invite development proposals on publicly owned sites under public/quasi-public control, per defined plan goals. SE R On-going
EDD
$ Grants, General Fund
PD
A2.4b Activate street-level storefronts with visually interesting active uses. SE R On-going EDD
$ General Fund
PD
A2.4c Manage retail tenant mix with a targeted retail recruitment program. SE R On-going EDD
$ General Fund
PD
126 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

Policies/Actions Timeframe
Responsible Party Lead Cost Funding Source Other Partners Transit
P2.5 Improve transit service and similar modes to make Downtown travel accessible and comfortable for people of all ages and abilities.

A2.5a Create well-designed mobility hubs for a high-quality user experience. VZ SE R Short-term MBL
$$ Grants, General Fund

PCD, PW
A2.5b Establish seamless integration of modes at the mobility hub. VZ SE R Short-term MBL
$$ Grants, General Fund

PCD, PW
A2.5c Establish amenities and support services for all modes. VZ SE R Short-term MBL
$$ Grants, General Fund

PCD, PW
Walking and Biking
P2.6 Redesign Whittier Boulevard in the Downtown Core to prioritize pedestrian safety and comfort.

A2.6
Reduce Whittier Boulevard to two lanes of traffic in the Downtown Core with wider sidewalks, pavers, street trees, and parklets. VZ SE R Mid-term

PCD, PW
$$$ Grants, ATP, General
Fund MBL
P2.7 Connect Whittier Boulevard to the Rio Hondo Channel.

A2.7a Provide an outdoor sculpture garden with ramps and steps to the Rio Hondo Channel. R Mid-term PCD $$ Grants, General Fund
A2.7b Encourage new development with frontage along the channel to provide links to the Rio Hondo Channel. R Mid-term PCD $$ Grants, General Fund P2.8 Reconnect streets and alleys to form a network.

A2.8 When superblocks are redeveloped, new streets and alleys can reconnect the mobility network, while keeping the blocks smaller. VZ SE R Mid-term PCD
$$ Grants, ATP, General
PW Fund
Parking
P2.9 Public parking facilities will be managed and operated to serve Downtown.

A2.9a Require new development to prepare a Parking Management Plan. R On-going PD
$ Developer, General
Developer Fund
A2.9b Short-term improvements, such as better lighting, cleaning, signage, and landscaping, should be considered in City-operated lots. R On-going PD
$ Developer, General
Developer Fund
A2.9c Suitable incentives for converting underused private parking into shared public parking should be considered. R On-going
PD
$ Developer, General
Developer Fund
P2.10 Develop a system of incentives and regulations for new development to improve mobility choices and reduce parking demand.

A2.10 Require new development to develop a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Plan. VZ SE R On-going
PD
$ Developer, General
Developer Fund
P2.11 Manage curb space effectively for different users.

A2.11a
Prioritize curb space for reliable transit and safe bicycling infrastructure first, followed by other important uses of the curb like deliveries, passenger pick-ups, green stormwater infrastructure, and small public spaces—including short term parking. VZ SE R
On-going
PD
$$ Grants, General Fund

PW, MBL
A2.11b
Curb parking should be managed with the objective of ensuring that curb parking is well-used but readily available, by achieving a target occupancy range of approximately 65 to 85 percent on each block. R
On-going
PD
$$ Grants, General Fund

PW, MBL
VZ Vision Zero SE Social Equity R Resilience
Part E: Implementation 127

3. Prosperous
Policies/Actions Timeframe
Responsible Party Lead Cost Funding Source Other Partners Promote Local Business Development
P3.1 Continue to nurture small, independently-owned businesses.

A3.1a
Engage with the Chamber of Commerce or future Downtown BID to better connect local entrepreneurs with US Small Business Administration loans and other Federal or State assistance programs. R
On-going
EDD
$$ SBA, Grants, General
MCC Fund
A3.1b Engage with successful Farmers’ Markets tenants in locating them in retail space in Downtown Montebello. R On-going
PCD
$ Grants, General Fund
RCS
P3.2 Retain existing and attract small, unique, and locally-owned entrepreneurial and creative businesses that reinforce Downtown’s identity.

A3.2a Establish an incubator space to grow local start-up businesses in target industries. SE R Short-Term PCD
$$ EIFD, Grants
A3.2b Develop a Tenant Mix Incentive Program based on business gap analysis to incent specific business types to locate within the Downtown area. SE R Short-Term PCD
$$ General Fund
Consultant
A3.2c Allow temporary retail, pop-up shops, culinary space and cultural enterprise to test the market. SE R On-going
PCD
$ General Fund
MCC
P3.3 Promote higher levels of foot traffic with activities and events.

A3.3a
Encourage property owners to collaborate on new “pop-up” events to make use of vacant storefronts or parcels and to generate greater interest in Downtown as a unique retail destination. SE R
On-going
PCD
$$ Grants, General Fund
MCC
A3.3b Create a coordinated calendar of events for different organizations to allow for combined marketing of events. SE R Short-Term
PCD
$$ General Fund

RCS, PW, MFD, MPD
Encourage Mixed-Use Development
P3.4 Encourage mixed-use infill and compact development.

A3.4a
Engage the development community and property owners to promote infill development on underutilized sites that increase the productive value per acre in the Downtown area. R
On-going
PCD
$$ Grants, Developer,
Developer General Fund
A3.4b Ensure that new infill development is not a fiscal burden to the City. R On-going PCD $ General Fund A3.4c Remove regulatory and procedural barriers to fiscally productive land uses and good design. R Immediate PCD $ Grants
A3.4d Amend development standards to allow more intensive uses while being respectful to the contextual setting. R Immediate PCD $ General Fund A3.4e Support and facilitate reinvestment through streamlined regulatory processes. R Immediate PCD $ General Fund A3.4f Explore incentives such as unbundling parking from housing costs to stimulate the production of more housing units. SE R On-going PCD $ General Fund A3.4g Encourage diversity in housing sizes and types to cater to diverse income groups.

