Planning Commission Approves Zoning Code Amendment to Allow Multi-Family Affordable Housing on Religious Facility Sites

Pasadena’s Planning Commission on Wednesday voted 7-2 to approve proposed amendments to the city’s zoning code allowing multi-family affordable housing on religious facility property in zones that don’t currently allow housing.\

Since last year, the city has been discussing the use of underutilized parcels on church properties for housing.

In previous public hearings, some members of the Planning Commission recommended allowing affordable housing not just on church property but on property held by institutional facilities, such as schools and nonprofit facilities, but the final proposal that was voted upon by the commission recommended allowing affordable housing only on religious sites as a pilot program.

The amendment allows a maximum 75 dwelling units “by right,” but requires a Minor Conditional Use Permit for projects that will exceed the threshold.

“By right” projects are only subject to a review by the Design Commission — no hearing officer or Planning Commission bearings are required for a Conditional Use Permit or other discretionary entitlement.

In previous meetings, some members of the Planning Commission recommended allowing all projects to be 100 percent affordable but this was not incorporated in the final proposal.

Instead, the approved proposal provides that for sale projects are required to dedicate 80 percent of the total number of units for moderate-income households, a minimum of 50 percent of the units available to low-income households and 30 percent available to households earning 150 percent of the Area Median Income.

Projects with rental units will be required to include at least 80 percent units available to low-income households.

Commissioners Julianna Delgado and Carol Hunt Hernandez are the two commissioners who voted against the staff recommendation. They pushed for a continuance to give staff time to incorporate the commissioners’ suggestions and make clear the specific amendments that would go into the ordinance but this did not gain the support of the majority.

“The amendment really does not abide by any kind of equal protection rights which guarantees a level playing field which is the basic tenet of our democracy. All the same findings that we’re making for this kind of use, for one single use, we could make for all institutional uses,” Delgado said.

“I don’t understand why other nonprofits and other institutional uses aren’t included and why we shouldn’t be affording them the same privilege — and why Pasadena is actually giving preferential treatment to one use and not providing others similarly situated with the same opportunity,” Delgado added.

“I do support this. I have been here the entire time and this has been a long time,” said Planning Commission Chair Steven Olivas. “If we want to expand this to institutions in general, we can come back at a later time.”

Meanwhile, the staff proposal was approved along with the several recommendations raised by the members of the Planning Commission.

The adopted recommendations include the following: residential units added to church sites with historically eligible or historically designated churches shall comply with the Secretary of Interior’s Standards; a covenant of 55 years is required for the low-income housing to protect the type of housing if the church disbands; the housing must be owned and operated by a non-profit authority independent from the house of worship.

City staff are expecting that the proposal will reach the City Council in May.