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1 RESOLUTION NO. __________
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PASADENA ADOPTING THE 2022 EAST COLORADO SPECIFIC PLAN
WHEREAS , the Land Use Element of the Pasadena Comprehensive General Plan calls for the preparation of Specific Plans as an implementation strategy for the Land Use Element; and
WHEREAS , the 2022 East Colorado Specific Plan (“ECSP”) is a document that provides land use regulations, development standards, and design guidelines for new development in the area; and
WHEREAS , there was extensive public participation associated with the adoption of the ECSP, using a series of community workshops, both in-person and virtual, commission meetings, and stakeholder meetings including residents, business-owners, and commissioners; and
WHEREAS , the Design Commission and Planning Commission reviewed and commented on the draft ECSP; and
WHEREAS , the Planning Commission held a public hearing on the draft ECSP and associated Addendum to the 2015 General Plan Environmental Impact Report (“Addendum”) on September 22, 2021, a nd recommended approval with amendments to the City Council; and
WHEREAS , the City Council held a public hearing on the recommended ECSP on February 28, 2022, at which it reviewed and considered the recommendations as set forth in the Staff Report of the same date, and the Planning Commission’s recommendations. The City Council adopted the Addendum, and found that the Addendum properly discloses only minor technical changes or additions to the EIR, and none of the conditions triggering a subsequent or supplemental EIR are present, as set forth in State CEQA Guidelines Section 15164.
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2 NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
PASADENA RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:
1. The City Council finds that the ECSP is consiste nt with the policies of the City’s General Plan and the purposes of Title 17 of the Municipal Code, and adopts the Findings attached hereto and incorporated herein by this reference.
2. The City Council adopts the ECSP, as attached to the Staff Report.
3. For decision makers required to make General Pla n consistency findings, the decision maker shall also be required to make findings of consistency with the ECSP for projects in the ECSP area.
Adopted at the _________ meeting of the City Council on the ________ day of ________, 2022 by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
_________________________________
MARK JOMSKY, CMC, City Clerk
Approved as to form:
__/s/ Theresa Fuentes____
Theresa E. Fuentes
Assistant City Attorney
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3 FINDINGS FOR ADOPTION OF A SPECIFIC PLAN
The City Council may adopt a Specific Plan only if it finds that the proposed plan is in conformance with the goals, policies, and objectives of the General Plan and other adopted goals and policies of the City.
The Recommended ECSP is consistent with the goals, policies, and objectives of the General Plan as follows:
Land Use Element
• Goal 1. Sustainable Growth. Sustainable growth and change in orderly and well-planned developments within targeted areas that allow for higher density development in an urban core setting and in close proximity to transit that provides for the needs of existing and future residents and businesses, ensures the effective provision of public services, and makes efficient use of land, energy, and infrastructure.
o Policy 1.1 (Basic Growth Policy). Accommodate growth that is consistent with community values and that complements the scale and character of Pasadena’s unique residential
neighborhoods, business districts, and open spaces.
o Policy 1.2 (Targeted Growth). Target growth and new
construction in infill areas and away from Pasadena’s residential neighborhoods and open spaces by redeveloping underutilized and industrial properties, especially within the Central District, Transit Villages, Neighborhood Villages, and along selected corridors.
The recommended East Colorado Specific Plan Update (“Recommended ECSP”) implements the land uses, densities, and intensities established in the General Plan Land Use map, which represents community values and the anticipated scale and character of Pasadena’s neighborhoods. By introducing new land uses such as housing and more flexibility of commercial uses, the Recommended ECSP targets growth and new construction along the East Colorado corridor, which contains underutilized properties that can serve as infill sites, as well as the areas surrounding the Metro L (Gold) Line Allen Station, which will foster transit-oriented development.
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4 • Goal 2. Land Use Diversity. A mix of land uses meeting the diverse needs of Pasadena’s residents and businesses, fostering improved housing conditions, offering a variety of employment and recreation opportunities, and supporting a healthy population while protecting the environment.
o Policy 2.1 (Housing Choices). Provide opportunities for a full range of housing types, densities, locations, and affordability levels to address the community’s fair share of regional, senior, and workforce housing needs and provide a strong customer base sustaining the economic vitality of Pasadena’s commercial land uses. The types, densities, and location of housing shall be determined by the Land Use Diagram and reflect the projected needs specified in the Housing Element.
o Policy 2.2 (Senior Housing). Encourage the development of senior housing that has access to commercial services, health care facilities, community facilities, and public transit.
o Policy 2.3 (Commercial Businesses). Designate sufficient land to enable a broad range of viable commercial uses in
Pasadena’s Central District, Transit and Neighborhood Villages, and commercial corridors. These uses will serve both local and regional needs, reducing the need for residents to travel to adjoining communities, capturing a greater share of local spending, and offering a diversity of employment opportunities.
o Policy 2.4 (Job Choices). Provide opportunities for the development of a broad range of land uses that offer job opportunities for Pasadena’s residents, including professional and creative office, institutional and research and development (R&D) flex space.
o Policy 2.5 (Mixed Use). Create opportunities for development projects that mix housing with commercial uses to enable Pasadena’s residents to live close to businesses and
employment, increasing non-auto travel, and interact socially.
o Policy 2.6 (Transit-Related Land Uses). Promote the
development of uses that support and capture the economic value induced by the presence of transit corridors and stations.
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5 o Policy 2.8 (Equitable Distribution of Community Devices and Amenities). Ensure that parks and recreation facilities, community services, and amenities are equitably distributed and accessible throughout the City.
The Recommended ECSP introduces a mixed-use zoning district along the East Colorado corridor and in the area surrounding the Metro L (Gold) Line Allen Station, which by allowing housing as well as commercial and other uses, creates new housing options that are not available today. The Recommended ECSP also maintains an existing lower density multi-family residential district along Allen Avenue... Senior Housing and Residential Care facilities are also permitted uses in various districts throughout the Plan and this will aid in providing a mix of housing types for the plan area. An updated set of land uses in the mixed-use zones and revised parking standards for smaller businesses create more flexibility for new commercial businesses to be established, and in turn more job opportunities for local residents. Finally, the Recommended ECSP includes updated and more robust open space requirements, including requirements for Publicly Accessible Open Space for larger development projects, which would create equitably distributed open space amenities for the surrounding neighborhoods. Publicly Accessible Open Space standards include minimum dimensions, access requirements, landscaping, tree planting, and other requirements intended to create quality community gathering places.
