CENTRAL DISTRICTSPECIFIC PLANCity Council HearingOctober 16, 2023Public Hearing Agenda Item #11
BACKGROUND
Central District Specific Plan Area• Largest Specific Plan in area (approximately 1.25 sq mi)• Includes Pasadena’s Civic Center, Old Pasadena, Playhouse Village & South Lake• Numerous historic resources & distinct neighborhoods in the area• Walking distance to 4 Metro Stations - Del Mar, North Lake, Memorial Park & Fillmore• Borders East Colorado & South Fair Oaks Specific Plan Areas 3Map of the Central District Area
Central District Specific Plan Community OutreachSummary of Community Outreach:2009 to 2015: General Plan Update 2018 to 2020: Community Workshops 2021: Design Commission 2021 to 2023: Planning Commission (4 meetings)Summary of Recent Public Comments:• Green spaces including street trees and public open space• Parking including overnight permit parkingoOvernight parking restrictions remain unchanged• Cumulative traffic impacts4
Planning Commission RecommendationPlanning Commission Public Hearing - June 28, 2023:Recommended approval of the proposed CDSP as presented by Staff with changes outlined in Attachment A of the Staff ReportKey Changes Recommended by the Planning Commission:• Expand the plan boundary to incorporate parcels between Mentor Ave and Wilson Ave, north of Cordova St into the CDSP area and rezone them from RM-48 to CD-MU-N with a density of 64 du/ac • Rezone parcels between Madison Ave, Oak Knoll Ave, Walnut St, and Union St from CD-RM-87 (Residential) to CD-MU-N (Mixed-Use) with 87 du/ac• Allow residential uses, except on the ground floor of buildings, along South Lake Ave between Cordova & San Pasqual St and rezone parcels from CD-CL (Commercial) to CD-MU-N (Mixed-Use) with a density of 48 du/ac• Revise policies, goals, text boxes, standards, and implementation action items5
RECOMMENDED CENTRAL DISTRICT SPECIFIC PLAN
Specific Plan Vision
7 The Central District will build upon its strengths as Pasadena’s vibrant downtown, providing diverse economic, civic, cultural, entertainment, and residential opportunities. The district will be a place to work, shop, live, play, and raise a family, with convenient access by foot, bicycle, assistive device, and transit, as well as by car. Physical and economic growth will support this role and respect the numerous resources of historical and cultural significance that contribute to the district’s unique identity.
Specific Plan Boundary
Corson St
California Blvd
Pasadena Ave
Mentor Ave8
Del Mar Blvd
Wilson Ave
Added the area between Mentor Ave & Wilson Ave, north of Cordova St Removed the area south of California Blvd, near Lake AveRecommended Boundary Map for Central District 9 Specific Plan Subareas
Recommended Subarea Map for Central District
KEY DEVELOPMENT + DESIGN STANDARDS
General Plan Land Use Diagram Recommended Amendments
11 • The General Plan designated most of the Central District as Medium Mixed-Use and High Mixed-Use (0-87 du/ac) •Recommended Changes to Density:oLake Ave, north of Green St (from commercial only to allow housing at 87 du/ac) oNorth side of Cordova St between Mentor Ave & Wilson St, north (from 48 to 64 du/ac)oWest side of Mentor Ave between San Pasqual St and Cordova Ave (from 87 to 48 du/ac)oNo other amendments are proposed that would increase the allowable density rangeRecommended Land Use Diagram Map for Central District Specific Plan Recommended Housing Density (Zoning)
12 • Most of Central District is zoned at 87 du/ac•Recommended Plan:oArea along Lake Ave, north of Green St will increase from 0 to 87 du/acoIn a few areas, the density will increase from 60 to 87 du/acoSouth of Cordova St, the density will mostly remain the same; in a few areas the density will decreaseCorson St SFOSP87 du/ac16 du/ac48 du/ac32 du/ac48 du/acECSP64 du/acRecommended Residential Density Map for Central District 13 SFOSP 57’ (69’) to 63’(75’)ECSP 63’ECSP 51’Specific Plan Recommended Building Heights• Currently the tallest buildings are located on Colorado Blvd & north Lake Ave (75 ft)•Recommended Plan:oHeight limits will mostly remain the sameoMinor adjustments are proposed (some areas will increase while others will be lower)oAdditional provisions in key areas are proposed, such as height transitions and upper story step backsRecommended Height District Map for Central DistrictIncrease in heightDecrease in height 14 Specific Plan Recommended Objective Standards
• Currently there are development standards & design guidelines that are subjective•Recommended Plan:oSimilar to other recently adopted specific plans, Central District plan includes objective standards that are form-basedoDesign guidelines are now objective design standards oUnique to Central District plan, new provisions were included that encourage new development to incorporate traditional architectural elements found in many of Old Pasadena buildings Specific Plan Recommended Building Setbacks
