Central District Specific Plan Update
Attachment H: Recommended General Plan and Zoning Code Amendments Page 1 City Council October 16, 2023
ATTACHMENT H
RECOMMENDED GENERAL PLAN AND ZONING CODE AMENDMENTS
GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENTS:
The City’s General Plan Land Use Map establishes the range of land uses, density, and intensity of development allowed for all parcels within Pasadena, as shown on Figure 1. This range is defined for each land use category depicted on the diagram in the Land Use Element.
Densities and intensities defined for parcels by the Zoning Code and Specific Plans may be less than, but not exceed those shown on the diagram without an amendment to the General Plan.
Figure 1. General Plan Land Use Map
Central District Specific Plan Update
Attachment H: Recommended General Plan and Zoning Code Amendments Page 2 City Council October 16, 2023
A General Plan Land Use Map Amendment is recommended to update the land use designations and remove parcels from the plan area depicted on the Land Use Map, as proposed in the Central District Specific Plan (CDSP). The following describes the recommended changes to the Land Use Map and are shown on Figure 2:
(1) Change the land use designation for a portion of the parcels at the intersection of North Garfield Avenue and East Holly Street (45 feet behind the street-facing property lines) from Medium Mixed-Use (0-87 du/ac and 0-2.25 FAR) and Institutional to Open Space;
(2) Change the land use designation for the parcels that comprise the Playhouse Village Park from Medium Mixed-Use (0-87 du/ac and 0-2.25 FAR) to Open Space;
(3) Change the land use designation for parcels on and near North Lake Avenue from High Commercial (0-3.0 FAR) to High Mixed-Use (0-87 du/ac and 0-3.0 FAR);
(4) Change the land use designation on two parcels fronting Walnut Street west of North Lake Avenue from Urban Housing (0-87 du/ac) to High Mixed-Use (0-87 du/ac and 0-3.0 FAR);
(5) Change the land use designation on five parcels in the vicinity of North Lake Avenue from Medium Mixed-Use (0-87 du/ac and 0-2.25 FAR) to High Mixed-Use (0-87 du/ac and 0-3.0 FAR);
(6) Change the land use designation for parcels between Mentor Avenue and Wilson Avenue, north of Cordova Street from High Density Residential (0-48 du/ac) to Medium Mixed-Use (0-87 du/ac and 0-2.25 FAR) and change the Land Use Map to incorporate this area into the CDSP;
(7) Change the Land Use Map to remove area south of California Boulevard currently designated Low Mixed-Use (0-32 du/ac and 0-1.0 FAR);
(8) Change the land use designation of two parcels fronting South Lake Avenue from Med-High Density Residential (0-32 du/ac) to Low Mixed-Use (0-32 du/ac and 1.0 FAR);
(9) Change the land use designation for parcels between El Molino Avenue and Hudson Avenue (south of Del Mar Boulevard, excluding Institutional uses) from Med-High Residential (0-32 du/ac) to High Residential (0-48 du/ac); and
(10) Change the land use designation for parcels south of Central Court between De Lacey Avenue and Fair Oaks Avenue from Medium Mixed-Use (0-87 du/ac and 0-
2.25 FAR) to High Mixed-Use (0-87 du/ac and 0-3.0 FAR).
Central District Specific Plan Update
Attachment H: Recommended General Plan and Zoning Code Amendments Page 3 City Council October 16, 2023
Figure 2. Proposed Changes to the General Plan Land Use Diagram
Central District Specific Plan Update
Attachment H: Recommended General Plan and Zoning Code Amendments Page 4 City Council October 16, 2023
ZONING CODE AMENDMENTS:
The City’s Zoning Code, Title 17 of the Pasadena Municipal Code, describes various types of zoning districts, land use regulations, and development standards. These zoning districts are depicted on the City’s Zoning Map, which designate uses for all parcels at a greater level of specificity with densities and intensities falling within the range shown on the Land Use Diagram.
