PASADENA
HRTAG160 NORTH OAKLAND AVENUE
PASADENA. CALIFORNIA 91101.1714 PRESERVATION | ADVOCACY | EDUCATION December 1, 2023
Pasadena City Council
City of Pasadena
100 North Garfleld Avenue
Pasadena, California 91101
Re: Zoning Code Amendment: R&D Land Uses
RECEIVED
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P 626.441.6333
WWW.PASADENAHERITAGE.ORG
92023 DEC-4 A?1 {0:3 9
CiTY CLERK
CITY OF PASADENA
Dear Mayor Gordo and Members of the City Council,
Pasadena Heritage has followed the proposed Research and Development Ordinance through the Planning Commission pipeline. We have also independently spoken to developers, realtors and the Planning and Economic Development Departments on this issue. Pasadena has long been a city associated with science and technology, largely due to the influence ofCaltech, JPL and Huntington Hospital, but it has now grown into a "cluster" that is more encompassing than just those three institutions. There is an apparent and growing demand to locate more R&D and life science space in our innovative city.
Shifting consumer, social and work attitudes and practices have also created some prominent vacancies in Pasadena. Retail storefronts have had to compete with the likes of Amazon and online shopping, and some prime retail comdors in Pasadena have longstanding vacancies. Office demand has undergone a shock due to COVID and now a greater reliance on work-from-home or hybrid scheduling. PUSD has closed schools due to declining enrollment, and Pasadena's historic St. Luke Medical Center, long vacant now, has become a source of frustration for the adjacent community and needs a new use.
Many of the zones included in this ordinance include individual historic resources or districts. However, we know the best way to preserve a building is often to allow it to be used and habituated, which can require a change of use from what was typically allowed, We believe that R&D, as a relatively low-impact use and if properly done, could be a good fit for these places and therefore do support the ordinance as proposed.
Sincerely,
V^&^^^s^
Susan N. Nossman
ExecutfVe Director
Andrew Salimian
Preservation Director
PRESERVATIONADVOCACYEDUCATION
12/04/2023
Item 14
Sabha, Tamer
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
> Jacob Berlin -
Monday, December 4, 2023 10:25 AM
PublicComment-AutoResponse
Support for Biotech zoning changes
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Dear City Council,
I wanted to express my very strong support for the proposed zoning changes that you will be considering tonight, including those that:
Ease Conditional Use Permit (CUP), parking, Floor Area Ration (FAR), and open space requirements; Allow for increased building heights and greater appurtenance roof coverage; • Simplify the definition of "Research and Development" (R&D) by removing the distinction between office and non-office; and
Modernize the R&D definition to include current R&D uses like the design, development, and testing of biological, chemical, electrical, magnetic, mechanical, and/or optical components.
These changes are essential for the biotech industry to be effective in Pasadena and as Terray continues to grow, these changes will markedly increase the likelihood that we'll return to Pasadena one day.
Thank you,
Jacob Berlin
CEO, Terray Therapeutics
1 12/04/2023
Item 14
Sabha, Tamer
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
Nina Chomsky •
Monday, December 4, 2023 2:47 PM
PublicComment-AutoResponse
Council Meeting 12/4/2023; Agenda Item 14; R&D Zoning Code Amendments ^] CAUTION: This email was delivered from the Internet. Do not click links or open attachments unless you know the content is safe. Report phish using the Phish Alert Button. Learn more....
Linda Vista-Annandale Association
Pasadena, CA
Re: Council Meeting 12/4/2023; Agenda Item 14; R&D Zoning /code Amendments Mayor Gordo and Councilmembers,
The Linda Vista-Annandale Association (LVAA) generally supports the proposed Zoning Code Amendments for R&D uses WITH ONE SIGNIFICANT CONCERN.