15Frontage Walk Amenity• Currently a 0 ft setback is required for commercial & mixed-use buildings• Buildings must be at the property line within Old Pasadena, Playhouse Village & Lake Ave•Recommended Plan:oEstablishes a minimum 5 to 10 ft setback range for most of the plan areaoOld Pasadena is the only area that requires buildings to be at the property lineoFor the remainder of Colorado Blvd & all of Lake Ave, a setback range of 0 to 3 ft will be allowedRecommended Building Setback Map for Central District
Specific Plan Recommended Sidewalk Widths
16 • Currently only certain streets have minimum sidewalk width standards•Recommended Plan:oEstablishes minimum sidewalk widths for the entire plan areaoSidewalk widths will increase for a majority of the area; there will be no decreasesoNo changes proposed for Colorado Blvd, Lake Ave & historic areas (e.g., Old Pasadena)oSimilar to other recently adopted specific plans, public street trees & parkway provisions are includedRecommended Minimum Sidewalk Widths Map for Central District
17 Specific Plan Recommended Sidewalk Zones•Amenity Zone: portion of the sidewalk directly adjacent to the street & typically includes parkways, street trees, street lights, street furniture, bicycle parking, bus shelters, utilities•Walk Zone: portion of the sidewalk dedicated to pedestrian travel•Building Frontage Zone: portion of the sidewalk adjacent to private property and allows for outdoor furniture & shade structures (applicable to sidewalks with a minimum of 11 ft)Cross-section of Sidewalk Zones Minimum 4 ft width Minimum 5 to 7 ft width Maximum 2 to 4 ft width Specific Plan Recommended Parkways & Street Trees
18Recommended Parkways Map for Central District
• Currently there are no requirements•Recommended Plan:oRequires landscaped parkways & street treesoStreet trees planted every 30 ft & may be planted within parkways or tree wells oOther provisions, such as tree species, well dimensions & root zone volume, are included
Types of Open Space Requirements in the Specific Plan •Common Open Space are usable spaces shared among tenants of a building (e.g. courtyards, pool areas, lounges, community kitchens, gyms) 19•Private Open Space adjoin a dwelling unit & are reserved for the exclusive use of the resident & guests (e.g. patios, balconies)•Publicly Accessible Open Space are privately owned but open to the public (e.g. plazas, pocket parks, paseo) 20 Open Space Requirements for Residential Uses• Currently private & common open space requirements differ between residential & mixed-use projects•Recommended Plan:oAmount of open space is based on number of bedrooms per unit instead of project typeoMajority of the open space must be outdoor common open space that is landscapedoA minimum of one 24-inch box tree (or 1 tree / 500 sf of outdoor common open space) is required; 50% must be shade treesoRequired trees on the ground floor cannot be in potsExamples of mid-sized planters with trees that will grow into shade trees
21 Open Space Requirements for Commercial Uses• Currently there are no requirements•Recommended Plan:oCommercial projects over 40,000 sf will be required to provide common open space for tenantsoAmount of common open space is based on project sizeoMajority of the common open space must be outdoors & landscapedoA minimum of one 24-inch box tree (or 1 tree / 500 sf of outdoor common open space) is required; 50% must be shade treesoRequired trees on the ground floor cannot be in pots Examples of mid-sized planters & sloped areas with trees that will grow into shade trees Publicly Accessible Open Space (PAOS)
22 • Currently there are no requirements•Recommended Plan:oProjects over 80,000 sf on selected corridors are required to provide PAOS (e.g. courtyard, plaza, or paseo)oAmount of PAOS is based on project sizeoLandscape standards & trees planted in the ground oStandards may be modified through the Design Review process, similar to other recently adopted specific plansRecommended PAOS Map for Central District
PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION
24Colorado BlvdCorson StLake AveCordova StMentor AveGreen StDel Mar BlvdLos Robles AveWalnut StSFOSP87 du/ac Allow Residential Uses on Upper Floors on South Lake Ave Lake Ave (Cordova & San Pasqual)•Recommended Plan:oKept this area commercial-only as designated by the General Plan.oSouth Lake Ave is an important commercial corridor that provides services & employment opportunities.oAdditional housing opportunities are provided on Lake Ave, north of Green St, near the transit station.oRetains housing in areas currently designated by the General Plan.
Remove Plaza Requirement on Lake Ave + California Blvd
25 The requirement for a new plaza at this location was kept in the recommended CDSP:• Placemaking opportunity & gateway into South Lake Ave.• Create synergy with existing plazas at the southern corner intersections.
