Planning & Community Development Department
Quasi-Judicial Action: Appeal of
Design Commission’s Consolidated Design Review
Approval for a New Multi-Family Development
600 N. Rosemead Boulevard
City Council
May 18, 2026
Planning & Community Development Department
Project Background
2 • On March 9, 2026, the applicant filed an application for Consolidated Design Review for a housing project:
o That is a 100% affordable, with 133 total units, 131 affordable units and 2 manager units.
• On April 14, 2026, the Design Commission (DC) reviewed and approved the application with conditions, by a 6-0 vote. • On April 24, 2026, an appeal was filed by Lower Hastings Ranch Association.
Planning & Community Development Department
Project Background
3 • Project Details:
> Zone: EPSP-d2-CO-D-2 (East Pasadena SP).
> 93,759 square-foot lot (2.15 acres).
> Adaptive reuse of existing two-story office building to a residential building with 51 units, 50 affordable and 1 manager unit.
> Existing two-story parking structure to be demolished. > New five-story, residential building with 82 units, 81 affordable and 1 manager unit on southern portion of site.
> 55 new parking spaces provided.
> Removal of seven protected specimen trees.
> Utilizes State Density Bonus Law (SDBL); the site is within ½-mile of a Major Transit Stop (MTS).
Planning & Community Development Department
Project Background – Density Bonus Law
4 • As a 100% affordable project, within ½-mile of two MTS, the project automatically receives the following incentives:
> Unlimited density;
> Three additional stories (33 additional feet); and
> No minimum parking requirement.
Planning & Community Development Department
Project Background – Density Bonus Law
5 • In addition, the project is eligible for:
> Five concessions; and
> Waivers (none requested).
• The project includes the following five concessions:
1. Reduced front yard setback;
2. Increase building length along street façade;
3. Exemption from the main garden requirements;
4. Use of alternative open space standards; and
5. Deviation from parking location requirement.
• The project meets all applicable development standards of the Zoning Code except where SDBL incentives and concessions are utilized.
• The only entitlement required is Design Review
Planning & Community Development Department
Project Background
6 • Design Review for this project is a two-phase process: Preliminary Consultation and Consolidated Design Review.
• The project is consistent with these applicable Design Guidelines:
> Design-related Goals & Policies of the Land Use Element of the General Plan. > Design Guidelines in the East Pasadena Specific Plan. > Design Guidelines for Neighborhood Commercial & Multi-Family Residential Districts. • City Council’s review is limited to the Environmental Review, Design Review (specifically, the project’s consistency with applicable design guidelines), Tree Removals, and the requested concessions.
> The size of the building, or the number or size of units, cannot be reduced beyond what the Zoning Code and SDBL allow.
Planning & Community Development Department
Project Background – Aerial View
7 Planning & Community Development Department
Existing Conditions & Adjacencies
West side of Rosemead Blvd (across the street from the project site) 8 Existing Office Building Existing Parking Structure
Planning & Community Development Department
Existing Conditions & Adjacencies
9 500 N. Rosemead Blvd. (multi-family, adjacent to south)630 N. Rosemead Blvd. (office use, adjacent to north) Planning & Community Development Department
Surrounding Context
10 Existing commercial/office buildings along Rosemead Boulevard within the vicinity of the project site. 639 N Rosemead Blvd670 N Rosemead Blvd
630 N Rosemead Blvd482 N Rosemead Blvd650 Sierra Madre Villa (fronting N Rosemead Blvd) Planning & Community Development Department
Surrounding Context - East
11 Single-family residences at the top of the slope on Rim Road (Lower Hastings Ranch Neighborhood).
Planning & Community Development Department
Rendering
12 Adaptive Reuse
New Construction
West Elevation - from N. Rosemead Blvd. looking in the northeast direction Planning & Community Development Department
Appeal Points
13 • The appellant makes five appeal points:
1. The project violates the General Plan, Land Use Element, Goal 33.1.
2. Density Bonuses were granted without adequate evidence that the project is within ½- mile of a Major Transit Stop (MTS) as defined by Government Code (GC) §65915(o)(5) and Public Resources Code (PRC) §21155(b).
3. The height proposed for Building B (the new southern building) will exceed the maximum height permitted by the Zoning Code for this location.
4. The Noise and Vibration Technical Report used to grant a CEQA Class 32 Exemption was incomplete and/or inaccurate, in that it did not state or explain the aggregate noise levels caused by the proposed 150 HVAC outdoor condenser units and the impact on sensitive receptor sites.
5. The application was incomplete, in that it lacked required and/or satisfactory information causing the Design Commission to add 39 Conditions of Approval related to Design and Historic Preservation, and additional Conditions of Approval related to other City departments.