A Zoning Map amendment is recommended to replace zoning district designations indicated on the Zoning Map with the proposed zoning districts shown in Figure 3 and Tables 1 and 2.
The new zoning districts would align the permitted uses and design, development, and public realm standards with the plan’s vision, goals, and policies.
Figure 3. Recommended Zoning Districts for the Proposed CDSP Area
Central District Specific Plan Update
Attachment H: Recommended General Plan and Zoning Code Amendments Page 5 City Council October 16, 2023
Table 1. Existing and Recommended Zoning Districts for Parcels in the Proposed CDSP
Zoning District
Existing CD-1
CD-2
CD-4
CD-1
CD-2
CD-4
CD-5
ECSP-CG-1
CD-1
CD-3
CD-5
CD-6
RM-48
CD-3 (portion)
CD-5 CD-3 (portion)
Proposed CD-MU-C CD-MU-G CD-MU-N CD-CL CD-RM-87
Zoning District
Existing RM-48 RM-32 OS PS PD
Proposed CD-RM-48 CD-RM-32 OS PS PD
Table 2. Existing and Recommended Zoning Districts for Parcels outside the Proposed CDSP
Zoning District Notes
Existing CD-5 CD-5 *New Footnote (6): South of California Boulevard between Hudson and Mentor
Avenues in CL-2, the maximum FAR shall be
1.0. Proposed CL-2* RM-48
Specific plan standards, allowable land uses, and permit requirements are also included in Title 17 of the Zoning Code. A Zoning Code Text amendment is recommended in order to replace existing permitted uses and standards in Chapter 17.30 of the Zoning Code with the uses and standards proposed in the CDSP to implement the plan. Please refer to the Proposed Central District Specific Plan (2023), pertaining to Zoning and Land Uses (Ch. 4), Public Realm Standards (Ch. 5), and Development and Design Standards (Ch. 6).
Additionally, Zoning Code Text amendments are recommended to:
1) remove the hours of operation clause for Central District in 17.50.050 – Animal Hospitals:
C. Central District Specific Plan Area Only. Animal hospitals operating in the Central District Specific Plan Area may only be open to the public between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
2) no longer require housing projects in the Central District and other specific plans to comply with the Urban Housing development standards of 17.50.350 – Urban Housing:
A. Applicability. The development standards of this Section shall apply to the following residential development projects outside of Specific Plan areas if:
Central District Specific Plan Update
Attachment H: Recommended General Plan and Zoning Code Amendments Page 6 City Council October 16, 2023
1. Residential development projects utilizing a density greater than 48 dwelling units per acre, or
2. Development projects located within the CD zoning district.
3.2. Development projects located outside a Specific Plan area but designated for transit-oriented development around light-rail stations.
3) clean up previously adopted specific plans to ensure limited hours of operation apply as required by 17.40.070 for East Colorado, South Fair Oaks, and Lincoln Avenue. Updates are marked below:
Chapter 17.31 East Colorado Specific Plan
17.31.040 - Allowable Land Uses
…
I. Limited Hours of Operation. Uses listed in Table ECSP-2 shall comply with limited hours of operation as required by 17.40.070.
Chapter 17.35 South Fair Oaks Specific Plan
17.35.030 - Allowable Land Uses
…
H. Limited Hours of Operation. Uses listed in Table SFOSP-2 must comply with limited hours of operation as required by 17.40.070.
Chapter 17.37 Lincoln Avenue Specific Plan
17.37.040 - Allowable Land Uses
…
I. Limited Hours of Operation. Uses listed in Table LASP-2 shall comply with limited hours of operation as required by 17.40.070.
4) fix typographical errors in the previously adopted East Colorado and South Fair Oaks Specific Plans, as some references were misnumbered in the translation from Specific Plan document to Zoning Code text. (For the South Fair Oaks Specific Plan, the tables erroneously started at number 2.) Updates are marked below:
Chapter 17.31 – East Colorado Specific Plan 2022
17.31.090.D.1 – Publicly Accessible Open Space (PAOS)
1. Area. Minimum area requirements are set in Section 17.31.090.1 17.31.090.A.2 and Table ECSP-8, and may be contiguous or noncontiguous, subject to the dimension and elevation standards below.
