City Council to Hear Appeal of Affordable Housing Project Near Sierra Madre Villa Station

Pasadena city officials are recommending denial of an appeal challenging approval of a 133-unit affordable housing development near the Sierra Madre Villa A Line station, setting up a major City Council hearing Monday over building height, density bonuses, parking and environmental impacts.

The proposed project at 600 N. Rosemead Blvd. would include construction of a new five-story, 82-unit apartment building and adaptive reuse of an existing two-story office building into 51 additional residential units, for a total of 133 apartments on a 2.15-acre site. Of those units, 131 would be affordable housing units, with two reserved for managers.

The Design Commission approved the project April 14 on a 6-0 vote, but the Lower Hastings Ranch Association appealed the decision, arguing the development violates the City’s General Plan, improperly received state density bonus incentives, exceeds allowable height limits and relied on incomplete environmental and noise analysis.

Planning officials said the proposal advances General Plan goals by increasing affordable housing near transit, jobs and retail services while promoting walkability and reducing automobile dependence.

Opponents have raised concerns about parking shortages and neighborhood compatibility.

“While I support responsible housing development, this project appears too large and intense for this location,” resident Chris Wang said in submitted comments. “A 133-unit building with only 55 parking spaces is unrealistic for East Pasadena, where many residents rely on cars, and will likely create overflow parking on surrounding residential streets.”

Wang also criticized the project’s scale and potential neighborhood impacts.

“I am also concerned about increased traffic, pedestrian safety, and construction impacts, as well as the proposed six-story height in an area currently zoned for approximately three stories,” Wang said. “Given the project’s proximity to lower-density residential neighborhoods, the scale feels inconsistent with the surrounding community.”

Supporters of the project also submitted comments to the city, with several residents turning in the same form letter backing the development and its affordable housing mission.

“East Pasadena has almost no affordable housing,” the form letter stated. “Almost all affordable housing is in the western part of the city. This proposal will bring 133 units of affordable housing to an area that has not had it.”

The letter also framed the project as part of a broader effort to address economic and racial segregation in housing.

“The history of housing in the U.S., including Pasadena, has been one of racial and economic segregation,” supporters wrote. “Segregation by class and race has made us a weak and divided society. We need to structure our city in a way that integrates our population and helps us to become a strong and united community.”

Planning staff rejected the appeal arguments in a report prepared for the May 18 City Council meeting, concluding the project complies with state and local law and qualifies for incentives under California’s State Density Bonus Law because it is a 100% affordable housing development located within one-half mile of a major transit stop.

Under the city’s zoning code, the site would ordinarily allow a maximum of 103 units and a height limit of 38 feet. But state law allows unlimited density and an additional 33 feet of height for qualifying affordable housing projects near transit. The proposed building would stand 68 feet tall, below the 71-foot maximum permitted under the density bonus provisions, according to staff.