• Goal 3. Compatible Land Uses. A mix and distribution of land uses characterized by their compatibility.
o Policy 3.1 (High-Impact Uses). Avoid the concentration of uses and facilities in any neighborhood or district where their intensities, operations, and/or traffic could adversely impact the character, safety, health, and quality of life.
o Policy 3.2 (Care Facilities). Allow for the development of senior daycare facilities, assisted living facilities, hospice, child care, and other care facilities where they can be located, designed, and managed to ensure compatibility with and the safety of adjoining uses, consistent with adopted specific plans, Community Places policies and in accordance with state
legislation.
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6 o Policy 3.3 (Assembly Facilities). Require that assembly facilities for social, cultural, educational, and religious organizations be located, designed, and managed to ensure compatibility and avoid traffic, noise, and other negative impacts with adjoining uses.
o Policy 3.6 (Non-Conforming Uses). Encourage the replacement of non-conforming uses to achieve groupings of compatible uses that conform to the current zoning standards.
o Policy 3.7 (Alcohol and Drug Abuse). Reduce the impact of alcohol and other drug related problems through the regulation and monitoring of establishments that sell alcohol and drugs.
Develop regulations for the location and management of alcohol and drug related care facilities. Ensure compatibility with and the safety of adjoining uses, in accordance with state legislation.
The Recommended ECSP focuses new growth in key segments of the East Colorado corridor, ranging in densities from 32 to 87 dwelling units per acre. This allows new housing and catalytic development in areas that can accommodate growth, while limiting the intensity of development along the Eastern Corridor to create more sensitive transitions to existing neighborhoods and maintain quality of life. The Recommended ECSP allows Residential Care facilities as well as a variety of public assembly and cultural institution uses in various districts within the Plan area. The development standards as well as density and intensity regulations in the Plan encourage redevelopment of existing, potentially nonconforming uses, and land uses that include alcohol sales will continue to be carefully regulated through the Conditional Use Permit process.
• Goal 4. Elements Contributing to Urban Form. A safe, well-designed, accessible City with a diversity of uses and forms
o Policy 4.1 (Sustainable Urban Form). Provide an overall pattern of land uses and densities that encourages sustainable
development; offers convenient alternatives to auto travel; ensures compatibility among uses; enhances livability and public health; sustains economic vitality; and reduces air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy consumption.
o Policy 4.2 (A Diversity of Places). Maintain and enhance the City’s urban form with distinct, compact, and walkable areas with
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7 a diversity of uses, densities, and characters. Offer choices for living, working, shopping, and recreation consistent with community values, needs, and demographics.
o Policy 4.4 (Transit Villages). Accommodate and intensify a mix of local and regional commercial, residential, and public uses close to the metro Gold Line stations. Design these areas to
accommodate safe and convenient walking, bicycling, and transit use. Include gathering places and amenities to enhance their quality and livability.
o Policy 4.5 (Transit Villages in Context). Differentiate the mix of development intensities of the Transit Villages to reflect their setting, with the highest intensities at Fillmore, Del Mar, Memorial Park and Lake Metro Gold Line stations, moderate intensities at Sierra Madre Villa station and lowest intensities at the Allen Avenue station.
o Policy 4.6 (Neighborhood Villages). Support neighborhoods through the intensification of development at major intersections to serve as centers of neighborhood identity and activity.
Encourage the clustering of community-oriented commercial services, housing, and community gathering places with
pedestrian-oriented amenities that are accessible and walkable.
o Policy 4.7 (Strengthen Major Corridors). Encourage the economic improvement of underused parcels along Pasadena’s corridors by clustering more intense uses at major intersections and lower intensity mixed-use or commercial development between major intersections.
o Policy 4.10 (Architecture that Enhances). Locate and design buildings to relate to and frame major public streets, open spaces, and cityscape. New development at intersections should consider any number of corner treatments, and should balance safety and accessibility concerns with the vision of the area and the need for buildings to engage the street and create a distinct urban edge.
o Policy 4.11 (Development that is Compatible). Require that development demonstrates a contextual relationship with
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8 neighboring structures and sites addressing such elements as building scale, massing, orientation, setbacks, buffering, the arrangement of shared and private open spaces, visibility, privacy, automobile and truck access, impacts of noise and lighting, landscape quality, infrastructure, and aesthetics.
o Policy 4.12 (Transitions in Scale). Require that the scale and massing of new development in higher-density centers and corridors provide appropriate transitions in building height and bulk and are sensitive to the physical and visual character of adjoining lower-density neighborhoods.
The Recommended ECSP includes numerous new development standards, including minimum sidewalk widths, setbacks, building stepbacks, massing, ground floor design, and façade modulation which are intended to support walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods that reduce the need to drive, enhance urban design, and achieve appropriate transitions in scale to ensure that new development is compatible. The proposed zoning districts in the Recommended ECSP expand the types of allowed land uses, thereby creating a diversity of places. The Recommended ECSP promotes thoughtful growth along key segments of the East Colorado corridor, particularly near Pasadena City College and the Metro L (Gold) Line Allen Station, by creating a set of community oriented commercial services, housing, and community gathering places that are walkable and accessible from nearby neighborhoods. In particular, new Publicly Accessible Open Space requirements for new commercial uses of a certain size seek to contribute to a sense of place by establishing plazas and paseos at key locations. Pasadena has a history of providing quality outdoor spaces, particularly in the Central District, and this will be expanded into the plan area.
• Goal 5. Pedestrian-Oriented Places. Development that contributes to pedestrian vitality and facilitates bicycle use in the Central District, Transit Villages, Neighborhood Villages, and community corridors.
o Policy 5.1 (Walkable City). Maintain and improve sidewalks and pedestrian paths in Pasadena’s neighborhoods and business districts by incorporating street trees, landscaping, and pedestrian-oriented amenities.
o Policy 5.2 (Pedestrian-Oriented Development). Require buildings in the Central District, Transit Villages, Neighborhood Villages, and along corridors specified by the adopted specific plans to be
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9 located along the street/sidewalk and designed to promote pedestrian activity. This can be accomplished by incorporating transparent facades, small plazas, and dining areas; while locating parking to the rear or underground and placing primary entries on the street
o Policy 5.3 (Community Greenways). Improve Pasadena’s public sidewalks as “greenway” corridors with extensive tr ee canopies, connecting its neighborhoods, Transit Villages, Neighborhood Villages, neighborhoods, parks, schools, and open spaces.
o Policy 5.4 (Community Connectivity). Improve corridors crossing the 210 Freeway to accommodate safe and convenient walking and bicycling with landscape, trees, street furniture, and other amenities. This will improve the visual and physical connectivity of neighborhoods to the north and south. Consider the feasibility for constructing a landscaped deck over the freeway as an open space amenity and as a means of improving the connections between neighborhoods on either side of the 210 freeway.
o Policy 5.7 (Pedestrian Connections). Support and enhance the pedestrian experience along public and private pedestrian passages, pathways, courtyards, paseos, alleys, and public walkways with increased connectivity and infrastructure, as well as businesses located along these pedestrian corridors.