SE R On-going PCD $ General Fund
128 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan

Policies/Actions Timeframe
Responsible Party Lead Cost Funding Source Other Partners Property-based Business Improvement District (PBID)
P3.5 Gauge participation in a Property-based Business Improvement District (PBID) to provide high-quality district services.

A3.5a Build a coalition of Downtown property owners to coordinate with the Downtown vision. R On-going EDD $ General Fund A3.5b Establish the Property-based Business Improvement District (PBID) for Downtown. R Mid-term
EDD
$$ Grants, General Fund
PD
P3.6 Explore un-tapped opportunities for value capture and revenue generation.

A3.6a Use developer agreements to support the Downtown’s public realm improvement goals. R Short-term PCD $$ General Fund
A3.6b Fortify the City’s existing Development Impact Fee regime. R On-going PCD $ General Fund ACE Army Corps of Engineers
MCC Montebello Chamber of Commerce
EDD Economic Development Division
FO Food Organizations
HD Health Department
LAEOWDD County LA Department of Economic
Opportunity Workforce Development
Division
MBL Montebello Bus Lines
MFD Montebello Fire Department
MSD Montebello School District
PAIT Public Affairs and Information Technology
MPD Montebello Police Department
PCD Planning and Community Development
PD Planning Division
PW Public Works
RCS Parks and Community Services
RMC Rivers and Mountains Conservancy
SBA US Small Business Administration
SCAQMD South Coast Air Quality Management
District
SD LA County Sanitation District
WP Water Purveyors
Part E: Implementation 129

130 Downtown Montebello Specific Plan
Lists
Figures
Figure Page #
A1 Downtown value productivity ratio -- property tax. 10 A2 Downtown value productivity ratio -- property and sales tax.
11 B1 Key concept map. 20
B2 Key mobility concept map. 20
B3 Illustrative plan. 22
B4 Temporary street fair along Whittier Boulevard. 30
B5 Temporary public event at the urban plaza. 30
B6 Whittier Boulevard streetscape improvements. 32
B7 Whittier Boulevard, gateway location. 32
B8 Whittier Boulevard, within the Downtown Core area. 32 B9 Whittier Boulevard, west of Spruce Street. 32
B10 Parklet illustration. 33
B11 Montebello Boulevard, north of Whittier Boulevard. 33 B12 Typical residential streets. 33
B13 Mobility vision. 34
B14 Prioritize moving people over cars. 34
B15 Mobility Hub at Whittier Boulevard and 4th Street. 35 B16 Productive and contextual infill growth proposed in the Downtown Specific Plan.
37 B17 Coordinated and phased public and private improvements. 38 D1 Downtown Montebello utban form concept. 55
D2 Massing model as allowed by the code. 56
D3 Downtown boundary map 58
D4 Regulating plan 62
D5 Proposed street and block network. 67
D6 Proposed Whittier Boulevard within the Downtown Core. 66 D7 Existing and proposed Whittier Boulevard, gateway
locations to the downtown core.
67 D8 Existing and proposed Whittier Boulevard, west of Spruce Street.
68 D9 Existing and Proposed Montebello Boulevard north of Whittier Boulevard.
69 D10 Street Tree Master Plan. 72
D11 Range of public parks and open spaces. 74
D12 Average building height. 81

List: Figures and Tables 131
Tables
Table Page #
D1 Zoning District characteristics. 64
D2 Block standards 65
D3 Land use table 100
D4 Sign types 102
D5 Review authority 112

Downtown Specic Plan

City of Montebello General Plan Update
and Downtown Montebello Specific Plan
Final Environmental Impact Report
State Clearinghouse Number: 2023050665
prepared by
City of Montebello
Planning and Community Development Department, Planning Division 1600 West Beverly Boulevard
Montebello, California 90640
Contact: Joseph Palombi, Director
prepared with the assistance of
Rincon Consultants, Inc.
250 East 1st Street, Suite 1400
Los Angeles, California 90012
February 2024

Table of Contents
Final Environmental Impact Report i
Table of Contents
1 Introduction................................................................................................................................1-1

1.1 Final EIR Contents...........................................................................................................1-1

1.2 Draft EIR Public Review Process......................................................................................1-1

1.2.1 Notice of Preparation and Project Scoping ....................................................1-1

1.2.2 Public Review of the Draft EIR........................................................................1-2

1.3 EIR Certification Process and Project Approval ..............................................................1-2

1.4 Draft EIR Recirculation Not Required..............................................................................1-3

1.5 Summary of the Proposed Project..................................................................................1-3 2 Responses to Comments on the Draft EIR..................................................................................2-1 3 Amendments to the Draft EIR.....................................................................................................3-1 Appendices
Appendix A Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program

City of Montebello
City of Montebello General Plan Update and Downtown Montebello Specific Plan ii
This page intentionally left blank.

Introduction
Final Environmental Impact Report 1-1
Introduction

1.1 Final EIR Contents
This Final Environmental Impact Report (Final EIR) has been prepared by the City of Montebello, Planning and Community Development Department, Planning Division (City) to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of the proposed City of Montebello General Plan Update and Downtown Montebello Specific Plan Project (“proposed Project”).

As prescribed by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Sections 15088 and 15132, the lead agency, the City, is required to evaluate comments on environmental issues received from persons who have reviewed the Draft EIR and to prepare written responses to those comments. This document, together with the Draft EIR (incorporated by reference) comprise the Final EIR for the proposed Project. This Final EIR includes individual responses to each comment letter received during the public review period for the Draft EIR. In accordance with CEQA Guidelines Section 15088(c), the written responses describe the disposition of significant environmental issues raised.

