The City Council will consider a zoning code amendment on Monday that would allow affordable housing on church property.
Since last year, the city has been discussing the use of church properties for affordable housing to help the city mitigate an affordable housing crisis that has not only rocked Pasadena but the state.
The Planning Commission voted 7-2 in April to recommend the amendments to the City Council.
The amendment allows a maximum of 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 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.
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 allocate at least 80 percent of units available to low-income households.
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One thought on “Zoning Code Amendment Allowing Housing on Church Property Scheduled for Monday’s City Council Meeting”
Seventy-five units per church by “right”, based on what housing density or available lot size? Without planning review, because the Planning Commission might get all uppity, do their jobs right, and actually ask difficult questions or impose conditions to mitigate neighborhood impacts? What are the parking requirements for these churches adding units, many of these churches already without adequate parking, creating parking problems in adjacent neighborhoods? What will be the impact on neighborhoods from this newest flavor of the week do-gooderism run amok in Pasadena? As that old prayer goes, “God save us from the well-meaning, they know no better”….