The Recommended ECSP includes new requirements for minimum sidewalk widths, minimum parkway size and frequency, minimum tree well and tree size, active ground floor uses, ground floor design, street wall minimums, and transparency requirements. The Recommended ECSP also includes requirements for publicly accessible open space, with specific guidance on implementing these requirements to create a network of paseo connections in the Mid-City Subarea, as well as policies and implementation actions aimed at improving safety and the convenience of walking. All of these elements are designed to work together to make the Recommended ECSP area more pedestrian-oriented by encouraging well-designed and engaging ground floors of buildings and comfortable, shaded sidewalks.
• Goal 6. Sense of Place and History. Require new development and changes to existing development to be located and designed to respect the defining elements of Pasadena’s character and history
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10 such as its grid street pattern, block scale, public realm, courtyards, paseos, alleys, neighborhoods and districts, building massing and heights, significant architecture, and relationship to the mountains and Arroyo Seco.
o Policy 6.1 (Sense of Place and History). Require new development and changes to existing development to be located and designed to respect the defining elements of Pasadena’s character and history such as its grid street pattern, block scale, public realm, courtyards, paseos, alleys, neighborhoods and districts, building massing and heights, significant architecture, and relationship to the mountains and Arroyo Seco.
o Policy 6.2 (Established Neighborhoods). Preserve, protect, and enhance established residential neighborhoods by providing appropriate transitions between these and adjoining areas.
Require new development to complement and respond to the existing physical characteristics that contribute to the overall character and livability of the neighborhood.
o Policy 6.3 (Form-Based Code). Establish standards regulating the form and scale of development to assure that new
construction is sensitive to the massing, scale, architectural character, landscape design, and relationships to street frontages of existing uses.
o Policy 6.5 (Public Art). Integrate public art in private projects and in public spaces, including streetscapes, parks, and civic spaces.
The Recommended ECSP includes goals and policies supporting context- appropriate development that is sensitive to historic properties and encourages adaptive reuse of buildings to achieve preservation and rehabilitation of both designated and undesignated historic properties. Setback, stepback, and height standards in the Recommended ECSP provide sensitive transitions to established surrounding neighborhoods, and public art is encouraged through limitations on blank walls and policies and implementation measures aimed at encouraging public art. The development standards in the Recommended ECSP that regulate building form, massing, and design within the context of surrounding buildings and the public realm, are consistent with the definition of “Form-Based Code” established in the General Plan and will ensure that future development is contextually compatible with the existing setting.
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11 • Goal 7. Architectural Design and Quality. Encourage an architecturally distinguished city with a diversity of building styles. New development will recognize this by supporting a variety of materials, forms, and construction techniques while demonstrating contextual relationship to its surroundings through traditional physical concepts (orientation, scale, materials) and non-physical concepts (cultural, climactic, economic).
o Policy 7.2 (Architectural Diversity & Creativity). Allow for the development of a diversity of buildings styles. Support innovative and creative design solutions to issues related to context and environmental sustainability.
The Recommended ECSP includes development standards that were created with built-in flexibility measures, such as setback ranges, in order to encourage architectural creativity and allow for designs that respond well to their context.
• Goal 8. Historic Preservation. Preservation and enhancement of Pasadena’s cultural and historic buildings, landscapes, streets and districts as valued assets and important representations of its past and a source of community identity, and social, ecological, and economic vitality.
o Policy 8.4 (Adaptive Reuse). Encourage sensitive adaptive re- use including continuing the historic use of historic resources to achieve their preservation, sensitive rehabilitation, and continued economic and environmental value
o Policy 8.5 (Scale and Character of New Construction in a Designated Landmark and Historic Districts). Promote an architecturally sensitive approach to new construction in Landmark and Historic districts. Demonstrate the proposed project’s contextual relationship with land uses and patterns, spatial organization, visual relationships, cultural and historic values, and relationships in height, massing, modulation, and materials.
The Recommended ECSP includes detailed new standards with diagrams that define an appropriate building envelope for new development that is adjacent to historic resources. These standards are intended to allow redevelopment that
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12 respects and enhances historic resources in the vicinity. Reductions in parking requirements for certain commercial uses up to a certain size also encourages adaptive reuse by not requiring the construction of new parking.
• Goal 10. City Sustained and Renewed. Development and infrastructure practices that sustain natural environmental resources for the use of future generations and, at the same time, contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and impacts on climate change.
o Policy 10.6. (Adaptive Reuse). Encourage adaptive reuse of structures, including non-historic structures, as a means of supporting environmental sustainability.
The Recommended ECSP includes reductions in parking requirements for certain commercial uses up to a certain size, which encourages changes in use in existing buildings without the need to replace the buildings to accommodate additional parking. This allows adaptive reuse and investment into existing buildings.
• Goal 11. Job Opportunities. Provide land use capacities that accommodate a diversity of job opportunities for Pasadena’s residents.
o Policy 11.1 (Business Expansion and Growth). Support the growth and success of businesses that create new job
opportunities and productive and satisfying employment for Pasadena residents.
o Policy 11.3 (New and Complementary Businesses). Identify opportunity sites for expansion of successful Pasadena
companies and attraction of new establishments that are complementary with Pasadena’s Central District, neighborhood and transit villages, and commercial corridors.
o Policy 11.4 (Barriers). Reduce barriers to gainful employment such as lack of public transportation, training, job information, and childcare.
The Recommended ECSP provides new flexibility in the types of commercial land uses allowed, which is intended to reduce barriers to new businesses and
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13 job opportunities from locating in the plan area. Allowable floor area ratios have been calibrated to allow adequate building area relative to lot sizes, a process has been added for reducing open space requirements for research and development uses to encourage establishment of innovation businesses, and parking requirements have been reduced for certain commercial land uses up to a certain size. This flexibility is intended to make it easier for new businesses to be established that can provide quality job opportunities for nearby residents.
• Goal 12. Shopping and Dining. Diversity of shopping opportunities enabling Pasadena’s residents to acquire desired goods and services in the City, as well as attracting customers from surrounding communities.
o Policy 12.1 (Vital Commercial Districts). Enhance commercial districts to create quality shopping and dining experiences.
o Policy 12.3 (Adequate Parking). Coordinate public/private parking improvements and policies to support local business.
o Policy 12.4 (Revitalization of Commercial Areas). Encourage the revitalization of commercial and industrial areas by attracting private investment.
o Policy 12.5 (Small Businesses). Encourage the retention and expansion of small businesses through incentives, by providing adequate infrastructure and street beautification. Promote locating of small businesses as integral to the identity of the neighborhood villages.
o Policy 12.6 (Local Businesses). Support the development of Pasadena-grown and based retail businesses as an alternative to national chain brands
The Recommended ECSP encourages infill commercial development by expanding the types of land uses that are allowed in mixed-use zoning districts.