Chapter 17.35 - South Fair Oaks Specific Plan
17.35.030 - Allowable Land Uses
Central District Specific Plan Update
Attachment H: Recommended General Plan and Zoning Code Amendments Page 7 City Council October 16, 2023
A. Definitions. Definitions of specific land uses are found in Section 17.80.020.
B. Permit Requirements. Table SFOSP-2SFOSP-1 identifies the uses of land allowed, the land use permit required to establish each use, and limitations that may apply for a particular use.
C. Standards for Specific Land Uses. Additional standards may apply to specific land uses; refer to the PMC Section noted in Table SFOSP-2SFOSP-1.
1. Section 17.50.160 shall not apply to Mixed-Use Projects.
2. Section 17.50.350 shall not apply to Multi-Family Housing.
D. Ground Floor Frontages. In Mixed-Use zoning districts, additional commercial requirements and residential unit restrictions on the ground floor shall apply per Section 17.35.070.A.
E. Major Construction. For all non-residential uses with a gross floor area of 25,000 square feet or greater, a Conditional Use Permit shall be required per Section 17.61.050.J.2.
F. Prohibited Uses. Those uses not listed in Table SFOSP-2SFOSP-1 are prohibited by the SFOSP, except as otherwise provided by Section 17.21.030.A.
G. Nonconforming Uses. Existing uses which are made nonconforming by the SFOSP sh all be subject to Section 17.71.
H. Limited Hours of Operation. Uses listed in Table SFOSP-1 shall comply with limited hours of operation as required by 17.40.070.
Table SFOSP-2SFOSP-1: Allowable Land Uses
Symbol Description Section
P Permitted use, Code Compliance Certificate required. 17.61.020 MC Conditional use, Minor Conditional Use Permit required. 17.61.050 C Conditional use, Conditional Use Permit required.
E Conditional use, Expressive Use Permit required. 17.61.060 TUP Temporary use, Temporary Use Permit required. 17.61.040 — Use not allowed.
(L1)
Use is not permitted on the ground floor within 35 feet of the sidewalk line.
Entries to upper floor or ground floor spaces behind the 35 feet are allowed; these spaces shall not qualify as required commercial uses for the purposes of Section 17.35.070.A.
(L2)
Use limited to a maximum of 30% of the total building frontage on the ground floor, regardless of the ground floor frontage type per Section
17.35.070.A.
(L3)
Use limited to a maximum of 30% of the total building frontage on the ground floor fronting Raymond Avenue south of Fillmore Street, regardless of the ground floor frontage type per Section 17.35.070.A.
(L4) Use limited to east of Metro right-of-way.
Central District Specific Plan Update
Attachment H: Recommended General Plan and Zoning Code Amendments Page 8 City Council October 16, 2023
ZONING DISTRICT LAND USES AND PERMIT REQUIREMENTS
Land Use1
Permit Requirement
Section/
Notes SFO-CG SFO-CL SFO-CF SFO-IF SFO-
MU-C
SFO-
MU-G
SFO-
MU-N
SFO-
MU-T
…
TRANSPORTATION, COMMUNICATIONS, AND UTILITY USES
Accessory Antenna Arrays P P P P P P P P
Alternative Fuel/Recharging Facilities P - P P - - - - Commercial Off-Street Parking C C C C C C C C 17.40.070 Communications Facilities C C C C C C C C
Heliports - C - C - - - -
Transportation Terminals C C C C C C C C
Utilities, Major C - C C C C C C
Utilities, Minor P - P P P P P P
Wireless Telecom Facilities, Major C C C C C C C C 17.50.310 Wireless Telecom Facilities, Minor MC MC MC MC MC MC MC MC Wireless Telecom Facilities, SCL P P P P P P P P …
17.35.050 - Summary of Development Standards
Table SFOSP-3SFOSP-2 provides abbreviated development and design standards by zoning district for the SFOSP. Complete standards shall be referenced within Sections 17.35.060—
17.35.090.
