Council to Hear Appeal of Research Facility on Caltech-Owned Land Near School

The Pasadena City Council is scheduled to hear an appeal tonight over the approval of a four-story, 63-foot-tall research and development facility proposed for construction on a Caltech-owned parking lot at 1364 E. Green Street, next to Saint Philip the Apostle School.

The project, which would include 260 at-grade and subterranean parking spaces, received Concept Design Review approval from the city’s Design Commission on Jan. 27 in a 5-0 vote, with three members absent. However, an appeal filed on Feb. 9 by Building a Better Pasadena challenges that decision, sending the matter to the City Council.

City planning staff have recommended that the Council deny the appeal.

The appeal application asserts that “Findings for Categorical Exemption cannot be made as there are sufficient technical inconsistencies and inaccuracies in the published technical studies.” It also claims the project is inconsistent with the city’s General Plan, the East Colorado Specific Plan, and the Zoning Code. The staff report prepared for the Council said the appeal application did not specify the inconsistencies.

According to the city’s agenda report, the 100,366-square-foot building (calculated as 93,539 square feet for zoning purposes) is permitted by-right on the 41,573-square-foot site, which is adjacent to the St. Philip the Apostle Church and School. The only entitlement required is Design Review, according to city staff.

Staff maintain the project is exempt from environmental review under a Class 32 “In-Fill Development” exemption to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), based on technical analyses by consulting firms EcoTierra Consulting and Fehr & Peers, which were under contract to the City. The studies found no significant impacts related to traffic, noise, or air quality. A separate Local Mobility Analysis also concluded the project would not create traffic deficiencies requiring roadway improvements.

In response to concerns from the neighboring church and school, the Design Commission added a condition requiring the developer, TC LA Development, Inc., to conduct a “restudy and consideration of stepping the fourth floor along the south elevation and further reducing the height of the mechanical screen or studying ways to reduce its visual prominence.” The developer previously delayed a hearing from November to December to allow the school and church to meet internally on the project, but a resolution was not reached.

If the Council denies the appeal, the project will proceed to a Final Design Review, which focuses on construction details, finishes, materials, and landscaping.