North Lake Plan Clears Key Hurdle After a Decade of Discussions

After nearly 10 years of neighborhood meetings, staff studies and public back-and-forth, the Pasadena Planning Commission voted last week to recommend a sweeping update to the North Lake Specific Plan, laying out new rules for housing, height, storefronts and the public realm along the corridor from Elizabeth Street to Maple Street.

The recommendation now moves to the City Council for final consideration later this year.

The update concentrates the greatest intensity near the Lake Avenue L Line station and key intersections, while scaling back at more constrained corners. Most buildings would be capped at 39 to 51 feet, paired with three- to five-foot street-edge setbacks, deeper buffers in residential character areas, and a 45-degree encroachment plane to protect homes behind new development.

A detailed public-realm chapter calls for wider, more functional sidewalks organized into amenity, walk and frontage zones, plus street trees, stormwater capture features, bus shelters, benches, bike parking and corridor identity signage.

The plan also tightens rules on legacy drive-throughs, prohibiting demolition/rebuilds and expansions while allowing limited exterior changes under a minor conditional use permit with operating conditions to curb neighborhood impacts.

Public testimony ran strongly in favor.

“For the first time we have a specific plan that deals with the public realm, which allows the public spaces to be considered in an integrated way,” said Thomas Priestley, a Complete Streets advocate who urged the commission to approve the plan and “push it over the line.”

Pasadena Heritage Board Member Steve Preston praised the work but cautioned that “the plan is only going to be as good as the level of implementation that goes into it,” citing the need for “funding commitment, staffing commitment, and executive leadership.”

Some neighbors pressed for stronger protections along the corridor’s edges, pointing to privacy and lighting spillover.

City staff noted existing rules against light spillage and commissioners said design review can require screening and tighter lighting controls.

Bungalow Heaven resident Sienna Leslie backed the public-realm focus but called for protected bike lanes on Lake itself, arguing parallel greenways don’t connect riders to the station.

“The question is do we want those bikers to be safe or do we want those bikers to be in danger,” she said.

The commission also advanced an environmental addendum to the current General Plan Environmental Impact Report.