The City has provided a good faith effort to respond to all significant environmental issues raised by the comments. The Final EIR also includes amendments to the Draft EIR consisting of changes arising from responses to certain comment letters, as well as minor clarifications, corrections, or revisions to the Draft EIR. The Final EIR includes the following contents:
 Chapter 1: Introduction
 Chapter 2: Responses to Comments on the Draft EIR, which also includes a list of all commenters and public comment letters
 Chapter 3: Amendments to the Draft EIR
 Appendix A: Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP). This is the only appendix to the Final EIR. The appendices to the Draft EIR were released for public review with the Draft EIR and did not require any revisions based on the Final EIR

1.2 Draft EIR Public Review Process

1.2.1 Notice of Preparation and Project Scoping
Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15082, the City filed a Notice of Preparation (NOP) with the State Clearinghouse in the Office of Planning and Research (State Clearinghouse No. 2023050665) as an indication that an EIR would be prepared. The City’s Planning and Community Development Department published the NOP for this Draft EIR on May 25, 2023 for a 50-day public review period that ran from May 25, 2023 to July 13, 2023. The NOP was distributed to trustee agencies, responsible agencies, and other interested parties to request information and concerns relative to the potential environmental impacts of the proposed Project.

Information, data, and observations addressing comments from these letters were included throughout the Draft EIR where relevant. The NOP and NOP comment letters received are included in Appendix A of the Draft EIR. A public Scoping Meeting was held in the Montebello City Council Chambers at Montebello City Hall on June 13, 2023 to provide early consultation for the public to

City of Montebello
City of Montebello General Plan Update and Downtown Montebello Specific Plan 1-2
express their concerns about the proposed Project and to acquire information and make recommendations on issues to be addressed in the Draft EIR, including the scope of impacts, alternatives, and potential mitigation. The Draft EIR was circulated for public review for a period of 45 days, from December 4, 2023 to January 17, 2024.

1.2.2 Public Review of the Draft EIR
A Draft Environmental Impact Report (Draft EIR) was prepared for the proposed Project. The City filed a Notice of Completion (NOC) with the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research to begin the 45-day public review period (Public Resources Code [PRC] Section 21161) for the Draft EIR, which began on December 4, 2023 and ended on January 17, 2024. A Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Draft EIR was published on December 4, 2023. The Draft EIR was made available on the project website (https://planmontebello.com), the City’s CEQA documents website (https://www.montebelloca.gov/departments/planning_community_development/planning_divisio n/ceqa_documents), and at the following locations:
 City of Montebello Planning and Community Development Department, Planning Division 1600 West Beverly Boulevard Montebello, CA 90640
 Chet Holifield Public Library, 1060 S. Greenwood Avenue, Montebello, CA 90640  Montebello Library, 1550 W. Beverly Boulevard, Montebello, CA 90640  Montebello Senior Center – City Park, 1301 W. Whittier Boulevard, Montebello, CA 90640 As a result of these notification efforts, written and verbal comments on the content of the Draft EIR were received from four State and local agencies and one organization. Chapter 2, Responses to Comments on the Draft EIR, identifies these commenting parties, their respective comments, and responses to these comments. None of the comments received, or the responses provided, constitute “significant new information” by CEQA standards (CEQA Guidelines CCR Section 15088.5).

1.3 EIR Certification Process and Project Approval
Before adopting a proposed project, the lead agency is required to certify that the EIR has been completed in compliance with CEQA, that the decision-making body reviewed and considered the information in the EIR, and that the EIR reflects the independent judgment of the lead agency.

Upon certification of an EIR, the lead agency makes a decision on the project analyzed in the EIR. A lead agency may: (a) disapprove a project because of its significant environmental effects; (b) require changes to a project to reduce or avoid significant environmental effects; or (c) approve a project despite its significant environmental effects, if the proper findings and statement of overriding considerations are adopted (CEQA Guidelines Sections 15042 and 15043).

In approving a project, for each significant impact of the project identified in the EIR, the lead or responsible agency must find, based on substantial evidence, that either: (a) the project has been changed to avoid or substantially reduce the magnitude of the impact; (b) changes to the project are within another agency's jurisdiction and such changes have or should be adopted; or (c) specific economic, social, or other considerations make the mitigation measures or project alternatives infeasible (CEQA Guidelines Section 15091). Per PRC Section 21061.1, feasible means capable of being accomplished in a successful manner within a reasonable period of time, taking into account, economic, environmental, legal, social, and technological factors.

Introduction
Final Environmental Impact Report 1-3
If an agency approves a project with unavoidable significant environmental effects, it must prepare a written Statement of Overriding Considerations that sets forth the specific social, economic, or other reasons supporting the agency’s decision and explains why the project’s benefits outweigh the significant environmental effects (CEQA Guidelines Section 15093).

When an agency makes findings on significant effects identified in the EIR, it must adopt a reporting or monitoring program for mitigation measures that were adopted or made conditions of project approval to mitigate significant effects (CEQA Guidelines Section 15091[d]).