LVAA strongly objects to including R&D development with a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) on PS zoned property when the property is a small school site in the middle of a residential neighborhood.: From Attachment D, it appears that such sites, for example both open and closed PUSD public school sites such as Linda Vista and San Rafael,, would be included for this type of development. And, a CUP would provide only minimal protection to the surrounding neighborhood because the use would be permitted with Conditions but could not be disallowed as an inappropriate commercial use in the middle of a residential neighborhood.
It appears that the Planning Commission thought that R&D development and use would be appropriate for PS zoned large, college-level institutions such as PCC, CalTech or the Art Center. The Commission did not discus R&D uses and development on small public or private neighborhood school sites. We ask that the Council consider distinguishing types of PS sites, and limit R&D uses with a CUP to larger, higher education institutions as opposed to neighborhood school sites.
Thank you for your attention to our comments and concerns.' Sincerely,"
Nina Chomsky, LVAA
ec: LVAA Board of Directors
112/04/2023
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r"
0 December 4, 2023
City of Pasadena
100 North GarfieldAve.
Pasadena, CAP 1101
RECEIVED
?023DEC-4 PH 3^9
CSTYQFP^ADENA
S&ee.Y
Lilly USA, LLC
Lilly Corporate Center
Indianapolis, Indiana 46285
U.SA
www.lilly.com
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Submitted electronically: correspondence(%cityofpasadena.net Re: Proposed Zoning Code Amendments to Support Research & Development Activities Dear Mayor Gordo and Councilmembers,
Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly) respectfully requests your support for the proposed zoning code amendments to accelerate important discoveries in pharmaceutical research. Lilly considers a variety of factors when deciding to site and expand facilities, including a good general business climate. Beneficial zoning laws can be an important factor in attracting new investment.
Specifically, we request that you support the following important changes to the zoning code:
Ease Conditional Use Permit (CUP), parking. Floor Area Ration (FAR), and open space requirements;
Allow for increased building heights and greater appurtenance roof coverage; Simplify the definition of "Research and Development" (R&D) by removing the distinction between office and non-office; and
Modernize the R&D definition to include current R&D uses like the design, development, and testing of biological, chemical, electrical, magnetic, mechanical, and/or optical components.
We would also request that the city revisit restrictions on first floor utilization as office space when related to research and development activities. Additionally, it could be beneficial to reconsider the current restrictions on parking to only allow for 2 spaces per 1,000 square feet in areas identified as transit-oriented.
Lilly unites caring with discovery to create medicines that make life better for people around the world.
For more than 140 years, we have worked tirelessly to develop and deliver trusted medicines and diagnostics that meet real needs. Our growing portfolio of medicines includes treatments in the areas of bone muscle joint, cancer, cardiovascular, diabetes, endocrine, immunology, neurodegeneration, neuroscience, and pain.
At Protomer Technologies, we are engineering next-generation protein therapeutics that can sense molecular activators in the body to automatically activate as needed. Using our proprietary protein- engineering platform, we develop therapeutic proteins that can sense molecular activators, achieve variable dosing and targeted delivery.
Protomer's chemical biology-based MBPS platform enables the development of next-generation therapeutic proteins that can be controlled using molecular activators. Post-injection tuning of a therapeutic protein's activity is a powerful approach to increase safety and efficacy. MEPS brings a truly personalized medicine approach to injectable proteins, allowing a variable dosing regimen that best fits each person's unique physiology and response to therapy. MBPS also enables rapid turn-on, and turn-off 12/04/2023
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capability for automatic activity control and targeted therapies with dual homing to reduce off-target effects.
Pasadena has become a hub for the life science industry in the Greater Los Angeles region. The city recognizes the value of supporting Pasadena's cluster of life science facilities and has adopted policies to attract and retain emerging industries in Pasadena. The life science industry comprises companies working in the scientific research and development of products that improve the lives of Californians and people around the world. Over the last several months, staff has worked closely with the City Council's Economic Development and Technology Committee (ED Tech), Planning Commission, Economic Development Department staff and industry stakeholders to develop recommendations to further facilitate life science uses, classified as Research and Development (R&D) in the Zoning Code.