This flexibility is intended to attract new private investment on underutilized parcels that typically contain surface parking. Parking requirements for certain commercial uses up to a certain size, such as restaurants and outdoor dining uses, have been reduced or eliminated to promote new dining experiences and economic vitality utilizing the existing parking supply to accommodate demand.
This also reduces costs and barriers to entry for small and locally-owned
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14 businesses looking to locate in the plan area, and helps reduce the negative impacts of displacement and gentrification. Sidewalk width, parkway, ground floor transparency, and street tree requirements have also been included in the plan to beautify the street and help establish a more welcoming pedestrian environment.
• Goal 13. Innovation. An environment fostering innovation and creativity enabling Pasadena to be on the “cutting-edge” of business development and jobs generation.
o Policy 13.2 (Business Sectors). Strengthen Pasadena’s technology and innovation sectors.
o Policy 13.3 (Adaptation to Evolving Market Demands). Advance policies and practices that encourage the creation and
preservation of flexible commercial and light industrial space.
o Policy 13.4 (New Businesses). Create incentives for the development of laboratory and research and development
businesses. Promote the spinoff of new businesses from existing institutions, such as The California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Huntington Memorial Hospital, and others.
o Policy 13.5 (Creative/Innovation Employment Centers). Provide for the clustering of creative, research, and incubator/“start-up” industries. Leverage the intellectual capital of Pasadena’s educational institutions creating distinct and cohesive centers offering new employment opportunities for its residents.
The mixed-use zoning districts in the plan allow for the commercially-oriented land uses in this key area that have historically attracted businesses in the Eastern Corridor subarea, which containauto dealerships and other commercial uses. The Recommended ECSP recognizes the need for these types of businesses to serve the broader community and generate revenue for the City, while revising standards to improve the urban design of such uses and support pedestrian mobility. Additionally, in recognition of the ECSP area’s proximity to Caltech and Pasadena City College, additional flexibility has been provided for research and development uses that would allow for reductions in open space subject to approval from the Design Commission. These land use regulations support businesses that would offer services and employment opportunities for residents in and around the plan area, as well as attract businesses to
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15 surrounding areas that may support research and development, dining, retail, and service industries.
• Goal 18. Land Use/Transportation Relationship. Pasadena will be a City where there are effective and convenient alternatives to using cars and the relationship of land use and transportation is acknowledged through transit-oriented development, multimodal design features, and pedestrian and bicycle amenities in coordination with and accordance with the Mobility Element.
o Policy 18.1 (Development Mix and Densities). Accommodate the mix and density of land uses and urban form that induce walking, bicycling, and transit use as an alternative to the automobile, as specified by the Land Use Diagram.
o Policy 18.2 (Mobility). Correlate land use development intensities with adequate infrastructure improvements and transportation strategies to ensure mobility in all areas of Pasadena.
o Policy 18.3 (Modal Choices). Promote the development of infrastructure supporting walking, bicycling, and transit use and complete streets as specified by the Mobility Element.
o Policy 18.4 (Transit-Pedestrian Coordination). Implement physical improvements facilitating pedestrian access from development projects to the street, bus stops, and/or transit stations.
The Recommended ECSP introduces new mixed-use zoning and appropriate density increases compared to what is allowed under existing regulations, along with a variety of commercial uses. The Recommended ECSP also introduces new development standards such as sidewalk minimums, parkway requirements, tree well size minimums, tree species recommendations, and ground floor use and design requirements. These changes would accommodate a mix of density and land uses that will promote walkability, complete streets and facilitate better access to bus stops along the corridor. The Recommended ECSP also includes policies that would support future improvements to the street right-of-way, particularly along Allen Avenue, consistent with goals and policies expressed in the General Plan Mobility Element.
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16 • Goal 19. Parking Availability. The supply of parking will reflect Pasadena’s objective to protect residential neighborhoods; create a vital, healthy, and sustainable economy; establish Pasadena as a leader in environmental stewardship; encourage physical activity and a commitment to health and wellness; and encourage walking, biking, and transit. The supply of parking in an area will also reflect the type, mix, and density of uses; the availability of shared facilities; and the proximity to transit.
o Policy 19.1 (Parking Standards). Establish, periodically review, and adjust as necessary parking standards to ensure an
adequate supply of parking commensurate with the vision, uses, densities, availability of alternative modes, and proximity to transit stations in the area.
o Policy 19.3 (Parking Management). Manage parking to reduce the amount of land devoted to frequently vacant parking lots through parking management tools.
o Policy 19.4 (Park Once). Provide the opportunity for residents, patrons and visitors to park once and visit many destinations in the Central District, Transit Villages, and Neighborhood Villages through centrally located shared parking while providing additional flexibility for businesses to provide parking off-site or participate in other alternative parking funding mechanisms.
o Policy 19.5 (Bicycle Parking). Accommodate the development of bicycle parking centers in the Central District, Transit Villages, and Neighborhood Villages and require larger development projects to incorporate secured and convenient bicycle parking facilities.
o Policy 19.6 (Unbundled Parking). Encourage practices that separate the cost of parking from commercial lease rates, the costs of housing, and – where feasible – the price of goods and services to ensure that non-car owners do not pay for parking they do not need and help people weigh the true cost of driving in lieu of transit.
The Recommended ECSP includes key updates to parking requirements that are intended to ensure an adequate supply of parking commensurate with the goals
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17 and vision of the plan area. This includes reducing parking requirements for all properties within a half-mile of the Metro L (Gold) Line Allen Station, eliminating parking requirements for most commercial uses up to 5,000 square feet and for outdoor dining up to 500 square feet per tenant, and setting parking requirements for residential uses based on the number of bedrooms rather than size of units.
Bicycle parking remains a requirement for new uses, and shared parking remains an option for multiple uses that meet zoning code requirements. Finally, the Recommended ECSP requires unbundling of parking for any building with new residential units.
• Goal 20. Information and Participation. All Pasadena communities will be uniformly aware and participate in land use planning, entitlement processes, and decision-making processes through the
communication of clear and understandable information and engagement opportunities.
o Policy 20.1 (Neighborhood Meetings). Encourage broad
representation and community participation at all steps of the planning process.
o Policy 20.2 (Brochures and Notices). . Provide notices and information regarding the review and entitlement process for proposed development projects enabling the public to provide input in decision-making. Ensure supporting documents, such as staff reports dealing with land use matters, are easily accessible on the City website and are provided in a timely manner.
o Policy 20.4 (Neighborhood Connections). Utilize the
Neighborhood Connections office to send notices of
neighborhood meetings and public hearings to neighborhood associations within a reasonable radius of a proposed project and to the Pasadena Neighborhood Coalition.
o Policy 20.5 (Public Discussion). Increase public discussion through the use of new technology, providing multiple locations, times, communication avenues for public involvement and discussion of long range planning initiatives.