Planning & Community Development Department
Staff Response to Appeal Point No. 1
14 1. The project violates the General Plan, Land Use Element, Goal 33.1. > Goal 33 identifies East Pasadena as a “semi-urban environment with higher-density mixed-use developments incorporating retail, office and housing uses to provide increase[d] opportunities [to] encourage transit use and walking.
> Policy 33.1 states, “Concentrate development adjoining the Sierra Madre Villa Metro Gold Line station (now the A Line), reducing densities outward as transitions for the protection of adjoining residential neighborhoods.”
o This goal and policy is supported by the Zoning Code and the EPSP by allowing greater density that serves to incentivize these types of development close to the A Line Station. o In the EPSP the highest densities of 87 du/acre are near the A Line Station, and lower densities are located further away, such as 48 du/ac for the project site; where 62 du/ac are proposed with SDBL.
o The project is a multi-family use, a permitted land use on the project site, that will provide additional housing in close proximity to transit, retail, and job opportunities, contributing to the semi-urban environment of the area, consistent Goal 33 and Policy 33.1.
Planning & Community Development Department
Staff Response to Appeal Point No. 2
15 2. Density Bonuses were granted without adequate evidence that the project is within ½-mile of an MTS as defined by Government Code (GC) §65915(o)(5) and Public Resources Code (PRC) §21155(b). • Per SDBL,GC §65915(o)(5), an MTS has the same meaning as defined in PRC §21064.3:
> “The intersection of two or more major bus routes with a frequency of service interval of 20 minutes or less during the morning and afternoon peak commute periods.” o Peak hours are defined as 6 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 7 p.m. (January 2025 HCD Technical Advisory memo).
• Per PRC §21155(b) an MTS also includes:
> “Major transit stops that are included in the applicable regional transportation plan.” Planning & Community Development Department
Staff Response to Appeal Point No. 2
16 Staff reviewed applicable law and Technical Advisory memos from HCD and concluded the project site is within ½-mile of an MTS based on the following:
• There are two MTSs within ½-mile the vicinity of the project site:
1. The intersection of Foothill Boulevard and Rosemead Boulevard. • This intersection is currently served by two bus lines with a frequency of service interval of 20 minutes or less during the morning and afternoon peak commute periods: Foothill Transit 187 and Metro 266.
2. The intersection of Foothill Boulevard and Sierra Madre Villa Avenue is identified as an MTS in the SCAG 2050 RTP, the Regional Transportation Plan that applies to Pasadena. • Per GC 65915(o)(3), a site is considered to be within ½-mile of an MTS if any point of the site is within ½-mile of an MTS.
• Utilizing official City and SCAG mapping tools, the project site is:
> 0.49 mile from the Foothill/Rosemead & 0.46 mile from the Foothill/Sierra Madre Villa MTS.
Planning & Community Development Department
Major Transit Stops
17 Project Site
Stop included in the SCAG
Regional Transportation Plan
(RTP, Connect SoCal 2024).
Applicable Major Transit Stops
The intersection of two bus routes
with a frequency of service interval
of 20 minutes or less during the
morning and afternoon peak
commute periods:
• Foothill Transit 187
• Metro 266
Planning & Community Development Department
Staff Response to Appeal Point No. 2
18 • Per SDBL, the city shall not impose vehicular parking standards if a qualifying development has unobstructed access to an MTS, per GC Section 65915(p)(2)(B)):
> Unobstructed access to the MTS means “a resident is able to access the MTS without encountering natural or constructed impediments.
> Natural or constructed impediments includes, but is not limited to, freeways, rivers, mountains, and bodies of water, but does not include residential structures, shopping centers, parking lots, or rails used for transit.
• For the purposes of parking standards, there is unobstructed access to an MTS, because there are no freeways, rivers, mountains or bodies of water between the project site and the identified MTS.
Planning & Community Development Department
Staff Response to Appeal Point No. 3
19 3. The height proposed for Building B (the proposed southern building) will exceed the maximum height permitted by the Zoning Code for this location. • The height limit for this site based on its zoning designation is 38 feet. > Pursuant to SDBL, since the project is a 100% affordable housing development, and within ½-mile of an MTS, it automatically receives 33 feet in additional height, for a total height of up to 71 feet.
> The proposed building is 68 feet high and within the additional height incentive.
Planning & Community Development Department
Staff Response to Appeal Point No. 4
4. The Noise and Vibration Technical Report used to grant a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Class 32 Exemption was incomplete and/or inaccurate, in that it did not state or explain the aggregate noise levels caused by the proposed 150 HVAC outdoor condenser units and the impact on sensitive receptor sites.