The City of Pasadena has come a long way since early community discussions about zoning code changes to support the life sciences industry and we want to thank all parties involved and the public at large for their investment of time and energy into this important project.
We appreciate the opportunity to express our support for these changes that will help us make medicines that will make life better for people around the world. We request your support for the zoning changes proposed in the Planning Commission staff report.
Sincerely,
GoJlJL^^.1^2
William S. Reid
Vice President, State Govermnent Affairs
Members of the Pasadena City Council
Alborz Mahdavi, Vice President LRL and CEO ofProtomer Technologies Jack Steele, Chief Operating Officer of Protomer Technologies HMRI
Huntington
Medical Research
Institutes
RECEIVED
2023 DEC-4 PM ^54
CITY CuERK
CITY OF PASADENA
December 4, 2023
Mayor Victor Gordo
Members of the City Council
City of Pasadena
Dear Mayor Gordo and Council members
We are writing to express HMRI's dedicated support for the proposed zoning changes aimed at amending the existing regulations related to the Research and Development land use in the City of Pasadena. HMRI has a 70- year history of medical research in Pasadena and feels the proposed changes will promote the continued development of a life sciences ecosystem in the city. We feel that these changes are crucial for fostering innovation, economic growth, and creating a vibrant, forward-looking community.
Pasadena has long been a hub of creativity and technological advancement. Updating the zoning regulations to align with the evolving needs of research and development is a progressive step to ensure the city continues to cultivate the types of innovative companies and institutes needed to build a strong biosciences ecosystem. The city has a tremendous opportunity to help facilitate the growth of an emerging industry by creating the flexibility needed to encourage the development of facilities required to perform cutting edge research in bioscience fields. The proposed changes to land use regulations will help attract investment and talent while positioning Pasadena at the forefront of an emerging market. The zoning changes will also create an environment to attract and retain the type of industries that foster innovation, create high quality jobs, and advance medical research.
As Pasadena continues to emerge as a hub for the life science industry in LA, it is important that the city creates an inclusive environment to welcome development opportunities which benefit our community.
Embracing innovation in life sciences will not only enhance Pasadena's reputation as a leader in science and innovation, but it also contributes to the prosperity and well-being of its residents.
Thank you for your time and dedication to the continued growth and success of our wonderful city.
Respectfully submitted,
^Ayg^S<te—
Julia Bradsher PhD, MBA
President and CEO
^tdA^ ^^^
Mark Dixon
Chief Operations Officer
686 South Fair Oaks Avenue, Pasadena, CA 911051W: hmri.org 12/04/2023
Item 14
1 Iraheta, Alba
From: Richard McDonald
Sent: Monday, December 4, 2023 6:22 PM
To: PublicComment-AutoResponse
Cc: Iraheta, Alba; Jomsky, Mark
Subject: December 4 Agenda Item #14
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Dear Mayor Gordo and Honorable Members of the City Council - On behalf of the owners of the St. Luke’s site, we wish to express our full and wholehearted support of the staff recommendation to amend the zoning code to allow life science campuses in the City more easily. We are excited about developing the St. Luke’s property with such a campus, which is far less impactful than any of the prior proposals. We also believe the requirement for a CUP makes sense and that the promotion of the various industries under the “life science” definition will be of great benefit to the City much like Pasadena Heritage and Eli Lilly Company (Lilly) have stated. With retail and commercial properties struggling as Pasadena Heritage noted, promoting the City’s strength in science by amending the code to allow more life science development makes perfect sense. As Lilly points out, the industry is looking to Pasadena and now is the time for your leadership on it. Last, we understand that concerns have been raised about the development of school sites in residential neighborhoods. Although St. Luke’s site is not one, we think language to the effect of “other than on school sites surrounded by residential neighborhoods” is an easy fix to address those concerns. Thank you again for your leadership on this matter.
Richard A. McDonald, Esq.
Stoner/Carlson LLP
Pasadena, CA 91101
Telephone:
E-mail: Website: www.carlsonnicholas.com
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