Add New Action Item to Create Chief of Placemaking
26 • Add an implementation task, under “Infrastructure, Mobility, and Sustainability” for the creation of an interdepartmental team led by a ‘Chief of Placemaking’, appointed by the City Manager, to manage, facilitate, and coordinate activities in the Central District area to create great places, in coordination with the appropriate Business Improvement Districts, property owners, and other stakeholders, including Pasadena Heritage and the Complete Streets Coalition. Also included in this task, the City Manager shall, within one year of the adoption of the CDSP, prepare a budget proposal for initial funding of the improvements within the Plan. This recommendation was not incorporated into the CDSP for the following reason:oEstablishment of an interdepartmental team and budget programming are staffing and policy decisions under the purview of the City Council and City Manger.
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION
Addendum to the General Plan EIR• Addressed potential site-specific environmental impacts associated with the update to the CDSP Area.• The CDSP Addendum determined that potential environmental impacts associated with the CDSP Update were within the scope of the GP EIR:• Addendum provides only minor changes and additions to the GP EIR.• No new significant environmental impacts that were not discussed in the GP EIR would occur.• No new mitigation measures are required.28
STAFFRECOMMENDATION
Staff RecommendationIt is recommended that the City Council: (1) Adoptthe Addendum to the 2015 Pasadena General Plan Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and find 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; (2) Makethe Findings for Approval for the General Plan Land Use Map Amendment, Specific Plan Amendment, Zoning Map Amendment, and Zoning Text Amendment; (3) Adopta resolution approving the General Plan Land Use Map Amendment;(4) Adopta resolution approving the recommended Central District Specific Plan; and(5) Directthe City Attorney to prepare an ordinance for the Zoning Map and Zoning Text Amendments within 120 days consistent with the provisions set forth herein.30
THANK YOU
PLAN BOUNDARY
33 Plan Boundary Changes
Added parcels between Mentor and Wilson Ave, north of Cordova St into the CDSPZone change from RM-48 (residential) to CD-MU-N (mixed-use) with density of 64 du/ac Mentor Ave
Wilson Ave
Cordova St
Green St
34 Plan Boundary ChangesRemoved the area south of California Blvd, near Lake Ave from the CDSP Zone change from CD-5 (16 du/ac) to CL-2 (16 du/ac) Wilson Ave
Green St
Lake Ave
California Blvd
PLANNING BACKGROUND
Engagement Process to Update the Central District Specific Plan2009 to 2015: General Plan Update 2018: Open Houses2018: Community Pop-Up Event2019: Student Youth Summit 2018 to 2020: Community Workshops 2021: Design Commission 2021: District-Wide Community Webinar2021 to 2023: Planning Commission • December 8, 2021 – preliminary draft plan• June 22, 2022 – revised draft plan • February 22, 2023 – draft proposed plan• June 28, 2023 – proposed plan36
Background Work OverviewThe following background work informed the process and concepts for the Specific Plan:• Market analysis for retail, office, flex, and multi-family residential• Proforma testing • Physical feasibility testing of development standards• Focus groups with developers and architects• Zoning staff focus group• Conversations with property owners, business owners, and real estate brokers• Land Use and Urban Design existing conditions analysis• Assessment of pedestrian experience• Sustainability Recommendations Report• Open space analysis of 18 recent developmentsExisting Conditions AnalysesMarket & Feasibility TestingConsultations & Focus Groups 37 38
Historic Resources within Central District
Added 2 newly designated historic resources & referenced the City’s Historic Preservation Program to incorporate Planning Commission recommendation 39 Central District Goals + Policies
Incorporates the 2004 Design Guidelines as goals, policies, objective design standards & action items
DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS& COMPARISON MAPS
2015 General Plan Land Use Diagram
41 Residential Density (DU/AC)Recommended CDSP2004 CDSP 42 Building Height
43 Recommended CDSP2004 CDSP
Floor Area Ratio (FAR)
44 Recommended CDSP2004 CDSP
45 Historic Adjacency Standards
• Projects on parcel(s) with a historic resource are subject to review for consistency with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards• Projects sharing a property line with a designated historic resource are subject to historic adjacency standards:oStreet SetbacksoInterior SetbacksoStreetwall HeightoInterior Stepbacks Building Setbacks
46 Recommended CDSP2004 CDSP
Sidewalk Widths
47 Recommended CDSP2004 CDSP
48 Current Sidewalks Widths
49 Vehicular Parking Standards• No additional parking for projects within designated historic resources or changes of use in structures built before 1970• Less parking is required for certain uses to allow businesses to be interchangeable (e.g. Playhouse Village)• Design standards on vehicle access, parking layout, & design of structures were added to incorporate feedback from the Planning Commission
Ground Floor Frontage Types & Standards
50 • Currently the ground floor frontage is defined as 50 ft from the property line•Recommended Plan:• Reduce the amount of ground floor frontage to 35 ft from 50 ft• Allows space on the ground floor for other uses to be located in the back of the building in addition to pedestrian-oriented ones fronting the street 51 • Currently there is a requirement for pedestrian-oriented uses on the ground floor along major corridors.•Recommended Plan:oExpands the types of allowable uses on the ground floor for most of the mixed-use areas. oOld Pasadena, Playhouse Village & South Lake are districts which require pedestrian-oriented uses on the ground floor (e.g., shops, restaurants, personal services).
