City’s Planning Department Schedules Workshop About “Objective Design Standards” for High-Density Residential Projects

The Pasadena Planning Commission has scheduled a workshop on Wednesday during its regular meeting to discuss proposed objective design standards for high-density residential projects. This workshop is part of an ongoing effort to establish a foundation for the preparation of “objective standards” and is a continuation of previous discussions that included a walking tour on March 4.

The purpose of the walking tour was to encourage discussions on design elements and identify potential changes to the Zoning Code. The tour included ten sites throughout the city and was attended by the Commission, staff, the consultant team, and members of the public. 

At Wednesday’s upcoming workshop, the staff will review the comments received during the walking tour and introduce potential types of standards that could be included in the Zoning Code Amendment. 

The workshop is an informational item only and no decisions will be made.

Material and background information gathered from the January 25 study session, the March walking tour, and this week’s workshop will be provided to the Commission’s consultant, Moule & Polyzoides, to prepare the proposed objective design standards.

The Planning Commission’s efforts to establish objective design standards for high-density residential projects in the city were prompted by the adoption of Senate Bill 330 (the Housing Crisis Act) into law in 2019. This law mandates that local jurisdictions should not impose or enforce new design standards established after January 1, 2020, unless such standards are ‘objective’ in nature. Government Code Section 65589.5(h)(8) defines “objective” as “involving no personal or subjective judgment by a public official and being uniformly verifiable by reference to an external and uniform benchmark or criterion available and knowable by both the development applicant or proponent and the public official.”

Consultant Moule & Polyzoides will charged with preparing the proposed objective design standards, for consideration initially the Commission and finally by the City Council.