Proposed North Lake Specific Plan
Attachment F: Recommended General Plan and Zoning Code Amendments Page 1 City Council November 24, 2025
ATTACHMENT F
RECOMMENDED GENERAL PLAN AND ZONING CODE AMENDMENTS
GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENTS:
The City’s General Plan Land Use Diagram 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 Diagram
Proposed North Lake Specific Plan
Attachment F: Recommended General Plan and Zoning Code Amendments Page 2 City Council November 24, 2025
A General Plan Land Use Diagram amendment is recommended to update the land use designations and add/remove parcels from the plan area depicted on the Land Use Diagram, as proposed in the North Lake Specific Plan (NLSP). The following describes the recommended changes to the Land Use Diagram and are shown in Figure 2:
(1) Update the land use designation for parcels north of Washington Boulevard and west of Washington Theater from Medium Mixed-Use (0-87 du/ac and 0-2.25 FAR) and Low-Medium Mixed-Use (0-48 du/ac and 0-1.75 FAR) to Low Mixed-Use (0-32 du/ac and 0-1.0 FAR).
(2) Update the land use designation for parcels north of Washington Boulevard at North Lake Avenue from Medium Mixed-Use (0-87 du/ac and 0-2.25 FAR) to Low-Medium Mixed-Use (0-48 du/ac and 0-1.75 FAR).
(3) Remove the four parcels designated Low-Density Residential at Howard Street from the NLSP.
(4) Update the land use designation and remove from the NLSP an area at the southwest corner of Rio Grande and Mentor Avenue from Medium Mixed- Use (0-87 du/ac and 0-2.25 FAR) to Low Density Residential (0-6 du/acre).
(5) Add parcels at the southeast corner of Washington Park and update the land use designation from Medium-Density Residential (0-32 du/ac) to Open Space.
(6) Update the land use designation for parcels southwest of Washington Boulevard and Hudson Avenue from Medium Mixed-Use (0-87 du/ac and 0-
2.25 FAR) to Low-Medium Mixed-Use (0-48 du/ac and 0-1.75 FAR).
(7) Remove the area northeast of Hudson and Claremont from the NLSP and update the land use designation from Medium Mixed-Use (0-87 du/ac and 0-2.25 FAR) to Medium-High Residential for the northernmost three parcels and to Low-Density Residential (0-6 du/ac) for the southernmost four parcels.
(8) Update the land use designation for parcels southeast of Washington Boulevard and North Lake Avenue from Medium Mixed-Use (0-87 du/ac and 0-2.25 FAR) to Low Mixed-Use (0-32 du/ac and 0-1.0 FAR).
(9) Update the land use designation for parcels south of Washington Boulevard between Mentor and Catalina avenues from Medium Density Residential (16 du/ac) to Low Mixed-Use (32 du/ac and 0-1.0 FAR).
(10) Update the land use designation for parcels at North Lake Avenue and Mountain Street south to Orange Grove Boulevard from Low Commercial (0-1.0 FAR) to Low-Medium Mixed-Use (0-48 du/ac and 0-1.75 FAR).
Proposed North Lake Specific Plan
Attachment F: Recommended General Plan and Zoning Code Amendments Page 3 City Council November 24, 2025
(11) Add the parcel at 826 Boylston to the NLSP and update the land use designation from Medium-High Density Residential (0-32 du/ac) to Low- Medium Mixed-Use (0-48 du/ac and 0-1.75 FAR).
(12) Add the parcel at 840 Earlham Street and change the land use designation from Institutional to Medium Mixed-Use (0-87 du/ac and 0-2.25 FAR).
(13) Add the parcels at 819 East Villa Street and 812-834 Santa Barbara Street and update the land use designation from Low-Medium Density Residential (0-12 du/ac) to Medium Mixed-Use (0-87 du/ac and 0-2.25 FAR).
(14) Remove the area designated Low-Density Residential on Mentor Avenue north of Bell Street from the NLSP.
(15) Remove the area designated Low-Density Residential on Mentor Avenue south of Mountain Street from the NLSP.
(16) Update the land use designation for the parcels at 701 and 709 N. Mentor Avenue from Low-Density Residential (0-6 du/acre) to Medium-High Density Residential (0-32 du/ac) and remove from the NLSP.
(17) Update the land use designation for the parcel at 919 E. Orange Grove Boulevard from Medium-Density Residential (0-16 du/acre) to Medium-High Density Residential (0-32 du/ac).
Proposed North Lake Specific Plan
Attachment F: Recommended General Plan and Zoning Code Amendments Page 4 City Council November 24, 2025
Figure 2. Proposed Changes to the General Plan Land Use Diagram
17 Proposed North Lake Specific Plan
Attachment F: Recommended General Plan and Zoning Code Amendments Page 5 City Council November 24, 2025
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 NLSP Zoning Map with the proposed zoning districts shown in Table 1 and Figure 3. The new zoning districts would align the permitted uses and design, development, and public realm standards with the plan’s vision, goals, and policies.
