Settlement Reached in Lawsuit Over Land Use in Playhouse District

The Pasadena City Council, Pasadenans for a Livable City , Pasadena Heritage, and Playhouse Office LLC  announce that on March 21st they settled the environmental lawsuit challenging the City’s November 2009 approval of a new office building at 680 E. Colorado Boulevard, located across El Molino Avenue from the historic Pasadena Playhouse.

Last October, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge ruled that the City had not fully complied with the California Environmental Quality Act in its approval of the project, although it had complied with its zoning code and general plan. The Court required the City and Playhouse Office LLC to revise and recirculate the environmental impact report before the proposed project may be reconsidered as initially proposed.

The settlement reached by the parties provides a compromise solution that will fully comply with the Court’s direction, meet the mandates of state law, and serve the best interests of the community. The parties worked diligently over the past few months to come together on a process to cooperatively design a project that will respect the historic character of the Playhouse District and the Pasadena Playhouse and have fewer impacts on El Molino Avenue , while providing for Class “A” office space. The agreement provides that a Design Architect with expertise in historic district compatibility will work in cooperation with all parties to design a smaller revised project for the City’s considered approval. 

The settlement includes the following design parameters for the revised building:

* Building square footage reduced to the maximum Code-allowed square footage of approximately 145,428 square feet, and without any FAR bonus.

* Off-street parking spaces as required by the City’s Municipal Code.

* Parking spaces made available to the public after normal business hours and on weekends to facilitate economic development in the Playhouse District.

* Reconfiguration of the Paseo and Plaza spaces

* A building elevation and edge along El Molino Avenue in compatible context and scale with the Pasadena Playhouse and other historic buildings facing El Molino, consistent with the Guidelines.

* Encouragement of pedestrian crossing at the corners of El Molino Avenue at Colorado Boulevard and Green Street , without a mid-block crosswalk.

* Respectfully consider the scale, massing and articulation of adjacent historic buildings so as not to overwhelm or diminish historic structures.

* Create a prominent central ceremonial entrance on Colorado Boulevard

Once the project redesign has been resubmitted to the City, it will be agendized for a future public hearing before the Pasadena City Council for revised land use entitlements and, if approved, will proceed to public hearings before the Pasadena Design Commission for consideration of the revised design. Dates for the public hearings will be announced.

Mayor Bill Bogaard said: “The City appreciates the willingness of all parties to work together to resolve this matter.  As the project moves forward, the settlement terms assure that participation by all interested residents will be available.  The City Council’s interest is to assure that new development works within the parameters and process set up by the Zoning Code.”