• The Noise and Vibration Technical Study published in April 2026 evaluated the ambient noise level, estimated noise level, and aggregate noise level to sensitive receptors. • The proposed 150 HVAC condenser units will be arranged in clusters across both buildings, and each cluster is set back from the edge of the roof and concealed by equipment screens. • The nearest distance from rooftop HVAC equipment to closest adjacent sensitive receptor property lines are 41 feet to the south and 52 feet to the east.
Completed Noise Study
• Analyzed the most conservative scenario with all 150 units operating at the same time from the nearest building setback distance (not distance to the HVAC equipment). • The ambient noise levels is 67 dBA at the south PL and 51 dBA along the east PL. • The estimated HVAC noise levels are 57.9 dBA at the south PL and 55.8 dBA at the east PL. This meets City standards (i.e., does not exceed ambient NOISE LEVELS BY 5 dBA at any PL). • The estimated noise levels do not account for noise reductions such as rooftop screening or other factors, such as atmospheric absorption, landscaping, or other intervening features that reduce sound transmission. 20 Planning & Community Development Department
Staff Response to Appeal Point No. 5
21 5. The application was incomplete, in that it lacked required and/or satisfactory information causing the Design Commission to add 39 Conditions of Approval related to Design and Historic Preservation, and additional Conditions of Approval related to other City departments.
• The application was deemed completed on April 1, 2026, consistent with the submittal checklist. The inclusion of conditions of approval is standard practice for design review, which are intended to:
> Address specific design features or elements of the project in greater detail during the plan check process;
> Modify proposed design features to ensure consistency with the design guidelines and/or provide additional information to ensure greater specificity of information provided in the application; > There are no pre-determined number of conditions that can be placed on an approval as each project is unique; and
> Recommended conditions are based on in-depth review of the project plans during drafting of the staff report, which can be amended by the Design Commission.
Planning & Community Development Department
Design Review Finding
• The project, upon implementation of the conditions of approval, will comply with the purposes of design review, the design-related goals and policies of the Land Use Element of the General Plan, design guidelines of the East Pasadena Specific Plan, and the Design Guidelines for Neighborhood Commercial and Multi-family Districts.
> The project is consistent with the High-Density Residential land use designation of the site in the General Plan and many of the General Plan’s guiding principles, goals and policies. > The project is consistent with the East Pasadena Specific Plan and the EPSP-d2-CO-D-2 zoning district.
> Staff and the Design Commission reviewed the project for consistency with the design guidelines and policies in the Land Use Element of the General Plan, the design guidelines in the East Pasadena Specific Plan and the Design Guidelines for Neighborhood Commercial and Multi-Family Residential Districts.
22 Planning & Community Development Department
Design Evolution
23 Preliminary Consultation
Initial Design Concept (PPR)
Planning & Community Development Department
Design Evolution
24 • Revised design presented to the Design Commission on April 14, 2026 (Consolidated Design Review):
> Introduction of a brick material at the base of the building, creating a stronger base. > Improved pedestrian scale at the entrance with lower wall height, entry stoop for the manager’s unit, enhanced entry portal into the courtyard/garden.
> Enhanced façade treatment with recessed windows, sunshades and awnings, stepped/articulated fifth floor (top section of the building).
> Increased modulation of the facades and roofline.
> Improved fenestration/balanced solid-to-void ratio to help minimize perceived mass and scale of the building.
Planning & Community Development Department
Design Evolution – Revised Design
25 Planning & Community Development Department
Staff Recommendation
It is recommended that the City Council:
1. Find that the project is Categorically Exempt from CEQA under Class 32, infill development projects;
2. Find that the project will comply with the purposes of design review, the design- related goals and policies of the Land Use Element of the General Plan, the design-related goals and policies of the East Pasadena Specific Plan and the Design Guidelines for Neighborhood Commercial & Multi - Family Residential Districts, that the removal of seven protected trees meets findings #2 and #6 of PMC Section 8.52.075.A (Tree Protection Ordinance), and that the record does not support that the concessions would not result in identifiable and actual cost reductions to provide affordable housing costs, would be contrary to state or federal law, or would have a specific adverse impact on the public health and safety or a listed state historical resource; and
3. Deny the appeal and approve the application for Consolidated Design Review subject to the conditions in Attachment B, which shall be further reviewed by the Design Commission Subcommittee and staff during plan check to ensure compliance. 26 Planning & Community Development Department
Quasi-Judicial Action: Appeal of
Design Commission’s Consolidated Design Review
Approval for a New Multi-Family Development
600 N. Rosemead Boulevard
City Council
May 18, 2026
Planning & Community Development Department
28 Design Evolution
• Preliminary Consultation comments:
> Draw influences from the mid-century design of the existing office building. > Ensure an appropriate mass and scale consistent with the development and surrounding context. > Increase/deepen the recess of the modulation the front elevation. > Break up or step the long roofline along the rear elevation. > Introduce a projecting band at the top of the fourth floor. > Further differentiate the broken-up façades from each other. > Design the top section of the building consistently along all facades. > Define the unit entries to create focal points.