The Recommended ECSP is the result of an extensive three-year planning and public outreach process. Throughout this process, the Planning Department solicited input from residents, business and property owners, community leaders,
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18 and other stakeholder groups through a variety of outreach events, public meetings, and online engagement tools. This included a pop-up outreach event at Pasadena City College and three rounds of community workshops, including a virtual workshop that was continuously available for several months, where iterations of the ECSP update were made available for review, comment, and discussion. Publicly noticed meetings were also held with the Design Commission and Planning Commission.
• Goal 21. Desirable Neighborhoods. A City composed of neighborhoods with a variety of housing types that are desirable places to live, contribute to the quality of life, and are well maintained.
o Policy 21.1 (Adequate and Affordable Housing). Provide a variety of housing types (i.e. small subdivisions, row housing, and condominiums), styles, densities, and affordability levels that are accessible to and meet preferences for different neighborhood types (e.g., mixed use pedestrian environments and traditional suburban neighborhoods), physical abilities and income levels, pursuant to the Housing Element.
o Policy 21.3 (Neighborhood Character). Maintain elements of residential streets that unify and enhance the character of the neighborhood, including parkways, street trees, and compatible setbacks.
o Policy 21.4 (New Residential Development). Attract new residential development that is well-conceived, constructed, and maintained in a variety of types, densities, locations and costs.
o Policy 21.5 (Housing Character and Design). Encourage the renovation of existing housing stock in single- and multi-family neighborhoods. When additions or replacement housing is proposed, these should reflect the unique neighborhood
character and qualities, including lot sizes; building form, scale, massing, and relationship to street frontages; architectural design and landscaped setbacks.
o Policy 21.6 (Walkable Neighborhoods). Manage vehicle speeds and maintain sidewalks, parkways, street tree canopies, and landscaping throughout residential neighborhoods. Encourage
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19 walking as an enjoyable and healthy activity and alternative to automobile use.
o Policy 21.7 (Safety). Require residential developments to facilitate and enhance neighborhood safety by including design features such as front porches or large front windows.
• Goal 23. Multi-Family Neighborhoods. Multi-family residential neighborhoods that provide ownership and rental opportunities, exhibit a high quality of architectural design, and incorporate amenities for their residents.
o Policy 23.1 (Character and Design). Design and modulate buildings to avoid the sense of “blocky” and undiff erentiated building mass, incorporate well-defined entries, and use building materials, colors, and architectural details complementing the neighborhood, while allowing flexibility for distinguished design solutions.
o Policy 23.2 (Parking Areas and Garages). Minimize the visibility of parking areas and garages.
o Policy 23.3 (Landscaped Setbacks and Walkways). Provide appropriate setbacks, consistent with the surrounding
neighborhood, along the street frontage and, where there are setbacks, ensure adequate landscaping is provided.
o Policy 23.4 (Development Transitions). Ensure sensitive transitions in building scale between buildings in multi-family residential areas and lower-scale buildings in adjoining residential areas.
o Policy 23.5 (Streetscapes). Provide ample public spaces and tree-lined sidewalks furnished with pedestrian amenities that contribute to comfortable and attractive settings for pedestrian activity.
o Policy 23.6 (Open Space Amenities). Require that open space is provided on-site, is accessible, and of sufficient size to be usable by residents, in common areas and/or with individual units pursuant to the Zoning Code.
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20 The Recommended ECSP introduces mixed-use zoning districts along the East Colorado corridor and in the area surrounding the Metro L (Gold) Line Allen Station, which, by allowing housing as well as commercial and other uses, creates new housing options that are not available today. The Recommended ECSP also maintains an existing lower density multi-family residential district along Allen Avenue, which in turn maintains opportunities for different typerd of housing options. The Recommended ECSP includes updated and more robust open space requirements, including private and common open space requirements for multi-family residential developments. The Recommended ECSP also introduces new development standards such as setback ranges, modulation requirements, façade articulation, sidewalk minimums, parkway requirements, tree well size minimums, tree species recommendations, and ground floor design requirements. Other new design standards address the appearance of parking entrances from the street and transitions between new development and adjacent properties that are of lower scale or that contain historic resources.
• Goal 25. Vital Districts and Corridors. Diverse, active, prosperous, and well-designed commercial corridors and districts that provide a diversity of goods, services, and entertainment and contribute to a positive experience for residents and visitors.
o Policy 25.1 (Diversity of Uses). Encourage the development of a broad range of commercial uses that reduce the need to travel to adjoining communities, while capturing a greater share of local spending.
o Policy 25.2 (Compact Infill Development). Encourage commercial uses along major corridors, in Neighborhood Villages, and as infill development adjacent to existing commercial uses and on surface parking lots to improve commercial services, maximize revenue generation, and leverage concentrating commercial uses.
o Policy 25.3 (Cohesive Development). Encourage the cohesive development and/or master planning of large commercial sites and corridors.
o Policy 25.4 (Architecture and Site Design). Require that new development protect community character by providing
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21 architecture, landscaping, and urban design of equal or greater quality than existing and by respecting the architectural character and scale of adjacent buildings.
o Policy 25.5 (Connectivity to Neighborhoods). Link commercial areas to adjoining residential neighborhoods and other districts by well-designed and attractive streetscapes with pedestrian sidewalks and street amenities.
o Policy 25.7 (Buffering Adjoining Residential Areas). Ensure commercial uses adjoining residential neighborhoods or mixed residential and commercial uses are designed to be compatible with each other.
o Policy 25.8 (Pedestrian, Bicycle, and Transit Access). Require commercial projects to be designed to promote convenient pedestrian and bicycle access to and from nearby
neighborhoods, transit facilities, bikeways, and other amenities.
o Policy 25.10 (Retail). Designate land and develop guidelines for the development of pedestrian friendly commercial areas, each with their own unique identity.
o Policy 25.11 (Retail Streetscapes). Maintain and, where deficient, increase street trees, planting.
o Policy 25.12 (Retail Parking). Develop alternative parking management strategies for businesses in areas with limited parking (such as East Washington Boulevard) while protecting nearby residential neighborhoods implementing such techniques as park once and shared lots and structures.