1.4 Draft EIR Recirculation Not Required
CEQA Guidelines Section 15088.5 requires Draft EIR recirculation when comments on the Draft EIR or responses thereto identify “significant new information.” Significant new information is defined as including:

1. A new significant environmental impact would result from the project or from a new mitigation measure proposed to be implemented

2. A substantial increase in the severity of an environmental impact would result unless mitigation measures are adopted that reduce the impact to a level of insignificance

3. A feasible project alternative or mitigation measure considerably different from others previously analyzed would clearly lessen the significant environmental impacts of the project, but the project's proponents decline to adopt it

4. The draft EIR was so fundamentally and basically inadequate and conclusory in nature that meaningful public review and comment were precluded
The comments, responses, and Draft EIR amendments presented in this document do not constitute such “significant new information;” instead, they clarify, amplify, or make insignificant modifications to the Draft EIR. For example, none of the comments, responses, and Draft EIR amendments disclose new or substantially more severe significant environmental effects of the proposed Project, or new feasible mitigation measures or alternatives considerably different than those analyzed in the Draft EIR that would clearly lessen the proposed Project’s significant effects.

1.5 Summary of the Proposed Project
The proposed Project includes an update of the City of Montebello General Plan and adoption of a new Montebello Downtown Specific Plan, as well as other related actions. The actions that make up the proposed Project are described below.

The proposed Project includes a comprehensive update of the City’s General Plan. The General Plan is Montebello's blueprint for meeting the community’s long-term vision for the future. The proposed General Plan Update provides comprehensive policies for the entire City relating to land use/community design, mobility, quality of life, resources, services and infrastructure, and health and safety. The Planning Area for the proposed Project includes all land within Montebello’s City Limits. The proposed Project does not involve any annexation of lands or adjustments to the City’s Sphere of Influence (SOI). If any annexations are pursued in the future, they would require approval from the Los Angeles County Local Agency Formation Commission.

City of Montebello
City of Montebello General Plan Update and Downtown Montebello Specific Plan 1-4
As part of the proposed Project, the General Plan has been reorganized and reformatted, with updated goals and policies that reflect the community’s vision of Montebello that the proposed General Plan Update seeks to achieve. The General Plan Land Use Map has also been updated.

The proposed General Plan Update includes eight chapters:
▪ Our Natural Community
▪ Our Prosperous Community
▪ Our Well Planned Community
▪ Our Accessible Community
▪ Our Healthy Community
▪ Our Safe Community
▪ Our Active Community
▪ Our Creative Community
The proposed General Plan Update includes an update of the City’s Housing Element (6th Cycle, 2021-2029), which was adopted by the City Council in June 2022 and subsequently certified by HCD on July 11, 2022. While an Initial Study/Negative Declaration (IS-ND) was prepared and adopted concurrently with the Housing Element, the 6th Cycle Housing Element is a component of the proposed General Plan Update and is also analyzed in the EIR. All proposed population and housing growth relative to the 6th Cycle Housing Element and the rest of the proposed Project is accounted for and analyzed in the EIR.

The proposed Downtown Montebello Specific Plan has been developed concurrently with the proposed General Plan Update. These documents are intended to enhance the public right-of-way through selective market supported infill development that includes, among other things, two and three-story buildings that will augment the character and quality of the street as well as activate the street, giving new energy to the area through unique, local, and high-quality experience-based retail opportunities.

City of Montebello Responses to Comments on the Draft EIR City of Montebello General Plan Update and Downtown Montebello Specific Plan Final Environmental Impact Report
2 Responses to Comments on the Draft EIR
This chapter includes comments received during the circulation of the Draft Environmental Impact Report prepared for the City of Montebello General Plan Update and Downtown Montebello Specific Plan (the proposed Project).

The Draft EIR was circulated for a 45-day public review period that began on December 4, 2023 and ended on January 17, 2024. The City of Montebello received five comment letters on the Draft EIR.

The commenters and the page number on which each commenter’s letter appears are listed below.

Letter No. and Commenter Page No.
1 Andrew Salas, Chairman, Gabrieleno Band of Mission Indians – Kizh Nation 2-2 2 Frances Duong, Acting LDR/CEQA Branch Chief, Department of Transportation 2-4 3 Constantin Raether, Associate Environmental Planner, California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services
2-7
4 Tamara Purvis, Associate Environmental Planner, Department of Toxic Substances Control 2-9 5 Curtis M. Welty, PG, Associate Oil and Engineer, California Department of Conservation Geologic Energy Management Division
2-14
The comment letters and responses follow. The comment letters have been numbered sequentially and each separate issue raised by the commenter, if more than one, has been assigned a number.

The responses to each comment identify first the number of the comment letter, and then the number assigned to each issue (Response 1.1, for example, indicates that the response is for the first issue raised in comment letter 1).

Where a comment resulted in a change to the Draft EIR text, a notation is made in the response indicating that the text is revised. Changes in text are signified by strikeouts (strikeouts) where text is removed and by underlined font (underlined font) where text is added. These text changes are also shown in Chapter 3, Amendments to the Draft EIR of this Final EIR, as are changes not substantively affecting the contents of the EIR such as typographical errors (typos). 2-1