> Achieve an appropriate human scale at the ground plane.
Planning & Community Development Department
Project Background – Density Bonus Law
City’s Zoning Code SDBL Proposed Project
Maximum Density 103 units
(or 48 units/acre) No maximum 133 units
(or 62 units/acre)
Maximum Height 38 feet 71 feet 68 feet
Minimum Parking
201 spaces for units +
14 guest spaces =
215 spaces
No minimum 55 spaces
29 • Comparison of standards:
Planning & Community Development Department
Land Use
30 • Examples of Residential Use, allowed by-right:
> Multi-family;
> Supportive Housing; and
> Transitional Housing .
• State Law requires Supportive and Transitional Housing to be allowed where residential is allowed.
> Subject to the same development standards.
• These residential uses are eligible to utilize SDBL, and afforded the same density bonus, incentives, concessions, and waivers.
Planning & Community Development Department
Definitions
31 • Supportive Housing:
> Housing with no limit on length of stay, that is occupied by the target population as defined by the state Government Code Section 65582, and that is linked to an on-site or off-site service that assists the supportive housing resident in retaining the housing, improving his or her health status, and maximizing his or her ability to live and, when possible, work in the community;
• Transitional Housing:
> Buildings configured as rental housing developments, but operated under program requirements that require the termination of assistance and recirculating of the assisted unit to another eligible program recipient at a predetermined future point in time that shall be no less than six months from the beginning of the assistance.
Planning & Community Development Department
Definitions
32 • Target Population, Government Code Section 65582, means persons with low incomes who:
> Have one or more disabilities, including:
o Mental Illness;
o HIV or AIDS;
o Substance Abuse; or
o Other Chronic health condition; or
> Individuals eligible for services provided pursuant to the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act, such as:
o Homeless people;
o Veterans;
o Individuals exiting from institutional settings; and
o Emancipated minors, families with children, elderly persons, young adults aging out of the foster care system.
Planning & Community Development Department
Applicable Design Guidelines
Design-Related Policies in the Land Use Element of the General Plan:
4.10: Locate and design buildings to relate to and frame major public streets, open spaces, and cityscape. New development at intersections should consider any number of corner treatments, and should balance safety and accessibility concerns with the vision of the area and the need for buildings to engage the street and create a distinct urban edge.
4.11: Require that development demonstrates a contextual relationship with neighboring structures and sites addressing such elements as building scale, massing, orientation, setbacks, buffering, the arrangement of shared and private open spaces, visibility, privacy, automobile and truck access, impacts of noise and lighting, landscape quality, infrastructure, and aesthetics.
7.1: Design each building as a high-quality, long term addition to the City’s urban fabric; exterior design and building materials shall exhibit permanence and quality, minimize maintenance concerns, and extend the life of the building.
7.2: Allow for the development of a diversity of buildings styles. Support innovative and creative design solutions to issues related to context and environmental sustainability.
7.3: Require that new and adaptively re-used buildings are designed to respect and complement the defining built form, massing, scale, modulation, and architectural detailing of their contextual setting.
25.4: Require that new development protect community character by providing architecture, landscaping, and urban design of equal or greater quality than existing and by respecting the architectural character and scale of adjacent buildings. 33 Planning & Community Development Department
Applicable Design Guidelines
East Pasadena Specific Plan:
Section 6.5: Private Realm Design Guidelines for all Subareas:
6.5.2: Building Architecture, Massing and Height
• …The specific plan recommends that building designs should have an elegant, timeless and permanent quality to the heritage and climate of Pasadena. Buildings should not be copies of historic buildings but should draw from their positive features. Features of this type of character include:
o Consistent materials and color palette;
o Articulated building planes and height to create a pleasing variety and pedestrian scale; o Emphasis on horizontal lines and buildings that integrate the indoors with the outside; o Arcades, awnings, trellises and canopies for shade;
o Design emphasis on entrances to shops and paseos;
o Fountains, courtyards and landscaped features and elements of Pasadena’s architectural heritage in high activity areas… • To promote a “pedestrian-friendly” character and avoid large blocky facades, building facades should be articulated with awnings, pilasters, bay windows, a distinct base, recessed display windows, a cornice or varied roofline. o Buildings should be designed to be attractive from all directions. Where rear or sides of buildings are visible from adjacent streets, these facades shall receive equal design treatment as the front or main façade. o Variation of roof line height and planes is encouraged to create a lively environment. 34 Planning & Community Development Department
Applicable Design Guidelines
Design Guidelines for Neighborhood Commercial and Multi-family Residential Districts:
1.5: The constituent parts of new projects (building, open space, landscape, parking) should be internally integrated in image and form, while relating compatibly to those of neighboring buildings.