The Recommended ECSP encourages infill commercial development by introducing mixed-use and expanding the types of land uses that are allowed in existing commercial zoning districts within the plan area. This flexibility is intended to attract new private investment in underutilized sites. Parking requirements for certain commercial uses up to a certain size, such as restaurants and outdoor dining uses, have been reduced or eliminated to promote new dining experiences and economic vitality while relying on existing parking supply to accommodate demand. This also reduces costs and barriers to entry for small and locally-owned businesses looking to locate in the plan area,
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22 and helps reduce the negative impacts of displacement and gentrification. New development standards for nonresidential uses address ground floor design elements such as transparency, blank walls, shade structures, recessed entrances, and arcades/galleries to support a more attractive pedestrian environment. Sidewalk width, parkway, ground floor transparency, and street tree requirements have also been included in the plan to beautify the street and help establish a more welcoming pedestrian environment.
• Goal 26. Offices. A diversity of professional, creative, medical, research, and other offices offering attractive job opportunities for residents, and serving as a centerpiece of Pasadena’s economy.
o Policy 26.1 (Office). Encourage the orderly development and expansion of office uses based upon current conditions and future projects to improve the relationship of jobs and housing in certain areas of the City.
o Policy 26.2 (Creative Office). Allow additional flexibility for creative office spaces to locate and grow in non-traditional areas and areas with desirable amenities for employees.
• Goal 27. R&D Flex Space. A wide range of moderate to low-intensity industrial uses such as light manufacturing, research and development, creative office and incubator industries encouraging the development of new industries induced by the presence of Pasadena’s educational institutions and medical facilities.
o Policy 27.1 (Diversity of Uses). Provide for a variety of industrial and commercial-industrial uses that offer job opportunities for Pasadena’s residents and revenues to the City without
compromising environmental quality.
o Policy 27.2 (Business Attraction). Allow sufficient densities that enable development of technology, digital, research and development, and creative industries offering new job
opportunities for residence.
o Policy 27.3 (Supporting Uses). Maintain a predominant industrial character, while allowing the integration of compatible uses in industrial areas that serve the needs of employees and reduce the need to travel off-site during the workday, including such
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23 uses as financial services, business services, restaurants, and health and recreational facilities.
o Policy 27.4 (Buffering from Adjacent Properties). Ensure that industrial developments incorporate adequate landscape buffers to minimize any negative impacts to surrounding neighborhoods and development, and controlling on-site lighting, noise, odors, vibrations, toxic materials, truck access, and other elements that may impact adjoining uses.
o Policy 27.6 (Adaptive Reuse). Encourage the adaptive reuse of buildings (especially mid-century structures) for research and development and flex space by providing additional flexibility in parking standards.
The Recommended ECSP provides new flexibility in the types of commercial land uses allowed, which is intended to reduce barriers to new businesses and job opportunities from locating in the plan area. Allowable floor area ratios have been calibrated to allow adequate building area relative to lot sizes, and parking requirements have been reduced for certain commercial land uses up to a certain size, reducing development costs and making it easier for new businesses to be established that can provide job opportunities and amenities for nearby residents.
The proximity of Caltech and Pasadena City College to the ECSP area creates unique opportunities for supporting innovation based uses such as research and development industries, and in turn, jobs and learning opportunities for local students and residents. In recognition of the importance of research and development uses, the Recommended ECSP allows for a reduction in open space requirements subject to Design Commission approval in order to create flexibility for these unique land uses to be located near the institutions that support them. Encouraging these uses in the ECSP would also create new demand for retail and other commercial uses in the surrounding areas.
• Goal 28. Places to Live, Work, Shop, and Recreate. A diversity of well-designed corridors and villages containing an integrated mix of commercial uses and/or housing that enable Pasadena’s residents to live close to businesses, services, and employment, reduce automobile use, and actively engage and enhance pedestrian activity.
o Policy 28.1 (Land Use Mix). Allow for the development of properties and buildings in areas designated as “Mixed Use” for a mix of compatible commercial and residential uses.
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24 o Policy 28.2 (Development Scale). Establish standards to assure that an adequate scale and footprint of any single use is achieved in mixed-use areas to establish a cohesive
environment that minimizes impacts attributable to the adjacency of different uses. This may define minimum parcel and building size, number of housing units, and/or nonresidential square footage, as well as relationships and setbacks.
o Policy 28.3 (On-site Amenities). Require that
residential/nonresidential mixed-use projects provide on-site amenities that contribute to the living environment of residents such as courtyards, outdoor barbecues, and recreation facilities.
o Policy 28.4 (Design Integration). Require residential and nonresidential portions of mixed-use buildings and sites to be integrated through architectural design, development of pedestrian walkways and landscaping.
The Recommended ECSP introduces mixed-use zoning to the plan area, allowing for a mix of compatible commercial and residential uses with densities and intensities that are appropriate to the scale of adjacent neighborhoods. To further address issues of development scale, new standards such as building modulation, façade articulation, stepbacks, and setback ranges would be required for new developments. Private, common, and public open space would also be required to be incorporated into new developments, including mixed-use buildings, which would contribute to the living environment of future residents.
• Goal 29. Transit Villages. Moderate to high density mixed-use clusters of residential and commercial uses developed in an integrated “village-like” environment with buildings clustered on common plazas and open spaces in proximity to Metro Gold Line stations capitalizing on their induced market demands and land values, facilitating ridership, and reducing automobile use while increasing walkability.
o Policy 29.1 (Mix of Uses). Accommodate mixed-use
developments permitted by the applicable land use classification on the Land Use Diagram, whether it is horizontally or vertically integrated, as an essential component to the creation and implementation of the Transit Village vision.
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25 o Policy 29.2 (Neighborhood Identity). Design Transit Villages to be distinct, cohesive, and pedestrian-oriented places that are linked with and walkable from adjoining neighborhoods.
o Policy 29.3 (Pedestrian Orientation). Require the inclusion of improvements and amenities to create a safe and comfortable environment for sitting, meeting neighbors and friends, walking and providing easy access to Metro Gold Line station areas and a mix of uses in close proximity to the station.
o Policy 29.4 (Bicycle Facilities). Provide adequate bicycle facilities within one mile of Metro Gold Line station areas and throughout Transit Villages.
New housing opportunities would be provided within mixed-use zoning districts, which focus new housing construction in commercial infill areas that help address the City’s housing needs while focusing new growth near the Metro L (Gold) Line Allen Station. In particular, mixed-use and increased density in the areas immediately surrounding the Allen Station will provide opportunities for more people to live closer to transit. Additionally, the Gateway Subarea concept includes a requirement for publicly accessible open space to be located at the northwest corner of Allen Avenue and Colorado Boulevard, creating a view corridor, resting space, and amenity opportunities for commuters using transit.
