Design Commission to Review Draft Specific Plans For Fair Oaks/Orange Grove and North Lake Avenue

Pasadena’s Department of Planning and Community Development will provide the Design Commission with updates on the Fair Oaks/Orange Grove and North Lake Specific Plan areas on Tuesday, May 18, as part of Round 3 of the community engagement process to update the city’s specific plans and applicable zoning code sections. 

Updating the specific plans is a key action item to ensure consistency with the updated land use element and further the goals of Pasadena’s General Plan. 

Pasadena started updating its specific plans in 2018, identifying eight specific plan areas in order to implement a number of goals within the city’s General Plan. 

Specifically on urban design, the new specific plans aim to achieve a built-environment that evolves while maintaining Pasadena’s unique sense of place, character, and the urban fabric; encourage an architecturally distinguished city with a diversity of building styles; further contribute to a safe, well-designed, accessible city with a diversity of uses and forms that are walkable, cohesive, and unique; and initiate new development that contributes to 

pedestrian vitality and facilitates bicycle use within the Specific Plan areas.

Since the launch of the updating program, more and more members of the Pasadena community have engaged in the process by viewing the program website, www.OurPasadena.org, signing up for email updates, following Our Pasadena on social media, participating in a pop-up event or youth activity, attending a plan-area workshop, and participating in a virtual open house.

The Planning Department hosted a series of educational communitywide open houses in March 2018 to introduce the program and solicit input on community values and concerns for each of the specific plan areas. 

Between May and July 2018, the Planning Department held Round 1 of the specific plan area workshops to solicit input on plan vision, desired land uses, and urban form for each of the areas. Round 1 for the Fair Oaks/Orange Grove Specific Plan was held on July 12, 2018, and Round 1 for the North Lake Specific Plan was held on June 21, 2018.

Round 2 of the workshops for the Fair Oaks/Orange Grove Specific Plan was held on April 11, 2019, and Round 2 for the North Lake Specific Plan was held on May 30, 2019.

Between October 2018 and February 2019, the Planning Department co-hosted several walking tours with City Council members and staff to solicit input on the pedestrian experience of each of the plan areas. The walking tour for the Fair Oaks/Orange Grove Specific Plan was held on July 20, 2019, and that for the North Lake Specific Plan was held on April 6, 2019.

Other community activities related to the specific plan updates included pop-up events and engagements with youth organizations in the city to encourage the younger population to share their perspectives on what will make Pasadena a better community.

With the COVID-19 restrictions, the Planning Department last year shifted to virtual open houses, webinars, and commission meetings while continuing to engage the community. 

The last round of virtual community workshops for Fair Oaks/Orange Grove and North Lake can be reviewed through www.ourpasadena.consultation.ai/fairoaksorangegrove and www.ourpasadena.consultation.ai/northlake. 

At Tuesday’s Design Commission meeting, the Planning Department will present the specifics of the Fair Oaks/Orange Grove and North Lake specific plan areas. 

Feedback from the Design Commission will help in the preparation of proposed plans that will be presented to the Planning Commission for review and recommendation to the City Council. 

Tuesday’s meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. and can be accessed through https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86183506218 or by calling (669) 900-6833 and using the webinar ID 861 8350 6218.

Public comments may be sent by email to mtakeda@cityofpasadena.net or through www.cityofpasadena.net/planning/public-comment.