2.2 Activating the street. New multi-family and mixed-use buildings should be designed with frontages that activate the street by providing direct access to their ground floor dwellings and commercial spaces.
4.2 Windows and doorways should be designed to reflect the character and size of the rooms to which they belong. The composition of street and courtyard-facing elevations should organize these windows, doors, and the space between them into a clear and legible pattern and appropriate to both the style of the building and the scale of the street it faces.
5.1 Provide well-marked, articulated building entrances oriented to streets and public space.
7.1 Buildings should be scale to respond to their context by sensitively and positively addressing the scale and massing of their adjacent neighbors.
7.2 The rear and/or side elevations of new buildings that are visible from the public realm should be designed with equal care and quality as the front or principal façade.
7.3 The placement and size of windows in side yards and rear yards should respect the privacy and need for light and air of existing buildings.
10.3 If blank walls cannot be avoided, then they should be detailed, painted, or landscaped in a manner that renders the walls attractive to pedestrians. Applicants should explain why the use of a blank wall or walls cannot be avoided in the design narrative submittal as described in Appendix A3.
11.1: All buildings should incorporate: a full array of architectural elements associated with their chosen style; the compositional, structural, and constructional logic associated with that style; and the material logic associated with that style. 35 Planning & Community Development Department
Applicable Design Guidelines
Design Guidelines for Neighborhood Commercial and Multi-family Residential Districts (cont.):
11.2 The style of a new building should be clear and consistent, whether traditional or contemporary. Hybrid projects are discouraged.
11.4 Contemporary architecture. Buildings designed in contemporary styles may adhere to a set of rules that is established and followed through by the designer. The design strategy must be described in conformance with Appendix A3 (Preliminary Review).
12.2 For buildings large enough to be composed of more than one volume, an architectural logic, such as a clear hierarchy of massing, should be evident.
12.4 Proportion. Building masses and building facades should be designed with simple, harmonious proportions. Arbitrary proportions should be avoided. All architectural elements (porches, balconies, canopies, doors, windows, etc.) should relate stylistically and proportionally to one another.
14.1 Details. Window and door assemblies should be chosen that conform to the precedents of traditional styles or the intentions of contemporary design in terms of material, dimension, and detail.
14.3: Configurations. The orientation and proportion of openings should be consistent with the architectural language chosen for a project. Openings should relate to one another according to a clear system of composition and structure. a. The orientation and proportion of openings should be consistent with the architectural language chosen for a project. Openings should relate to one another according to a clear system of composition and structure. c. Building elevations should exhibit a hierarchy of window sizes to differentiate the more formal rooms from the more informal rooms.
36 Planning & Community Development Department
Applicable Design Guidelines
Design Guidelines for Neighborhood Commercial and Multi-family Residential Districts (cont.):
16.2: Amenities. Courtyards and forecourts should provide design elements such as seating areas, fountains, and/or outdoor fireplaces to encourage their use as outdoor rooms or gathering places.
16.8: Paving materials should be consistent with the architectural language of the building. Unit pavers are preferred over stamped concrete.
18.0: Landscape and hardscape. Landscape and hardscape should enhance the character of new buildings, address the Pasadena climate, an facilitate sustainable water use and drainage strategies.
18.1: Landscape and hardscape design should be compatible with the chosen architectural style of a building. 37 Planning & Community Development Department
Council Options
• Approve as proposed.
• Approve with modifications.
• Disapprove based on inconsistency with design standards. • Remand any new information provided to the Design
Commission for a report, prior to the Council’s final decision on the appeal.
38 Planning & Community Development Department
SDBL Definitions
39 Concession: Means any of the following:
• (1) A reduction in site development standards or a modification of zoning code requirements or architectural design requirements that exceed the minimum building standards approved by the California Building Standards Commission as provided in Part 2.5 (commencing with Section 18901) of Division 13 of the Health and Safety Code, including, but not limited to, a reduction in setback and square footage requirements and in the ratio of vehicular parking spaces that would otherwise be required that results in identifiable and actual cost reductions, to provide for affordable housing costs, as defined in Section 50052.5 of the Health and Safety Code, or for rents for the targeted units to be set as specified in subdivision (c).
• (2) Approval of mixed-use zoning in conjunction with the housing project if commercial, office, industrial, or other land uses will reduce the cost of the housing development and if the commercial, office, industrial, or other land uses are compatible with the housing project and the existing or planned development in the area where the proposed housing project will be located.