GABRIELENO BAND OF MISSION INDIANS ͲKIZH NATION
Historically known as The San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians recognized by the State of California as the aboriginal tribe of the Los Angeles basin ĞĐĞŵďĞƌϳ͕ϮϬϮϯ
WƌŽũĞĐƚEĂŵĞ͗ŝƚLJŽĨDŽŶƚĞďĞůůŽ'ĞŶĞƌĂůWůĂŶhƉĚĂƚĞĂŶĚŽǁŶƚŽǁŶDŽŶƚĞďĞůůŽ^ƉĞĐŝĨŝĐWůĂŶ dŚĂŶŬLJŽƵĨŽƌLJŽƵƌůĞƚƚĞƌĚĂƚĞĚĞĐĞŵďĞƌϰ͕ϮϬϮϯ͘ZĞŐĂƌĚŝŶŐƚŚĞƉƌŽũĞĐƚĂďŽǀĞ͘dŚŝƐŝƐƚŽ ĐŽŶĐƵƌƚŚĂƚǁĞĂŐƌĞĞǁŝƚŚƚŚĞ'ĞŶĞƌĂůWůĂŶ͕^ƉĞĐŝĨŝĐWůĂŶ͘,ŽǁĞǀĞƌ͕ŽƵƌdƌŝďĂůŐŽǀĞƌŶŵĞŶƚǁŽƵůĚůŝŬĞƚŽ ƌĞƋƵĞƐƚĐŽŶƐƵůƚĂƚŝŽŶĨŽƌĂůůĨƵƚƵƌĞƉƌŽũĞĐƚƐǁŝƚŚŝŶƚŚŝƐůŽĐĂƚŝŽŶ͘ Andrew Salas, Chairman
Gabrieleno Band of Mission Indians – Kizh Nation
ŶĚƌĞǁ^ĂůĂƐ͕ŚĂŝƌŵĂŶ EĂĚŝŶĞ^ĂůĂƐ͕sŝĐĞͲŚĂŝƌŵĂŶ ƌ͘ŚƌŝƐƚŝŶĂ^ǁŝŶĚĂůůDĂƌƚŝŶĞnj͕ƐĞĐƌĞƚĂƌLJ ůďĞƌƚWĞƌĞnj͕ƚƌĞĂƐƵƌĞƌ/ DĂƌƚŚĂ'ŽŶnjĂůĞnj>ĞŵŽƐ͕ƚƌĞĂƐƵƌĞƌ// ZŝĐŚĂƌĚ'ƌĂĚŝĂƐ͕ŚĂŝƌŵĂŶŽĨƚŚĞĐŽƵŶĐŝůŽĨ ůĚĞƌƐ
PO Box 393 Covina, CA 91723 [email protected] [email protected] 2-2
Letter 1

City of Montebello Responses to Comments on the Draft EIR City of Montebello General Plan Update and Downtown Montebello Specific Plan Final Environmental Impact Report
Letter 1
COMMENTER: Andrew Salas, Chairman, Gabrieleno Band of Mission Indians – Kizh Nation DATE: December 7, 2023
The commenter states that they agree with the “General Plan, Specific Plan” (the proposed Project) but their Tribal government would like to “request consultation for all future projects within this location.” The City will consider this request, but because this comment does not directly address the EIR no further response is required in this Final EIR. 2-3

“Provide a safe and reliable transportation network that serves all people and respects the environment” STATE OF CALIFORNIA------- CALIFORNIA STATE TRANSPORTATION AGENCY GAVIN NEWSOM, Governor

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
DISTRICT 7
100 S. MAIN STREET, MS 16
LOS ANGELES, CA 90012
PHONE (213) 266-3574
FAX (213) 897-1337
TTY 711
www.dot.ca.gov
Making Conservation
a California Way of Life
January 5, 2023
Joseph Palombi,
Planning and Community Development Director
City of Montebello
1600 West Beverly Boulevard
Montebello, CA 90640
RE: City of Montebello General Plan
Update and Downtown Montebello
Specific Plan – Draft EIR (DEIR)
SCH #2023050665
GTS #07-LA-2023-04394
Vic. LA Multiple
Dear Joseph Palombi,
Thank you for including the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) in the environmental review process for the above referenced project. The City of Montebello General Plan Update and Downtown Montebello Specific Plan DEIR includes various chapters that discuss important elements relating to the well-being, prosperity, and vibrancy of Montebello. One aspect of the General Plan Update is prioritizing multimobility, where the community will be encouraged to drive less and walk, bike, ride transit, rideshare or carpool more.

After reviewing the DEIR, Caltrans has the following comments:

Caltrans supports the policies stated in the Our Accessible Community chapter. The policies encompass Transportation Demand Management (TDM) strategies such as promoting public transit, carpooling and ridesharing, active transportation, etc. for all ages and abilities. As mentioned in our NOP comment letter, these elements can help the City of Montebello General Plan Update and Downtown Montebello Specific Plan in fulfilling its objectives as well as other regional agency’s targets, like Caltrans.

Additionally, Caltrans encourages the Specific Plan’s vision for introducing strategic mobility hubs throughout downtown to offer more active transportation options and reduce 2-4
Letter 2
2-1
2-2

Joseph Palombi
January 5, 2023

“Provide a safe and reliable transportation network that serves all people and respects the environment” automobile dependence. When located at key multimodal transfer points, Mobility Hubs can serve as focal points for local micro mobility and wayfinding networks, with amenities such as: transit and bike route information; bike repair stations; shade; and pedestrianscaled lighting and wayfinding. We look forward to discussing plans with the City to provide safe pedestrian crossings and other facilities at freeway ramps to prioritize the safety of all users.

Caltrans acknowledges the importance of the other General Plan chapters and its concurrence with Our Accessible Community. The policies within the safety, active and health chapters are vital to the success of Our Accessible Community’s policies and Caltrans looks forward to their implementation.

If you have any questions, please contact project coordinator Anthony Higgins, at [email protected] and refer to GTS #07-LA-2023-04394.

Sincerely,
Frances Duong
Acting LDR/CEQA Branch Chief
email: State Clearinghouse
Sincerely,
2-5
2-2
2-3
I ~ ~ ➔

City of Montebello Responses to Comments on the Draft EIR City of Montebello General Plan Update and Downtown Montebello Specific Plan Final Environmental Impact Report
Letter 2
COMMENTER: Frances Duong, Acting LDR/CEQA Branch Chief, California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)
DATE: January 5, 2024
The commenter thanks the City for including them in the environmental review process, briefly summarizes the proposed Project and its relationship to mobility, then makes the following comments:

Response 2.1
The commenter states that Caltrans supports the policies stated in the Our Accessible Community chapter of the proposed General Plan Update. The commenter notes the policies encompass Transportation Demand Management (TDM) strategies such as promoting public transit, carpooling and ridesharing, active transportation, etc. for all ages and abilities. They also state that these strategies can help the City achieve the objectives of the proposed Project and the targets of other regional agencies such as Caltrans. The City appreciates Caltrans’ support of these Our Accessible Community policies. Because this comment does not directly address the EIR, no further response is required in this Final EIR.