This gateway will serve as an important connecting feature to encourage students, residents, and visitors within other areas of the ECSP to utilize the Metro L (Gold) Line rather than relying on automobiles.
• Goal 32. East Colorado. A series of pedestrian-oriented villages and districts with unique identities, bolstered by their vibrant mix of uses, amenities, and streetscapes improving their walkability and appearance.
o Policy 32.1 (Places and Urban Form). Provide for the evolution of strip corridor uses along Colorado Boulevard by clustering development into distinct pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use centers serving as places for people to live, shop, dine, and congregate with their friends, while maintaining intervening areas for less intensive commercial uses.
o Policy 32.2 (Activity Centers). Cluster the highest intensities of use in the Allen Transit Village, and at Neighborhood Villages
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26 located adjacent to Pasadena City College and at South Sierra Madre Avenue with a mix of commercial and residential
development designed and scaled to transition with adjoining neighborhoods.
o Policy 32.3 (Allen Transit Village). Support a mix of retail office, and multi-family housing uses adjoining the Allen Metro Gold Line station providing opportunities for people to live or work close to and use transit, contributing to reductions in vehicle trips, energy consumption, and GHG emissions.
o Policy 32.4 (Educational Neighborhood Village). Provide opportunities for the clustering of development on Colorado Boulevard and Green Street adjoining Pasadena City College as a pedestrian-oriented village center offering places for students and faculty to shop, dine, enjoy entertainment, and live.
o Policy 32.6 (Innovative Businesses). Allow for the development of building types with flexible space, access and innovative designs and technology to foster the attraction of emerging and creative new businesses.
o Policy 32.7 (Neighborhood Protection). Protect the single-family residential area north of the 210 Freeway near Allen Avenue from impacts of new buildings near the Metro Gold Line station by encouraging compatible uses, scale, heights with appropriate transitions and buffering, while maintaining access to the station for residents.
o Policy 32.8 (Infrastructure Improvements). Prioritize infrastructure improvements along the Boulevard to support redevelopment and more efficient use of underutilized properties.
The Recommended ECSP implements the General Plan Land Use Element to achieve the adopted guiding principles, vision, goals, and policies for the ECSP area. The Recommended ECSP accomplishes this by establishing land uses, densities, intensities, sidewalk widths, and ground floor use requirements that work together to create a vibrant and pedestrian-oriented village along Colorado Boulevard and Green Street adjoining Pasadena City College. Furthermore, publicly accessible open space requirements that would apply to larger developments would be configured to establish a network of paseos throughout
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27 the large blocks between Colorado Boulevard and Green Street west of the Pasadena City College campus. Newly established sidewalk width, setback, and landscaping requirements along Wilson, Michigan, Chester, and Holliston Avenues would bolster the unique character of this neighborhood by enhancing pedestrian connections between Colorado Boulevard and Green Street.
Existing residential neighborhoods will be preserved in the RM-32 zone, which will continue to allow for a variety of medium-density housing options. Courtyard- style building forms will continue to be encouraged, with setback requirements that are consistent with older multi-family buildings within the district.
New housing opportunities would be provided within mixed-use zoning districts, which focus new housing construction in commercial infill areas that help address the City’s housing needs while focusing growth near the Metro L (Gold) Line Allen Station and in areas surrounding Pasadena City College and Caltech. In particular, mixed-use and increased density in the areas immediately surrounding the Allen Station will provide opportunities for more people to live closer to transit, and reduce vehicle trips, vehicle miles traveled, energy consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, the Gateway Subarea concept includes a requirement for publicly accessible open space to be located at the northwest corner of Allen Avenue and Colorado Boulevard, creating a view corridor, resting space, and amenity opportunities for commuters using transit. This gateway will serve as an important connecting feature to encourage students, residents, and visitors within other areas of the ECSP to utilize the Metro L (Gold) Line rather than relying on automobiles.
The proximity of Caltech and Pasadena City College to the ECSP area create unique opportunities for supporting research and development industries, and in turn, jobs and learning opportunities for local students and residents. In recognition of the importance of innovation within the plan area and research and development uses, the Recommended ECSP allows for a reduction in open space requirements subject to Design Commission approval in order to create flexibility for these unique land uses to be located near the institutions that support them. Encouraging these uses in the ECSP would also create new demand for retail and other commercial uses in the surrounding areas.
The Recommended ECSP includes updated and more robust open space requirements, including private and common open space requirements for multi- family residential developments that reflect what is being built in the City today.
The Recommended ECSP also introduces new development standards such as setback ranges, modulation requirements, façade articulation, sidewalk
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28 minimums, parkway requirements, tree well size minimums, tree species recommendations, and ground floor design requirements that will work together to create a vibrant and welcoming pedestrian environment, encouraging walking as a viable alternative to driving.
On balance, the areas that will result in new housing opportunities that do not currently exist or an increase in density and floor area ratio compared to existing Specific Plan regulations, are sufficient to ensure that there will be no net loss of development capacity within the ECSP compared to existing standards.
Furthermore, all densities and floor area ratios are within the ranges that are established in the adopted General Plan Land Use Diagram. Therefore, the Recommended ECSP is consistent with the adopted General Plan Land Use Diagram, and is in compliance with The Housing Crisis Act of 2019 (Gov. Code Section 66300).
Housing Element
• Goal HE-1. Sustainable neighborhoods of quality housing, parks and community services, infrastructure, and other associated services that maintain and enhance neighborhood quality, character, and the health of residents.
o Policy HE-1.1. (Neighborhood Character). Encourage, foster, and protect a balanced mix, density, and form of residential and mixed-use districts and neighborhoods. Preserve the character, scale, and quality of established residential neighborhoods.
o Policy HE-1.3. (Housing Design). Require excellence in design of housing through use of materials and colors, building treatments, landscaping, open space, parking, and
environmentally sensitive and sustainable building design.
o Policy HE-1.4. (Neighborhood Involvement). Encourage
residents and neighborhood organizations to be proactive in identifying and addressing housing and neighborhood needs and seeking solutions in partnership with the City.
o Policy HE-1.5. (Historic Preservation). Promote the
preservation of historically and architecturally significant
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29 buildings and the quality of historic neighborhoods through the appropriate land use, design, and housing policies and
practices.
o Policy HE-1.6. (Community Services). Integrate and maintain the provision of schools, public safety, community centers, infrastructure, green spaces and parks, and other public amenities with the planning and development of housing.
o Policy HE-1.7 (Natural Environment). Preserve the
neighborhood and community parks, street trees, open spaces and recreational areas, hillsides, and other landscape
amenities that support, define, and lend character to residential neighborhoods.