• (3) Other regulatory incentives or concessions proposed by the developer or the city, county, or city and county that result in identifiable and actual cost reductions to provide for affordable housing costs, as defined in Section 50052.5 of the Health and Safety Code, or for rents for the targeted units to be set as specified in subdivision (c).
Planning & Community Development Department
SDBL Definitions
40 Findings to Deny a Concession:
• An applicant for a density bonus pursuant to subdivision (b) may submit to a city, county, or city and county a proposal for the specific incentives or concessions that the applicant requests pursuant to this section, and may request a meeting with the city, county, or city and county. The city, county, or city and county shall grant the concession or incentive requested by the applicant unless the city, county, or city and county makes a written finding, based upon substantial evidence, of any of the following:
(A) The concession or incentive does not result in identifiable and actual cost reductions, consistent with subdivision (k), to provide for affordable housing costs, as defined in Section 50052.5 of the Health and Safety Code, or for rents for the targeted units to be set as specified in subdivision (c). (B) The concession or incentive would have a specific, adverse impact, as defined in paragraph (2) of subdivision (d) of Section 65589.5, upon public health and safety or on any real property that is listed in the California Register of Historical Resources and for which there is no feasible method to satisfactorily mitigate or avoid the specific, adverse impact without rendering the development unaffordable to low-income and moderate-income households. (C) The concession or incentive would be contrary to state or federal law." Planning & Community Development Department | Design Commission Concessions
Under SDBL, the project is allowed up to five concessions from the development standards of the Zoning Code. The applicant requests the following five concessions:
1. Reduced Front Yard Setback: A 10-foot front yard setback reduction in lieu of the average blockface requirement, where a minimum of 20 feet is required, pursuant to PMC Section 17.22.070.B.
2. Increased Length of the Street Façade: From the maximum 60 feet allowed to 200 feet, pursuant to PMC Section 17.22.070.E.1.
3. Exemption from Garden Requirements: From the RM-48 main garden requirement for multifamily projects in the EPSP-d2-CO-D-2 zoning district pursuant to PMC Section 17.22.080.
4. Alternative Open Space Standards: Utilize the Adaptive Reuse open space development standards in lieu of the required RM-48 garden standards for multifamily projects, pursuant to PMC Section
17.50.030.F.
5. Deviate from the Parking Location Requirement: Provide a parking structure that is not located within the rear 40% of the site in lieu of the parking location requirement for podium buildings, pursuant to PMC Section 17.46.020.K.4.
41 Planning & Community Development Department
SDBL Definitions
42 Waiver:
• In no case may a city, county, or city and county apply any development standard that will have the effect of physically precluding the construction of a development meeting the criteria of subdivision (b) at the densities or with the concessions or incentives permitted by this section. Subject to paragraph (3), an applicant may submit to a city, county, or city and county a proposal for the waiver or reduction of development standards that will have the effect of physically precluding the construction of a development meeting the criteria of subdivision (b) at the densities or with the concessions or incentives permitted under this section, and may request a meeting with the city, county, or city and county.
Planning & Community Development Department
SDBL Definitions
43 Findings to Deny a Waiver:
• The city would have to find that if the waiver would have a specific, adverse impact, as defined in paragraph (2) of subdivision (d) of Section 65589.5, upon health or safety, and for which there is no feasible method to satisfactorily mitigate or avoid the specific, adverse impact.
• 65589.5(d)(2): “specific, adverse impact” means a significant, quantifiable, direct, and unavoidable impact, based on objective, identified written public health or safety standards, policies, or conditions as they existed on the date the application was deemed complete. The following shall not constitute a specific, adverse impact upon the public health or safety:
(A) Inconsistency with the zoning ordinance or general plan land use designation. (B) The eligibility to claim a welfare exemption under subdivision (g) of Section 214 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.
Planning & Community Development Department
Tree Inventory
44 • 41 trees on site
• 27 trees are protected under the City’s Protection Ordinance • 14 trees are proposed to be removed (7 are protected and 7 are non-protected trees) Planning & Community Development Department
Findings for Tree Removal
45 Finding No. 2:
• The removal of tree nos. 33 and 34 can be approved under finding #2 of the Tree Protection Ordinance, which states, “the present condition of the trees is such that they are not reasonably likely to survive” over time as a result of a number of factors, including widespread desiccation and leaf scorch caused by general drought stress, reflective heat, and chronic soil compaction.
Finding No. 6:
• Tree no. 22, 23, 35, 36, and 37 meet finding #6 of the Tree Protection Ordinance, which states, “the project, as defined in Section 17.80.020, includes a landscape design plan that emphasizes a tree canopy that is sustainable over the long term by adhering to the replacement matrix prepared by the city manager and included in the associated administrative guidelines.”