Land Use by Zoning District
Recommended Zoning District Map for Central District
Office + Life Sciences
52 Key Regulations: CD-CL(South Lake)CD-MU-C(Old Pasadena & Playhouse Village)CD-MU-G CD-MU-NOfficeNot w/in 35’ of building frontagePermittedR&D OfficeNot w/in 35’ of building frontagePermittedR&DNon-OfficeNot Permitted Not w/in 35’ of building frontage on Colorado, Green & Lake; otherwise permittedNote: frontage depth reduced from 50’ to 35’ 53 ECSP – Reduction in Open Space for Life Sciences • Research & Development (office/non-office) may reduce Common OS & PAOS area requirements by a maximum of 50%, subject to review and approval of Design Commission•Projects utilizing an Open Space reduction shall be restricted to Research and Development uses for a minimum period of 5 years after Certificate of Occupancy. Any change of use prior to 5 years shall be subject to standard Open Space requirements.
PUBLIC REALM
Street Trees
55 OPEN SPACE
Common & Private Open Space
• Residential open space based on number of bedrooms, not units• Create objective design standards for functional open space design• Require different types of spaces•Up to 40% Private: balconies, patios•At least 60% Common: courtyards, pools, lounges, gyms # of bedrooms0 1 2 3+Current 150 sq ft/unit to minimum 200 sq ft based on # of bedroomRecommended (per unit, sf)200 225 250 275Residential Open Space by Unit Type:
57 Publicly Accessible Open Space (PAOS)• Standard based on project size & location • Type of space is based on location (e.g. plaza, paseo, courtyard)• Design standards (e.g. minimum dimensions, access, signage, hardscape vs landscape, seating & trees)58
New Paseos to Connect to Existing Locations
59 Converse Alley (Playhouse Village)
Morgan Alley
Between Marengo & Arroyo
Lake & San Pasqual
Northeast Corner of Lake Ave & California Blvd
60 OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS
62 Objective Design StandardsOption A: Modulated Facades • Façade is articulated a minimum of 25% of the area above the ground floor for at least 2 feet in depthExample: portion of the building is recessed building or balconies Option B: Incorporate Traditional Elements (unique)• Maximum façade length is100 feet• Façade is organized into three horizontal sections (base, middle & top)• All windows are recessed 4-inches• Facades use textural materials such as brick, stone, precast concrete, Venetian plaster, hand-troweled stucco, or porcelain tiles (12”x4”)• Tops include a corniceOption C: Alternative Compliance through Design Review• Minimum 90% fully or partially subterranean parking• PAOS is provided at the ground level, visible & accessible• No other concessions, waivers, or incentives requested • Meet the required findings
63 Pedestrian Friendly Frontages + Objective Design Standards
GP & ZONING CODE AMENDMENTS
Current General Plan Land Use Diagram
65 Recommended General Plan Land Use Diagram
66 • The General Plan designated most of the Central District as Medium Mixed-Use and High Mixed-Use (range: 0 to 87 du/ac). •Recommended Amendments:oLake Ave, north of Green St (from commercial only to allow 87 du/ac) oBetween Mentor & Wilson St, north of Cordova St (from 48 to allow 64 du/ac)oOther amendments are proposed but do not increase the density range currently allowed (e.g. Playhouse Village Park from mixed-use to open space)Recommend Land Use Diagram Recommended Zoning Districts (*Corrected*)
67 Recommended Zoning Code Text Amendments• Chapter 17.30 – Central District Specific Plan• Other Sections:• 17.50.050 – remove hours of operation clause specific for Central District• 17.31 – fix typographical errors in the recently adopted East Colorado Specific Plan• 17.35 – fix typographical errors in the recently adopted South Fair Oaks Specific Plan 68
IMPLEMENTATION ACTION ITEMS
Implementation Action Items
70 •Recommended Plan:oIncludes targeted action items with timelines & potential funding sourcesoReflects feedback received from various Commissions & community