Table SFOSP-3SFOSP-2: Summary of Development Standards
Standard SFO-CG, -CL SFO-CF, -IF SFO-MU-C, -MUC-G, -MU-N, -MU-T …
Ground Floor Frontages
Required Uses Figure SFOSP-15 and Table SFOSP-4SFOSP-3 Commercial Depth 35' average, 20' min.
…
…
C. Height
Central District Specific Plan Update
Attachment H: Recommended General Plan and Zoning Code Amendments Page 9 City Council October 16, 2023
1. Building Height. Projects shall not exceed the height limits set in Figure SFOSP -
8. a. Height is measured per Section 17.40.060.
b. An additional 12 feet shall be permitted for projects that are classified as Commercial Uses on Table SFOSP-3SFOSP-1, up to a maximum height of 63 feet (75 feet with height averaging).
c. Exceptions allowed for Height Averaging (Section 17.35.060.C.2) and projecting features such as appurtenances and railings per Section 17.40.060.
2. Height Averaging. With approval of Design Commission, up to 30 percent of a building's footprint may exceed the height limit to the maximum set in parenthesis in Figure SFOSP-8, provided that the average height over the entire footprint does not exceed the allowable height; see Figure SFOSP-9.
…
17.35.070 - Frontage
A. Ground Floor Frontages
In Mixed-Use zoning districts, ground floor use requirements are regulated by frontage type per Figure SFOSP-15 and Table SFOSP-4SFOSP-3. All use requirements are regulated as a percentage of the building frontage; see Figure SFOSP-16.
1. Commercial Uses. Frontage types shall require a minimum amount of the building frontage to be comprised of, and designed for, commercial uses per Figure SFOSP- 15 and Table SFOSP-4SFOSP-3. Permitted commercial uses by zoning district are found in Table SFOSP-2SFOSP-1.
a. Entrances to non-ground floor uses, and/or entrances to uses prohibited within 35 feet of the sidewalk, shall not qualify toward the minimum commercial use percentage.
b. Commercial uses shall have an average interior depth of at least 35 feet and a minimum depth of 20 feet, measured wall-to-wall.
2. Residential Uses. Frontage Types 1 and 2 per Table SFOSP-4SFOSP-3 and Figure SFOSP-15 set limitations on ground floor residential uses facing the street.
Permitted residential uses by zoning district are found in Table SFOSP-2SFOSP-1. a. Type A: Residential units on the ground floor shall be prohibited within 35 feet of the sidewalk line, inclusive of setbacks, per Table SFOSP-4SFOSP-3; see Figure SFOSP-17.
b. Type B: Residential units on the ground floor shall be permitted with direct access to the street and a minimum setback of 5 feet.
c. Residential common space on the ground floor shall be permitted per Table SFOSP-4SFOSP-3.
…
Table SFOSP-4SFOSP-3: Allowable Ground Floor Building Frontages in Mixed-Use Zones Central District Specific Plan Update
Attachment H: Recommended General Plan and Zoning Code Amendments Page 10 City Council October 16, 2023
Type Commercial Uses Residential Common Space Residential Dwelling Units 1A 80% min. 20% max.
Prohibited within 35' of sidewalk line
2A 20% min. 80% max
2B 20% min 80% max
3B Allowed, no percentage requirements
…
C. Transparency
1. Windows & Doors. Street-facing facades shall incorporate glass providing views into work, display, sales, lobby, or similar active areas. The minimum transparency requirement is set in Tables SFOSP-5SFOSP-4 and SFOSP-6SFOSP-5 based on use.
a. For non -residential and residential common space uses, ground floor transparency is measured as the percentage of building frontage that consists of transparent openings between a height of 2 feet and 10 feet above sidewalk elevation.
b. All other transparency is measured as the percentage of building frontage area, viewed in elevation.
c. Windows shall be recessed by a minimum of 2 inches from the façade; flush windows may be allowed per review authority approval.
d. The use of color-tinted, mirrored, or highly reflective glass is prohibited. e. Blinds, drapes, posters, and shelving for product displays visible to the public right-of-way shall obscure a maximum of 10 percent of the transparent areas of each respective storefront or 50 percent for medical office uses.