Planning & Community Development Department
Tree Replacement Matrix
46 • Required replacement trees:
> 32 24-inch box or
> 16 36-inch box
> Species from specimen or native tree lists
• Proposed new trees:
> 33 24-inch box
> 8 36-inch box
> All from specimen tree list
• Proposal complies with Tree Replacement
Matrix
Planning & Community Development Department
Class 32 Exemption Criteria
47 Project determined to be exempt from environmental review pursuant to CEQA, §15332, Class 32, In-Fill Development Projects. To qualify for this exemption, a project is required to meet the following criteria:
a) The project is consistent with the applicable general plan designation and all applicable general plan policies as well as wi th applicable zoning designation and regulations.
> As described in detail in this report and supporting attachments, the project is consistent with the applicable general plan designation, all applicable general plan policies and the applicable zoning designation and regulations. The project does not require any variances and meets all applicable development standards including the multiple standards that are required for City of Gardens projects. The project is providing affordable units and is utilizing SDBL to achieve a density bonus, use concessions to reduce the front yard, increase the street façade length, exempt the project from the main garden requirements, provide alternative open space and deviate from parking location. These are permitted concessions and waivers under SDBL. b) The proposed development occurs within city limits on a project site of no more than five acres substantially surrounded by u rban uses. > The project site is located within city limits, is less than one acre in size, and surrounded by urban uses including offices and single- and multi-family residences.
c) The project site has no value as habitat for endangered, rare or threatened species. > The site is a previously developed lot, surrounded by urban uses, with no value as habitat for any special status species. d) Approval of the project would not result in any significant effects relating to traffic, noise, air quality, or water quality . > The technical studies in Attachment E demonstrate that the project will not result in any significant effects relating to traffi c, noise or air quality. The project will adhere to applicable regulations and permitting requirements by the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board and the City’s Standard Urban Stormwater Mitigation Plan ordinance and will not have impacts to water quality. e) The site can be adequately served by all required utilities and public services. > The project has been reviewed by all utility providers, which determined that they are able to serve the project.
Planning & Community Development Department
Class 32 Exemption, Exceptions
48 In addition, to qualify for any CEQA exemption, the project must meet the following criteria per §15300.2 (Exceptions):
a. Location. Classes 3, 4, 5, 6, and 11 are qualified by consideration of where the project is to be located – a project that is ordinarily insignificant in its impact on the environment may in a particularly sensitive environment be significant. Therefore, these classes are considered to apply all instances, except where the project may impact on an environmental resource of hazardous or critical concern where designated, precisely mapped, and officially adopted pursuant to law by federal, state, or local agencies.
The proposed project qualifies for a Class 32 exemption and therefore this exception is not applicable. b. Cumulative Impact. All exemptions for these classes are inapplicable when the cumulative impact of successive projects of the same type in the same place, over time is significant.
There are no other proposed projects of the same type in the same place as the proposed project. There are no projects of the same type within the immediate area, and the closest multi-family residential project is located approximately 0.60 miles south at 170 N. Halstead Street, the recently completed Rose Town Apartments with 48 dwelling units, which is significantly lower in density than the proposed project. c. Significant Effect. A categorical exemption shall not be used for an activity where there is a reasonable possibility that the activity will have a significant effect on the environment due to unusual circumstances.
There are no unusual circumstances associated with the proposed project. It is a land use that is authorized to be developed on the site by the Zoning Code and located on a previously developed lot in an urban area of the City of Pasadena. There are no other features that distinguish this from other in-fill projects in the exempt class.
Planning & Community Development Department
Class 32 Exemption Exceptions cont.
49 d. Scenic Highways. A categorical exemption shall not be used for a project which may result in damage to scenic resources, including but not limited to, trees, historic buildings, rock outcroppings, or similar resources, within a highway officially designated as a state scenic highway. This does not apply to improvements which are required as mitigation by an adopted negative declaration or certified EIR.
The only designated state scenic highway in the City of Pasadena is the Angeles Crest Highway (State Highway 2), which is located north of Arroyo Seco Canyon in the extreme northwest portion of the City. The project site is not within the viewshed of the Angeles Crest Highway. Therefore, the proposed project would have no impacts to designated state scenic highways.
e. Hazardous Waste Sites. A categorical exemption shall not be used for a project located on a site which is included on any list compiled pursuant to Section 65962.5 of the Government Code.
The project site is not included on a list of hazardous waste sites compiled pursuant to Section 65962.5 of the Government Code. f. Historical Resources. A categorical exemption shall not be used for a project which may cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a historical resource.