• Goal HE-2. An adequate supply and diversity of quality rental and ownership housing opportunities suited to residents of varying lifestyle needs and income levels.
o Policy HE-2.1. (Housing Diversity). Facilitate and encourage diversity in types, prices, ownership, and size of single-family homes, apartments, town homes, mixed-uses, transit-oriented developments, and work/live housing, among others.
o Policy HE-2.2. (Strategic Growth). Direct new residential development into the Central District, neighborhood, and transit villages to create neighborhoods where people can live and work, shop, and benefit from access to a Gold Line station or public transit.
o Policy HE-2.3. (Environmental Sustainability). Encourage sustainable patterns of residential growth and preservation with respect to land use, building and site design, resource conservation, open space, and health considerations.
o Policy HE-2.4 (Affordable Housing). Facilitate a mix of household income and affordability levels in residential projects and the appropriate dispersal of such units to achieve greater integration of affordable housing throughout the City.
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30 o Policy HE-2.5 (Adaptive Reuse). Support innovative strategies for the adaptive reuse of residential, commercial, and industrial structures to provide for a wide range of housing types and residential uses that respect the historic integrity of the structure.
o Policy HE-2.6 (Housing Incentives). Facilitate the development of affordable housing through regulatory concessions, financial assistance, density bonuses, the inclusionary housing program, and other City and outside agency programs.
o Policy HE-2.8 (Community Involvement). Continue and support dialogue with builders, advocates, nonprofits, residents, finance industry, and other stakeholders in addressing the housing needs of residents and workforce in Pasadena.
The Recommended ECSP represents community values and the anticipated scale and character of Pasadena’s neighborhoods. By introducing new land uses such as housing and more flexibility of commercial uses, the plan targets growth and new construction along the East Colorado and Green Street corridors, which contain underutilized properties that can serve as infill sites.
The Recommended ECSP includes numerous new development standards, including minimum sidewalk widths, setbacks, building stepbacks, massing, ground floor design, and façade modulation are intended to support walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods that reduce the need to drive, enhance urban design, and achieve appropriate transitions in scale to ensure that new development is compatible. In addition to minimum sidewalk widths, the Recommended ECSP includes minimum tree well sizes and a selection of street tree species that emphasize a robust shade canopy that will provide both aesthetic value as well as reduce urban heat to encourage walkability. The Recommended ECSP includes updated and more robust open space requirements, including requirements for publicly accessible open space for larger development projects, which would create equitably distributed open space amenities for the surrounding neighborhoods. The Recommended ECSP also incorporates detailed new standards with diagrams that define an appropriate building envelope for new development that is adjacent to historic resources. These standards are intended to allow redevelopment that respects and enhances historic resources in the vicinity. Reductions in parking requirements for certain commercial uses up to a certain size also encourage adaptive reuse by not requiring the construction of new parking.
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31 The Recommended ECSP is the result of an extensive three-year planning and public outreach process. Throughout this process, the Planning Department solicited input from residents, business and property owners, community leaders, students, and other stakeholder groups through a variety of outreach events, public meetings, and online engagement tools. This included a pop-up event, community walking tour, and three rounds of community workshops, including a virtual workshop that was continuously available for several months, where iterations of the ECSP update were made available for review, comment, and discussion. Publicly noticed meetings were also held with the Design Commission and Planning Commission.
Mobility Element
• Objective 1. Enhance Livability
o Policy 1.1. Encourage connectivity and accessibility to a mix of land uses that meet residents' daily needs within walking distance.
o Policy 1.7 Design streets to achieve safe interaction for all modes of travel particularly for pedestrians and bicycle users
o Policy 1.17 Design streets to improve access to destinations by transit, bicycle and walking.
o Policy 1.20 Develop measures that would reduce conflicts between bicyclists and pedestrians on sidewalks especially in commercial areas
o Policy 1.23 Improve public health by supporting walking and bicycling throughout the city
New development standards for nonresidential uses address ground floor design elements such as transparency, blank walls, shade structures, recessed entrances, and arcades/galleries to support a more attractive retail environment.
These uses are intended to serve the daily needs of residents within walking distance of existing neighborhoods and in new housing developed as part of the Recommended ECSP. Sidewalk width, parkway, ground floor transparency, and
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32 street tree requirements have also been included in the Recommended ECSP to beautify the street and help establish a more welcoming pedestrian environment.
According to the Mobility Element, East Colorado Boulevard, East Green Street, and Allen Avenue are all classified as streets with a Connector-City function. A substantial portion of the plan area is within walking distance of a Metro L (Gold) Line Allen Station, hence making much of the plan area transit-oriented. The proposed land uses, development intensity, and density are intended to align with this classification by balancing new development with significant pedestrian improvements to encourage more transit ridership and reduce the necessity of vehicle trips, thereby mitigating the impacts of traffic on nearby neighborhoods.
Additionally, the Recommended ECSP is also consistent with the following other adopted goals and policies of the City:
Climate Action Plan
• Measure T-5.1 B: Efficient Land Use: Through the development review process, evaluate new development projects based on consistency with the General Plan’s Land Use Element and encourage high density, mixed-use, transit-oriented, and infill development
• Measure T-5.1 D: Reduce Parking Requirements: Consider amending the Zoning Code to reduce parking requirements in targeted areas as a means of minimizing single-occupancy vehicle travel, and present to City Council for consideration
• Measure E-1.2 B Natural Light: Encourage new proje cts to provide ample daylight in the structure through the use of lighting shelves, exterior fins, skylights, atriums, courtyards, or other features to enhance natural light penetration
• Measure WC-3.1 F Cut Curbs and Bioswales: Develop a policy requiring the use of cut curbs and bioswales in new development and redevelopment projects and present the policy to City Council for consideration
• Measure UG-1.1 D Green Space Policies: Through the development and permit review process, ensure new development and
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33 redevelopment projects include planting trees and providing green space where possible
• Measure UG-2.1 A Sidewalk Trees: Continue to work with the Pasadena Beautiful Foundation to plant trees in all existing sidewalk sites that do not currently contain trees
Street Design Guide
The Pasadena Street Design Guide establishes guidelines for various zones within the street and public right of way. The proposed East Colorado Specific Plan furthers these goals by referencing and building upon the Street Design Guide and defining appropriately-sized sidewalks for pedestrian comfort and accessibility, along with standards and guidelines for amenity zones and building frontage zones.
The Recommended ECSP is consistent with the adopted Climate Action Plan (CAP) by providing updated standards and design guidelines that implement key measures within the CAP, including measures related to transportation, energy efficiency, water conservation, and urban greening. The Recommended ECSP is additionally consistent with the goals outlined in the Pasadena Street Design Guide and implements that document by providing standards designed to enhance pedestrian comfort and accessibility, specifically related to the pedestrian zone, amenity zone, and building frontage zones.