Table SFOSP-5SFOSP-4: Transparency for Non-Residential and Residential Common Space Transparency CG, CL, MU CF, IF
Ground Floor 60% 30%
Overall Façade 30% 15%
Table SFOSP-6SFOSP-5: Transparency for Residential Units Transparency All Zones
Ground Floor 15%
Overall Façade 15%
Central District Specific Plan Update
Attachment H: Recommended General Plan and Zoning Code Amendments Page 11 City Council October 16, 2023
17.35.080 - Open Space
A. Minimum Open Space
1. Private and Common Open Space. Projects shall provide the minimum area of Open Space based on use and size. Areas used regularly for parking, loading or storage shall not count towards minimum Open Space requirements. a. Residential. Projects with dwelling units shall provide the min imum area of Open Space per Table SFOSP-7SFOSP-6 as a combination of Private and/or Common Open Space.
b. Non-residential. Projects with more than 40,000 square feet of non-residential floor area shall provide a minimum of 5 percent of the gross non-residential floor area as Common Open Space.
c. Mixed-use. Projects shall comply with requirements applicable to each type of use.
Table SFOSP-7SFOSP-6: Residential Open Space by Unit Type Number of Bedrooms 0 1 2 3+
Per Unit, sq ft 200 225 250 275
2. Publicly Accessible Open Space (PAOS). Projects with more than 60,000 square feet of gross floor area (GFA) shall provide a minimum area of PAOS, calculated as a percentage of GFA, as set in Table SFOSP-8SFOSP-7.
a. PAOS shall be provided in addition to Private and Common Open Space requirements.
b. Projects shall comply with PAOS standards per Section 17.35.080.D and Paseo standards per Section 17.35.080.E where relevant.
(1) PAOS and Paseo standards may be modified through the Design Review process, if the review authority finds that the modified design continues to be accessible to the public, functional, and includes features such as landscaping, trees, and outdoor seating.
Table SFOSP-8SFOSP-7: Publicly Accessible Open Space by Project Size & Location Project Size (GFA) 60,000-
119,999 sq ft
120,000-
159,999 sq ft
160,000-
199,999 sq ft
200,000+
sq ft
Projects within 500 feet of a
Metro station platform 4% 5%
Projects outside 500 feet of a
Metro station platform 2% 3% 4% 5%
Central District Specific Plan Update
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B. Private Open Space
1. Dimensions. A minimum area of 40 square feet with a minimum dimension of 5 feet in each direction shall be required for Private Open Space.
2. Distribution. A maximum of 40 percent of the required residential Open Space set in Table SFOSP-7SFOSP-6 shall be Private Open Space.
a. All Private Open Space shall be outdoors.
b. Private Open Space may be located within a required setback.
C. Common Open Space
1. Dimensions. A minimum area of 400 square feet with a minimum dimension of 15 feet in each direction shall be required for Common Open Space.
2. Distribution. A minimum of 60 percent of the required residential Open Space set in Table SFOSP-7SFOSP-6 shall be Common Open Space shared among tenants. …
D. Publicly Accessible Open Space (PAOS)
1. Area. Minimum PAOS requirements are set in Section 17.35.080.A.2 and Table SFOSP-8SFOSP-7, and may be contiguous or noncontiguous, subject to the dimension and elevation standards below.
2. Paseos. Projects that are required to provide PAOS per Section 17.35.080.A.2 and located on parcels that include a paseo opportunity area on Figure SFOSP- 18SFOSP-19, shall be required to meet the minimum area requirement by providing a paseo, defined as a pedestrian passageway that connects a public street to another public street, alley, or internal public space.