Response 2.2
The commenter states that Caltrans encourages the proposed Specific Plan’s vision for introducing strategic mobility hubs throughout downtown to offer more active transportation options and reduce automobile dependence. The commenter notes that mobility hubs can serve as focal points for local micro mobility and wayfinding networks and include amenities such as transit and bike route information, bike repair stations, shade, and pedestrian scaled lighting and wayfinding. They then state that they look forward to discussing plans with the City to prioritize providing safe facilities for all users. The City appreciates Caltrans’ support of the mobility vision of the proposed Downtown Montebello Specific Plan. Because this comment does not directly address the EIR, no further response is required.

Response 2.3
The commenter states that Caltrans acknowledges the importance of the other General Plan chapters. They then note that the policies within the “safety, active and health chapters” are vital to the success of the policies in the Our Accessible Community chapter, and that they look forward to their implementation. Because this comment does not directly address the EIR, no further response is required.
2-6









 





 


 





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Letter 3

City of Montebello Responses to Comments on the Draft EIR City of Montebello General Plan Update and Downtown Montebello Specific Plan Final Environmental Impact Report
Letter 3
COMMENTER: Constantin Raether, Associate Environmental Planner, California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services
DATE: January 8, 2024
The commenter states that the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) has reviewed the proposed “Safety Element" (apparently referring to the “Our Safe Community” chapter of the proposed General Plan Update) and “found no substantive changes to your hazard profiles” when compared against the most recent FEMA approved City of Montebello Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP). The commenter then states that they have no further comments at this time. The City appreciates Cal OES’s comments. Because this comment does not directly address the EIR, no further response is required.
2-8

SENT VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL
January 9. 2024
Joseph Palombi
Planning and Community Development Director
City of Montebello
1600 West Beverly Boulevard
Montebello, CA 90640
[email protected]
RE: DRAFT EIR (DEIR) FOR THE CITY OF MONTEBELLO GENERAL PLAN

UPDATE AND DOWNTOWN MONTEBELLO SPECIFIC PLAN, DATED DECEMBER 4, 2023 STATE CLEARINGHOUSE # 2023050665
Dear Joseph Palombi,
The Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) received a DEIR for the City of Montebello General Plan Update and Downtown Montebello Specific Plan (Project).

The proposed Project includes a comprehensive update of the City’s General Plan. The City’s General Plan currently has twelve elements: Circulation, Conservation, Land Use, Noise, Open Space, Parks and Recreation, Population, Redevelopment, Safety, Scenic Highways, Seismic Safety, and Housing Element. The proposed Project includes an update of the City’s Housing Element (6th Cycle, 2021-2029), which was adopted by the City Council in June 2022 and subsequently certified by HCD on July 11, 2022. While an Initial Study/Negative Declaration (IS-ND) was prepared and adopted concurrently with the Housing Element, the 6th Cycle Housing Element is a component of the General Plan and is also analyzed in the EIR. The Downtown 2-9
Letter 4
e
Yana Garcia
Secretary for
Environmental Protection
Department of Toxic Substances Control
Meredith Williams, Ph.D., Director
8800 Cal Center Drive
Sacramento, California 95826-3200
Gavin Newsom
Governor

Joseph Palombi
January 9, 2024

Montebello Specific Plan is a component of the proposed General Plan Update and focuses on Downtown Montebello.

DTSC has identified that this project may affect multiple active and nonactive mitigation and clean-up sites within the project boundaries therefore, based on our project review, we request the consideration of the following comments:

1. The proposed project encompasses multiple active and nonactive mitigation and clean-up sites where DTSC has conducted oversight that may be impacted as a result of this project. This may restrict what construction activities are permissible in the proposed project areas in order to avoid any impacts to human health and the environment.

2. Due to the broad scope of the project, DTSC is unable to determine all of the locations of the proposed project site, whether they are listed as having documented contamination, land use restrictions, or whether there is the potential for the project site to be included on a list of hazardous materials sites compiled pursuant to Government Code Section 65962.5. DTSC recommends providing further information on the project site and areas that may fall under DTSC's oversight within the DEIR. Please review the City of Montebello project area in Envirostor; DTSC’s public-facing database.

DTSC believes the City of Montebello must address these comments to determine if any significant impacts under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) will occur and, if necessary, avoid significant impacts under CEQA. DTSC recommends the department connect with our unit if any hazardous waste projects managed or overseen by DTSC are discovered.

