PLANNING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
STAFF REPORT
DATE: JUNE 10, 2026
TO: PLANNING COMMISSION
FROM: JASON MIKAELIAN, AICP, ACTING DIRECTOR OF PLANNING &
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
SUBJECT: ZONING MAP AMENDMENT TO DESIGNATE A LANDMARK DISTRICT OVERLAY FOR THE MESITA ROAD LANDMARK DISTRICT FOR 1070, 1085, 1105, 1125, 1150, 1155, AND 1175 MESITA ROAD
___________________________________________________________________________ RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Planning Commission:
1. Recommend that the City Council find that the proposed project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Section 15308 (Class 8, Actions by Regulatory Agencies for Protection of the Environment) and that there are no features that distinguish this project from others in the exempt class and, therefore, there are no unusual circumstances; and
2. Recommend that the City Council adopt the findings to approve the Zoning Map Amendment (Attachment A).
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION:
On March 3, 2026 the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) considered a Landmark District Designation application to designate the proposed Mesita Road Landmark District. The HPC recommended, by a vote of 8-0, that the City Council find that the application is categorically exempt from CEQA pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Section 15308 (Class 8, Actions by Regulatory Agencies for Protection of the Environment) and find that the application meets the criteria for designation pursuant to Pasadena Municipal Code (PMC) Section 17.62.040.G.
Please refer to Attachment B, HPC staff report, for a detailed analysis of the landmark designation.
ATTACHMENT F
Planning Commission
Landmark District Designation – Mesita Road
June 10, 2026
BACKGROUND:
On June 24, 2025, Katja M. Guenther, on behalf of supporting property owners in the proposed landmark district, submitted an application for eligibility review of the designation of the Mesita Road Landmark District. The staff evaluated the district according to the landmark district designation criteria and on September 2, 2025 issued a Notice of Decision that determined that the district meets the applicable criteria for approval. Prior to the decision being made, staff conducted a virtual informational meeting on August 27, 2025, and sent notice to all property owners within the district boundary.
On December 31, 2025, Katja M. Guenther submitted an application for formal review of the designation of the Mesita Road Landmark District. Staff has reviewed the material submitted and confirmed that the application meets the applicable criteria for approval. On March 3, 2026, the Historic Preservation Commission reviewed the application, determined that it meets the applicable criteria, and recommended that the City Council approve the application.
ANALYSIS:
Designation Process
Landmark District Designation applications require the following steps as part of the approval process:
1. Eligibility review, by the Director of Planning & Community Development (“Director”), to determine if the application meets the criteria for designation. This step was completed on September 2, 2025.
2. Formal review of the landmark designation application, by the HPC, to determine if the application meets the applicable criteria and make a recommendation to the City Council. This step was completed on March 3, 2026.
3. Zoning Map Amendment review by the Planning Commission, to designate a Landmark District Overlay, and make a recommendation to the City Council on the amendment.
4. Recommendations on the landmark designation from the HPC and the Zoning Map Amendment from the Commission will be considered by the City Council at a public hearing. If approved, the Council would adopt an ordinance for the Zoning Map Amendment. This final step would occur later in the landmark designation process at a separate noticed public hearing.
Support from Property Owners
The Zoning Code states that the Commission may consider the Zoning Map Amendment application only if the application is accompanied by a final petition with signatures from at least 51 percent of the property owners. In the final petition (Attachment C), 57 percent of the property owners in the district boundaries have signified their support for district designation in writing. No formal opposition to the Landmark District Designation application has been received as of the date of this report writing.
Planning Commission
Landmark District Designation – Mesita Road
June 10, 2026
Landmark District Overlays
As outlined above in Step 3, the Commission’s role in the Landmark District Designation process is to consider a Zoning Map Amendment to establish a Landmark District (LD) Overlay zoning district for the proposed Mesita Road Landmark District. LD Overlay zoning districts are depicted on the Zoning Map by adding the suffix “LD” to the base zoning district designation, followed by the number of the LD district based on order of adoption. For example, this application would be the 30th landmark district and could be depicted as RS-4 HD-LD-30 (Single-Family Residential, 4 du/ac, Hillside Overlay District, Landmark District 30). The LD Overlay would not change the land uses allowed in the base zoning district or the applicable development standards.