The project site is a developed lot and does not contain any historical resources. The existing office building was evaluated through the Historic Resource Evaluation (HRE) process and determined to be ineligible for designation as a landmark. The adjoining commercial and single-family residential buildings are also not historic resources or located within a historic or landmark district. The closest historic resource is The Stuart Pharmaceutical Building at 3360 E. Foothill Boulevard, which is about 0.60 miles south of the project site, which would not be affected by the project.
Planning & Community Development Department | Design Commission State Density Bonus Law
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• Project is utilizing SDBL.
• 100% affordable projects within ½ mile of a major transit stop are eligible for:
o Unlimited density;
o Three additional stories above Zoning allowance (33 additional feet); o No minimum parking requirement;
o Five concessions; and
o Unlimited waivers.
Planning & Community Development Department | Design Commission Major Transit Stop
Public Resources Code §21064.3
• “Major transit stop” means a site containing any of the following:
a) An existing rail or bus rapid transit station.
b) A ferry terminal served by either a bus or rail transit service. c) The intersection of two or more major bus routes with a frequency of service interval of 20 minutes or less during the morning and afternoon peak commute periods.
• Project qualifies under definition “c”
51 Planning & Community Development Department | Design Commission Transit Priority Project
Public Resources Code §21155
• (b) For purposes of this chapter, a transit priority project shall (…) • (3) be within ½-mile of a major transit stop or high-quality transit corridor included in a regional transportation plan. A major transit stop is as defined in Section 21064.3 (previous slide), except that, for purposes of this section, it also includes major transit stops that are included in the applicable regional transportation plan. • Note: This section, also defines high-quality transit corridors and provides a methodology for measuring distance of a project to a major transit stop or high-quality transit corridor but these don’t apply to projects utilizing SDBL. 52 Planning & Community Development Department | Design Commission Projects Seeking Density Bonus
• GC §65915(o) outlines specific definitions that are applicable when considering a project that’s seeking a density bonus
• GC §65915(o)(5) directs us to look at PRC §21155 (b) for the definition of a major transit stop (previous two slides).
• GC §65915(o)(3) in particular states: “Located within ½-mile of a major transit stop” means that any point on a proposed development, for which an applicant seeks a density bonus, other incentives or concessions, waivers or reductions of development standards, or a vehicular parking ratio pursuant to this section, is within ½-mile of any point on the property on which a major transit stop is located, including any parking lot owned by the transit authority or other local agency operating the major transit stop.
> Therefore, for a project utilizing Density Bonus, we refer to PRC §21155 to describe what a major transit stop is and also refer to the definition in GC §65915(o)(3) (above) specifically for location criteria. If a project is not utilizing density bonus, then the definition in PRC §21155 is what applies. • GC§65915(p)(2)(b) states that impediments to access include freeways, rivers, mountains, and bodies of water, but does not include residential structures, shopping centers, parking lots, or rails used for transit.
53 Planning & Community Development Department
Staff Response Appeal Point No. 1 cont.
54 • Furthermore, the Land Use Element states:
> East Pasadena is the second most intensive center for employment and a regional retail area of the City, providing jobs, goods and services to the City. The vision for this area is to provide additional employment opportunities by facilitating expansion of existing businesses and development of new businesses, while adding new housing opportunities to enable residents to live close to jobs and transit. Most of the area could be infilled by a mix of commercial, offices, and housing. Large parcels would be encouraged to be redeveloped as a cohesive and walkable district with development concentrated in proximity to the Sierra Madre Villa Metro Gold Line station, and establishment of a more traditional street grid. The Sierra Madre Villa Transit Village is transitioning from a suburban to a semi-urban environment with higher-density mixed-use developments incorporating retail, office and housing uses to provide increased opportunities to walk and use transit.
Planning & Community Development Department
Site Plan
55 Planning & Community Development Department
Second and Third Floor Plans (existing Building A)
56 2nd Floor
3rd Floor
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Roof Plan (existing Building A)
57 Roof Plan
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East and West Elevations (existing Building A)
58 West Elevation (front)
East Elevation (rear)
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North and South Elevations (existing Building A)
59 North Elevation South Elevation
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Ground Floor Plan (Building B)
60Ground Floor
Planning & Community Development Department
Second Floor Plan (Building B)
612nd Floor
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Third and Fourth Floor Plans (Building B)
623rd and 4th Floors – Stacked Units
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Fifth Floor Plan (Building B)
63 Roof Terrace
Roof
Terrace
5th Floor
Planning & Community Development Department
Roof Plan (Building B)
64Roof Plan
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West and East Elevations (Building B)
65 West Elevation (front)
East Elevation (rear)
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North and South Elevations (Building B)
66 South Elevation
North Elevation
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Landscape Plans
67 Overall Landscape Plan
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Landscape Plans – Roof Terraces (Building B)
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