DTSC appreciates the opportunity to comment on the City of Montebello General Plan Update and Downtown Montebello Specific Plan. Thank you for your assistance in protecting California’s people and environment from the harmful effects of toxic substances. If you have any questions or would like any clarification on DTSC’s comments, please respond to this letter or via email for additional guidance. 2-10
4-1
4-2
4-3

Joseph Palombi
January 9, 2024

Sincerely,
Tamara Purvis
Associate Environmental Planner
HWMP - Permitting Division – CEQA Unit
Department of Toxic Substances Control
[email protected]
cc: (via email)
Governor’s Office of Planning and
Research State Clearinghouse
[email protected]
Dave Kereazis
Associate Environmental Planner
HWMP – Permitting Division - CEQA Unit
Department of Toxic Substances Control
[email protected]
Scott Wiley
Associate Governmental Program Analyst
HWMP – Permitting Division - CEQA Unit
Department of Toxic Substances Control
[email protected]
Greg Martin
Senior Planner / Project Manager
Rincon Consultants, Inc.
[email protected]
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City of Montebello Responses to Comments on the Draft EIR City of Montebello General Plan Update and Downtown Montebello Specific Plan Final Environmental Impact Report
Letter 4
COMMENTER: Tamara Purvis, Associate Environmental Planner, Department of Toxic Substances Control
DATE: January 9, 2024
The commenter states that the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), received a DEIR for the General Plan Update and summarizes the contents of the General Plan Elements, and then makes the following comments:

Response 4.1
The commenter states that the proposed Project may affect multiple active and nonactive mitigation and clean-up sites “within the project boundaries” (the Plan Area) and the proposed Project encompasses multiple active and nonactive mitigation and clean-up sites where DTSC has conducted oversight that may be impacted as a result of the proposed Project. They then state that “This may restrict what construction activities are permissible in the proposed project areas in order to avoid any impacts to human health and the environment.” As described in Chapter 2, Project Description, of the Draft EIR, the proposed General Plan Update would guide the general distribution, location, and extent of the various land uses in the Plan Area.

The proposed Project does not include specific projects that include construction activities that would have the potential to impact DTSC site, human health, or the environment. The commenter’s comments related to potential future construction activities and their relationship to DTSC oversight clean-up sites are addressed in the responses below.

Response 4.2
The commenter states that, due to the broad scope of the proposed Project, they are unable to “determine all of the locations of the proposed project site” and whether they are listed as having documented contamination or land use restrictions, or whether there is the potential for “the project site” to be included on a list of hazardous materials sites compiled pursuant to Government Code Section 65962.5. The commenter then recommends “providing further information on the project site and areas that may fall under DTSC's oversight within the DEIR,” and asks the City to review the City of Montebello project area in EnviroStor; DTSC’s public-facing database.

Sites included on a list of hazardous materials sites compiled pursuant to Government Code Section 65962.5 are present in the Plan Area and could be subject to development under the proposed Project. Such sites are described on pages 4.9-19 through 4.9-22 in Section 4.9, Hazards and Hazardous Materials, of the Draft EIR. Development at these sites could create a hazard to the public or the environment, but implementation of state and local regulations and General Plan Update policies would address this issue and this impact would be less than significant. These sites are also listed in Table 4.9-1 in Section 4.9, Hazards and Hazardous Materials of the Draft EIR (including sites found in a database search of DTSC’s EnviroStor database), but only DTSC Active Sites are shown in this table. To provide further information in the EIR for areas that may fall under DTSC's oversight, Table 4.9-1 in Chapter 4.9, Hazards and Hazardous Materials of the EIR has been updated in the Final EIR to include all DTSC sites in the Plan Area, as follows:
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City of Montebello Responses to Comments on the Draft EIR City of Montebello General Plan Update and Downtown Montebello Specific Plan Final Environmental Impact Report
Table 4.9-1 DTSC Active Sites in the Montebello
Site Name Site Location DTSC Site Type Status
Metro Heights 1400 North Montebello Boulevard Voluntary Cleanup Active Georgia Pacific Corporation 760 South Vail Ave Corrective Action Active Burke Concrete 1625 Washington Boulevard Voluntary Cleanup No Further Action Chapin Road Landfill All properties on Chapin and Bluff Roads
Evaluation Inactive - Action
Required
Grow Group 760 South Vail Ave Non-Operating Undergoing Closure Lilly Industries,
Inc./Montebello
901 West Union Street Refer: Other Agency Tiered Permit Mines and Maple School Site Mines/Maple School Investigation No Further Action Myers Electric Products, Inc. 1130 S. Vail Avenue Tiered Permit Refer: Other Agency Royal Dry Cleaners 2600 West Beverly Boulevard. Evaluation Refer: 1248 Local Agency
Source: DTSC 20234
Response 4.3
The commenter concludes that DTSC believes the City of Montebello must address these comments to determine if any significant impacts under CEQA will occur and, if necessary, avoid significant impacts under CEQA; recommends that the City connect with DTSC if any hazardous waste projects managed or overseen by DTSC are discovered; and thanks the City for the opportunity to comment on the opportunity to comment on the Draft EIR.

DTSC’s comments have been addressed in Responses 4.1 and 4.2. The City will inform DTSC if it becomes aware of the discovery of any hazardous waste projects managed or overseen by DTSC. 2-13

Gavin Newsom, Governor
David Shabazian, Director
State of California Natural Resources Agency | Department of Conservation Southern District, 3780 Kilroy Airport Way, Suite 400, Long Beach, CA 90806 conservation.ca.gov | T: (562) 637-4400 | F: (562) 424-0166 January 17, 2024

VIA EMAIL
Joseph Palombi, Planning and Community Development Director City of Montebello
1600 West Beverly Blvd.

Montebello, CA 90640
Email: [email protected]
Dear Mr. Palombi:

CITY OF MONTEBELLO GENERAL PLAN UPDATE AND

DOWNTOWN MONTEBELLO SPECIFIC PLAN

DRAFT EIR

CITY OF MONTEBELLO
SCH: NO. 2023050665
The Department of Conservation’s Geologic Energy Management Division (Division) has reviewed the above-referenced project for impacts with Division jurisdictional authority.

The Division supervises the drilling, maintenance, and plugging and abandonment of oil, gas, and geothermal wells in California. The Division offers the following comments for your consideration.