Proposed Landmark District Description
There are seven properties in the proposed LD Overlay. The proposed boundaries of the overlay are limited to both sides of Mesita Road, which is a private road that services all seven residences within the proposed district, west of Sierra Madre Villa Avenue, and extends to the rear property line of each property (see Attachment D). The table below identifies the existing zoning district, land use designation, and current use of each property within the proposed overlay.
Address Existing Zoning Existing Land Use Designation Current Use 1070 Mesita Road RS-4 HD Low Density Residential Single-Family 1085 Mesita Road RS-4 HD Low Density Residential Single-Family 1105 Mesita Road RS-4 HD Low Density Residential Single-Family 1125 Mesita Road RS-4 HD Low Density Residential Single-Family 1150 Mesita Road RS-4 HD Low Density Residential Single-Family 1155 Mesita Road RS-4 HD Low Density Residential Single-Family 1175 Mesita Road RS-4 HD Low Density Residential Single-Family
All buildings in the proposed district were built between 1949–1958, with most of the homes built in the early 1950’s and one building was built in 1958. These houses in the district represent a strong collection of architect-designed buildings that, with one exception, were designed by architect Harold B. Zook. The houses were built by different contractors, including J. Shelton Gordon, Frederick J. Zimowski, E.A. Daniell Co., A.F. Bredthauer, R. Johnson, and Evald C.
Moller. Frederick J. Zimowski constructed two of the seven houses in the proposed district. See Attachments E and F for construction information and photographs of each specific property
Results of Designation
Landmark District designations protect the historic and architectural character of a neighborhood by requiring submittal of an application for Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) for exterior changes that are visible from the street. Demolitions, relocations and new construction are also reviewed in landmark districts. Reviews of alterations and demolitions of non-contributing structures are required, as well as of contributing structures; however, according to the guidelines, more changes are permitted on non-contributing structures because they have few, if any, features that need to be preserved. Six of the seven properties within the proposed district are contributing structures and one is non-contributing.
Planning Commission
Landmark District Designation – Mesita Road
June 10, 2026
The COA application ensures that exterior changes to the buildings within the district are consistent with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and the Design Guidelines for Historic Districts, which will ensure compatibility with the historic character of the district and preservation of important publicly visible exterior historical features of the buildings within the district. Finally, as demonstrated in the submitted petition, a majority of the property owners within the district boundaries support the designation. Based on this analysis, staff finds that the proposal will not be detrimental to the public interest, health, safety, convenience, or general welfare of the City.
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION:
The proposed Zoning Map Amendment qualifies for a categorical exemption pursuant to Section 15308, Class 8 of the CEQA Guidelines. Class 8 exemptions consist of actions taken by regulatory agencies, as authorized by state or local ordinance, to assure the maintenance, restoration, enhancement, or protection of the environment where the regulatory process involves procedures for the protection of the environment.
Planning Commission
Landmark District Designation – Mesita Road
June 10, 2026
CONCLUSION:
Four of the seven property owners support the Landmark District Designation application, exceeding the required 51 percent and the findings for the Zoning Map Amendment can be made. Staff recommends that the Planning Commission recommend that the City Council find that the proposed project is exempt from CEQA and that the findings be adopted to approve the Zoning Map Amendment to designate an LD Overlay for the proposed Mesita Road Landmark District.
Attachments (6):
A. Findings for Zoning Map Amendment
B. HPC Staff Report dated March 3, 2026
C. Final Petition
D. Map of Proposed District
E. Inventory of Properties
F. Photographs
Respectfully Submitted,
______________________________
Jason Mikaelian, AICP
Acting Director of Planning & Community
Development Department
Prepared by:
_____________________________
Rathar Duong
Senior Planner
Reviewed by:
______________________________
Kevin Johnson
Principal Planner