Table 1. Existing and Recommended Zoning Districts for Parcels in the Proposed NLSP
Zoning District*
Existing CL-SP-1b
CL-SP-1e
RM-48
CL-SP-1b
CL-SP-1d
CL-SP-1e
CO-SP-1a
CO-SP-1c
RM-12
RM-16
RM-32
OS CO-SP-1c
PS
RM-48
Proposed NL-MU-C NL-MU-N OS PS
Zoning District
Existing
RM-48 RM-32 RM-16 RS-6
Proposed NL-RM-48 NL-RM-32 NL-RM-32 NL-RS-6
*NOTE: Parcels with overlays such as PK and LD will maintain the overlay even if the base district changes; no overlay boundary updates are proposed.
Proposed North Lake Specific Plan
Attachment F: Recommended General Plan and Zoning Code Amendments Page 6 City Council November 24, 2025
Figure 3. Recommended Zoning Districts for Parcels in the Proposed NLSP
Proposed North Lake Specific Plan
Attachment F: Recommended General Plan and Zoning Code Amendments Page 7 City Council November 24, 2025
As noted in the Planning Commission Recommendation, the Planning Commission recommended two additional amendments:
• Mentor at Orange Grove: 919 E. Orange Grove Boulevard and 701 and 709 N.
Mentor Avenue, within the NLSP and proposed to be adjacent to the NLSP, respectively (Figure 4); and
• Mentor at Washington (2 properties): 1311 and 1321 N. Mentor Avenue, adjacent to the NLSP (Figure 5).
For the Mentor at Orange Grove properties, staff recommended removing 701 and 709 N. Mentor Avenue from the NLSP. At the request of the property owner, the Planning Commission voted to recommend changing its Land Use Designation, along with the property at 919 E. Orange Grove Boulevard (Table 2).
For the Mentor at Washington properties, the Planning Commission recommended the PK Overlay be removed (Table 3. The result is the existing parking lot would become legal, non-conforming, whereby ordinary repair and maintenance would be allowed, but no expansion or enlargement could occur without approval of a Minor CUP.
Table 2: Mentor at Orange Grove Properties
Address Existing
Use
Current Land
Use Diagram Current Zoning
Proposed
Land Use
Diagram
Proposed
Zoning
701 and
709 N.
Mentor
Ave.
Multi-
family
(8 units)
Low Density
Residential
(Single-Family,
0-6 du/ac)
RS-6
(Single-Family,
0-6 du/ac)
Medium-
High
Density
Residential
(Multi-
Family,
0-32 du/ac)
RM-32
(Multi-Family,
0-32 du/ac)
919 E.
Orange
Grove
Blvd.
Vehicle
Repair
Medium
Density
Residential
(Multi-Family,
0-16 du/ac)
RM-16
(Multi-Family,
0-16 du/ac)
NL-RM-32
(North Lake,
Multi-Family, 0-
32 du/ac)
Figure 4: Mentor at Orange Grove Properties
E. Orange Grove Boulevard
N. Lake Avenue
N. Mentor Avenue
NL-MU-N
RS-6-LD-1
RM-32
NL-RM-32
701 & 709
N. Mentor Ave.
919 E. Orange
Grove Blvd.
Figure 5: Mentor at Washington Properties
E. Washington Boulevard
N. Lake Avenue
N. Mentor Avenue
NL-MU-C
NL-MU-N
RS-6-LD-1
RM-12-
LD-1
PS
RM-12-
LD-1
1311 &
1321
N. Mentor
Proposed North Lake Specific Plan
Attachment F: Recommended General Plan and Zoning Code Amendments Page 8 City Council November 24, 2025
Table 3: Mentor at Washington Properties
Address Existing
Use
Current Land
Use Diagram Current Zoning
Proposed
Land Use
Diagram
Proposed
Zoning
1311 and
1321 N.
Mentor
Ave.
Parking
Lot for
‘Block 5’
Low-Medium
Density
Residential
(Multi-Family,
0-12 du/ac)
RM-12-PK-LD-1
(Multi- Family, 2
du/lot, Parking
Overlay District,
Landmark District 1)
No change
RM-12-LD-1
(Multi-Family,
2 du/lot,
Landmark
District 1)
In addition, a Zoning Map amendment is recommended to update 50 S. Virginia Avenue, a part of the former East Colorado Specific Plan (2003), from ECSP-CG-5-HL- 1 to RM-32-HL-1 as shown in Table 2 and identified in Figure 4. This zone is being phased out through the General Plan Implementation/Specific Plan Update process and the parcel was excluded from the Lamanda Park Specific Plan area.
Table 3. Existing and Recommended Zoning Districts for the ECSP (2003) Zone
Zoning District
Existing ECSP-CG-5-HL-1
Proposed RM-32-HL-1
Figure 5. Recommended Zoning Districts for the ECSP (2023) Zone
RM-32-
HL-1
Proposed North Lake Specific Plan
Attachment F: Recommended General Plan and Zoning Code Amendments Page 9 City Council November 24, 2025
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 update permitted uses and standards in the NLSP into the existing Chapter
17.34 (North Lake Specific Plan) of the Zoning Code to implement the plan. Please refer to the proposed North Lake Specific Plan pertaining to Zoning and Land Uses (Ch. 4), Public Realm (Ch. 5), and Development Standards (Ch. 6).
A Zoning Code Text amendment to the Central District Specific Plan is recommended to fix two references to a Table number. Updates are marked below:
Chapter 17.30 - Central District Specific Plan
17.30.080 – Open Space Standards
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 CDSP-7CDSP-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 CDSP-7CDSP-6 shall be Private Open Space.