The project area is in Los Angeles County and much of the northern half of the City is within the Montebello oil field. Division mapping shows hundreds of active, idle, or abandoned oil and gas wells within the area covered by the DEIR. Division information can be found at: www.conservation.ca.gov. Individual well records are also available on the Division’s web site, or by emailing [email protected].

The scope and content of information that is germane to the Division's responsibility are contained in Section 3000 et seq. of the Public Resources Code, and administrative regulations under Title 14, Division 2, Chapters 2, 3 and 4 of the California Code of Regulations.

If any wells, including any plugged, abandoned or unrecorded wells, are damaged or uncovered during excavation, grading or other project operations, remedial plugging operations may be required. If such damage or discovery occurs, the Division’s district office must be contacted to obtain information on the requirements and approval to perform remedial operations.
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Letter 5
5-1
California
Department of Conservation
Geologic Energy Management Division

SCH: No. 2023050665
City of Montebello
January 17, 2024

The possibility for future problems from oil and gas wells that have been plugged and abandoned, or reabandoned, to the Division’s current specifications are remote.

However, the Division recommends that a diligent effort be made to avoid building over any plugged and abandoned well.

Questions regarding the Division’s Construction Site Well Review Program can be addressed to the local Division’s office in Long Beach by emailing [email protected] or by calling (562) 637-4400.

Sincerely,
Curtis M. Welty, PG
Associate Oil and Gas Engineer
cc: Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, State Clearinghouse Unit Email: [email protected]
Office of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs
Email: [email protected]
Jan Perez, CalGEM CEQA Unit
Email: [email protected]
Environmental CEQA File
2-15
5-2

City of Montebello Responses to Comments on the Draft EIR City of Montebello General Plan Update and Downtown Montebello Specific Plan Final Environmental Impact Report
Letter 5
COMMENTER: Curtis M. Welty, PG, Associate Oil and Engineer, California Department of Conservation Geologic Energy Management Division
DATE: January 17, 2024
The commenter states that the Department of Conservation’s Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) has reviewed the proposed Project. The commenter summarizes the Division’s responsibilities in California, then makes the following comments on the Draft EIR:

Response 5.1
The commenter states that the project is in Los Angeles County and much of the northern half of the City is within the Montebello oil field. They then state that their mapping shows active, idle, or abandoned oil and gas wells within the area covered by the Draft EIR and provide references to support this statement. The commenter lists the sections of the State Public Resources Code and Code of Regulations germane to their responsibility, then states that “if any wells, including any plugged, abandoned or unrecorded wells, are damaged or uncovered during excavation, remedial plugging operations may be required. If such damage or discovery occurs, the Division’s district office must be contacted to obtain information on the requirements and approval to perform remedial operations.”
As described in Chapter 2, Project Description, of the Draft EIR, the proposed General Plan Update would guide the general distribution, location, and extent of the various land uses in the Plan Area.

The proposed Project does not include specific projects that include construction activities that would have the potential to affect oil and gas wells. The issue of plugged, abandoned, and unrecorded wells is discussed on pages 4.9-8 through 4.9-9 of the Draft EIR, and the presence of “numerous plugged oil and gas wells” in the Plan Area is acknowledged at the top of page 4.9-9.

The State Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources’ (DOGGR’s) construction site well review program is explained on pages 4.9-13 through 4.9-14, including the statutory responsibilities of property owners, developers, or local permitting agencies to consult with DOGGR when development occurs near an oil or gas well. Because DOGGR has been renamed the Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM), the following text in the first paragraph on page 4.9-9 of the Draft EIR has been revised as follows in the Final EIR to reflect this:

According to the Well Finder search tool hosted by the California Department of Conservation’s Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM, which was formerly named the California Department of Conservation’s Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR), a majority of the City of Montebello lies over an oil and gas field (Geologic Energy Management Division [CalGEM] 2023). There are numerous plugged oil and gas wells located within, and within 1,000 feet of, the City of Montebello (CalGEM 2023).

Additionally, the beginning of the Construction Site Well Review Program section on page 4.9-13 of the Draft EIR has been revised in the Final EIR as follows to reflect this change:

CalGEM Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) oversees the drilling, operation, maintenance, and plugging and abandonment of oil, natural gas, and geothermal wells throughout California.
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City of Montebello Responses to Comments on the Draft EIR City of Montebello General Plan Update and Downtown Montebello Specific Plan Final Environmental Impact Report
Subsequent occurrences of the “DOGGR” acronym in this section of the EIR have been replaced in the Final EIR with “CalGEM.” These text changes are shown in Chapter 2, Amendments to the Draft EIR of the Final EIR.

The City of Montebello will comply with all regulations, including those of CalGEM, applicable to active, idle, or abandoned oil and gas wells when future development occurs near any such well. To reflect this, the following language has been added to the end of impact discussion HAZ-3 in the Final EIR:

Wells
Section 4.9.1, Environmental Setting acknowledges the presence of numerous plugged oil and gas wells located within, and within 1,000 feet of, the City of Montebello, and Section 4.9.2, Regulatory Framework discusses relevant state agencies and regulations applicable to wells, including plugged, abandoned, or unrecorded wells that could be damaged or uncovered during excavation for future construction projects carried out under the proposed Project. As required by these regulations, the City will contact CalGEM to obtain information on the requirements and approval to perform remedial operations if it becomes aware that any such damage or discovery has occurred as part of future development carried out under the proposed Project.

Response 5.2
The commentor concludes that the possibility for future problems from oil and gas wells are remote but recommends that an effort be made to avoid building over any abandoned well. While the City appreciates this comment and will continue to work with CalGEM and all other applicable agencies and parties to avoid building over any abandoned well, this comment does not relate to the contents of the Draft EIR beyond the commenter’s previous comments in this letter, which have already been addressed in the response above and no further response is required. 2-17