At it’s meeting Monday, the Pasadena City Council reviewed a pre-development plan for an East Pasadena drive-through Starbucks.
The ARBA Group, Inc. wants to build a 2,380 square-foot drive-through Starbuck’s on a parking lot at 3333 E. Foothill Blvd., near the corner of Sierra Madre Villa Avenue and next to an El Torito restaurant on the same site.
The proposed project is also located within a Transit-Oriented District (TOD) area where drive-through restaurants are prohibited.
The project is less than a mile from the Sierra Madre Villa Gold Line station.
The project is opposed by the preservation group Pasadena Heritage.
“I want to express concern on behalf of Pasadena Heritage in regards to the proposed drive through restaurant at the corner of E. Foothill Blvd. and Sierra Madre Villa Ave. which we believe runs contrary to the goals and visions of the soon to be completed East Pasadena Specific Plan,” wrote Andrew Salimian, Pasadena Heritage preservation director.
Salimian called the high level of traffic in the area neighborhood’s “one main drawback.”
“There is a reason why drive-through uses are not permitted in TOD areas — they detract from the sense of place and walkability goals of the area,” Salimian wrote. “We ask the City Council to respect the community-driven vision of the area. Perhaps there is an alternative solution that can maintain those goals while allowing for redevelopment of this site, but we are not convinced this proposal is the right solution.”
According to the city’s website, the East Pasadena Specific Plan focuses on facilitating the expansion of existing businesses and development of new businesses to provide additional employment opportunities for Pasadena residents, as well as the addition of new housing opportunities to enable residents to live close to jobs and transit.
The city is in the process of updating all of its specific plans.
“This might be an action that’s considered during the specific plan update process,” Planning Director David Reyes said on Monday.
It would take a text amendment to the city’s zoning code to allow the drive-through. A text amendment changes the restrictions that apply to the property’s zoning district to allow the desired use.
The applicant cannot initiate a text amendment.
Typically projects do not come before the City Council if they are prohibited. According to Reyes, it has happened just once in the past nine years with a Huntington Hospital project that resulted in a text amendment.
Another project involving a drive-through restaurant that would require a variance could soon come before the council.
“We have a couple of drive-through issues,” Reyes said. “I think potentially there is a policy discussion to be had with respect to drive-throughs.”
The proposed building would be set back approximately 28 feet from the property line fronting Foothill Boulevard and approximately 60 feet from the property line fronting Sierra Madre Villa Avenue in order to accommodate landscaping and the drive aisle for the restaurant.
A 550 square-foot outdoor patio would be located adjacent to the drive aisle and restaurant, but largely inaccessible to pedestrians walking along Foothill Boulevard and Sierra Madre Villa Avenue.
Design review is not required for a project of this size in East Pasadena. However, the applicant has been encouraged to reconsider the location of the drive aisle in order to locate the building and patio closer to the street intersection, creating a more pedestrian-friendly configuration that aligns with the goals of the Sierra Madre Villa Transit Village.
An online search showed 18 existing Starbuck’s locations in Pasadena 3 of which are drive-through.
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2 thoughts on “Council Reviews Pre-Development Plan for Drive-Through Starbucks in East Pasadena”
There is a drive-through-only Starbucks at Foothill and Altadena, and a drive-through and sit down Starbucks at Rosemead and Del Mar. There is no significant need for another drive-through Starbucks in East Pasadena.
I am totally opposed to the Starbucks Drive Through at this particular area. It is bad enough that we have upcoming new businesses coming into the area as well as the adult community adult center. There’s already an existing Starbucks Drive Through on San Gabriel Blvd and Foothill Blvd. We don’t need another drive through. Also, the holidays are soon coming and parking will be a premium if the Starbucks Drive Through goes through. In 2019, the parking lot in front of Best Buy was unaccessible due to the heavy amount of shoppers. My sister drove around the parking lot looking for parking during the day. She had to drop me off in front of Best Buy while she parked in front of Old Navy. We already have a walk in Starbucks near Ross Department Store. What will be come of those workers? What about traffic congestion in the area? What about future housing and businesses that will be built at the Space Bank facility? We have new businesses coming in soon and the holidays coming and the community. adult center once classes are allowed back on site. What’s wrong with the zoning planning committee and the building committee and the traffic control. Has there been any studies taken? Just wondering. I am opposing this potential Starbucks drive through. Thank you. Josie Porraz.