City Council 1 Zoning Code Amendments
July 15, 2024 Time Limits and Extensions, Miscellaneous Updates Attachment A: Findings for Zoning Code Text Amendments
ATTACHMENT A
FINDINGS FOR ZONING CODE TEXT AMENDMENT
Prior to the approval of a Zoning Code Text Amendment, the following findings must be made:
1. The proposed amendment is in conformance with the goals, policies, and objectives of the General Plan.
The proposed amendment to the Zoning Code is consistent with the Guiding Principles of the Land Use Element and Programs of the Housing Element of the General Plan as follows:
Land Use Element
• Guiding Principle 3. Pasadena will be an economically vital city by providing jobs, services, revenues, and opportunities. A diverse economic base with jobs for Pasadena residents will be fostered; existing businesses will be encouraged to stay or expand; affordable housing will be provided for the labor pool; the continued fiscal health of the city will be ensured.
• Guiding Principle 6. Pasadena will be a cultural, scientific, corporate, entertainment and education center for the region. Long-term growth opportunities will be provided for existing institutions; a healthy economy will be fostered to attract new cultural, scientific, corporate, entertainment and educational institutions.
In order to achieve the overall goals of a successful investment of a variety new development in Pasadena, as articulated in Guiding Principles 3 and 6, it has become necessary to provide for additional time for projects with land use entitlements to make their way through the entitlement process, while acknowledging the recent challenges to development such as rising interest rates, economic uncertainty, longer supply chain lead times, and/or labor shortages. The streamlining of the time extension process by authorizing the Director of Planning & Community Development to review and approve such applications, will also allow for additional time for those development projects that need the added time.
• Implementation Program C.2 (Process of Development Review and Entitlement) Analyze the efficiency of the development review and entitlement process and identify the City’s expectations for planning, designing, and reviewing development proposals every five years.
This amendment will provide additional time for the development of land use entitlements as well as applying the same time limits to some land use entitlement, with the exception of Concept Design Review. However, allowing a land use City Council 2 Zoning Code Amendments
July 15, 2024 Time Limits and Extensions, Miscellaneous Updates Attachment A: Findings for Zoning Code Text Amendments
entitlement to ‘exercise’ its approval by having an application for Concept Design Review be deemed complete, this ‘linkage’ of entitlements will provide additional surety of development, thereby also providing added efficiency. Similarly, giving the Director of Planning & Community Development the authority to process and approved time extension requests will allow for additional efficient and timesaving, while retaining the ability to file an appeal or request a Call for Review to the Board of Zoning Appeals.
The proposed amendments to the Zoning Code are miscellaneous updates to clarify the application of development standards and other administrative corrections for internal consistency within the Zoning Code. The amendments would ensure proper and consistent application of Zoning Code development standards and permitting procedures, thereby improving the efficacy of the Zoning Code and the efficiency of its application.
Housing Element
• Program #9: Removal of Constraints. City staff continues to examine how modifications to development review procedures and requirements-design review, permit processing, commission reviews, and other features -can be improved to streamline the process.
By consolidating the time limits in which a project would need to begin construction to three years, connecting the time limit of some entitlements to Design Review to avoid expiration during that process (when applicable), and simplifying and streamlining the time extension process, the overall goal of simplifying the entitlement process, and thereby assisting in the development of additional housing units, would be achieved.
2. The proposed amendment would not be detrimental to the public interest, health, safety, convenience, or general welfare of the City.
The first set of amendment to the Zoning Code would modify the procedural processes that regulate time limits and time extensions for planning land use entitlements in response to recent challenges impacting development, such as rising interest rates, economic uncertainty, longer supply chain lead times, and/or labor shortages.
Providing additional time for development projects and streamlining the time extension process will not modify any development standards such as height, setbacks or floor area that could negatively impact properties nearby to development projects, nor would any land uses not already allowed be allowed. Therefore, the proposed amendments would not be detrimental to the public interest, health, safety, convenience, or general welfare of the City.
The final set of amendments to the Zoning Code are miscellaneous updates to clarify the application of development standards and other administrative corrections for internal consistency within the Zoning Code. The amendments would ensure proper and consistent application of Zoning Code development standards and permitting City Council 3 Zoning Code Amendments
July 15, 2024 Time Limits and Extensions, Miscellaneous Updates Attachment A: Findings for Zoning Code Text Amendments
procedures. Therefore, the proposed amendments would not be detrimental to the public interest, health, safety, convenience, or general welfare of the City.