Pasadena Planning Commission to Consider New Fair Oaks Orange Grove Specific Plan

The Pasadena Planning Commission is scheduled to hold a public hearing Wednesday, April 22, to consider recommending that the City Council adopt a new Fair Oaks Orange Grove Specific Plan that would replace the 2002 version and reshape land use, building heights, residential density, and the public realm along a historic Pasadena corridor.

The proposed plan — referred to as the Fair Oaks Orange Grove Specific Plan — covers Fair Oaks Avenue between Montana and Maple streets, and Orange Grove Boulevard between Lincoln and Oakland avenues. If the City Council ultimately approves the recommendation, it would become the seventh of eight Specific Plans adopted under the city’s Our Pasadena — Putting the Plan in Motion program, following Lincoln Avenue (2021), East Colorado (2022), South Fair Oaks (2022), Central District (2023), Lamanda Park (2024) and North Lake (2025). The Planning Commission is strictly advisory on this item, and the City Council retains final authority over adoption.

The plan is built on a Vision Statement calling for “a variety of housing options and flexible commercial, recreational, and community-building services around active, people-oriented corridors that celebrate the neighborhood’s rich history.” Eight Vision Objectives serve as the basis for all goals and policies in the plan: Complete Neighborhood, A Sense of Place, New & Affordable Housing, Walkable Streets, Local Business, Activity Center, Green Community, and Environmental Justice.

The plan reorganizes the corridor into four subareas, each with a new name reflecting community feedback. The La Pintoresca Subarea would be renamed the Black Legacy District to honor the area’s documented Black history, a name proposed by the community. The Robinson District would honor Mack and Jackie Robinson. The former East Orange Grove District would be renamed the Robles District, Spanish for “oak,” paying homage to oak trees in the area and the Latino heritage of the neighborhood. The former West Orange Grove District would be renamed the Arboleda District, meaning “tree grove” in Spanish.

The Planning Commission held two Study Sessions on the proposed plan, in March 2025 and October 2025, and the Northwest Commission held an informational meeting on the update in November 2025. At the March 2025 Study Session, the Planning Commission directed staff to study increasing permitted residential density north of Washington Boulevard, which shaped several of the density changes now proposed.

Residential density would increase in several key locations. Along Fair Oaks Avenue north of Washington Boulevard, density would rise from 32 dwelling units per acre to 48 dwelling units per acre. At the southeast corner of Fair Oaks Avenue and Washington Boulevard, density would increase from 16 to 32 dwelling units per acre to better match the existing development’s density of 26 dwelling units per acre. Staff is also recommending a density of 64 dwelling units per acre at the northeast corner of Fair Oaks Avenue and Orange Grove Boulevard — up from the previously proposed 48 — to match an existing development with a density of 63 dwelling units per acre. Density at the northeast corner of Painter Street and Fair Oaks Avenue would rise from 32 to 48 dwelling units per acre to serve as a residential transition.

Building heights would also change. The plan would allow 39 feet along Fair Oaks Avenue generally between Montana and Claremont streets, up from the existing 32- or 36-foot limit. Heights on most of Orange Grove Boulevard and portions of Fair Oaks Avenue near Mountain Street would be set at 39 feet, and a 51-foot maximum would apply generally south of the Fair Oaks Avenue and Orange Grove Boulevard intersection, up from 40 feet. Up to 30 percent of a building’s footprint could exceed the established height limit by as much as 12 feet to encourage varied rooflines. Under State Density Bonus Law, both heights and densities could be increased further based on the amount of affordable housing a project provides.

Four sets of parcels would be added to the plan boundary: 27 Painter Street, 823 N. Orange Grove Blvd., 690 N. Orange Grove Blvd. and 556 Cypress Ave. The plan would also establish street setbacks of five to 10 feet, 15-foot interior setbacks for buildings next to single-family or multi-family residential zones or historic resources, sidewalks ranging from 10 to 15 feet wide, and publicly accessible open space requirements for projects exceeding 120,000 square feet of gross floor area. Residential projects would be required to provide a minimum amount of total open space based on bedrooms per unit.

Safety enhancements along North Fair Oaks Avenue are already progressing, with several improvements complete north of Washington Boulevard, including a recent lane reconfiguration from four lanes to a two-lane layout with a center turn lane, and resurfacing intended to reduce collisions and protect pedestrians.

The staff report documents the area’s history of redlining by the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation from the 1930s through the 1960s, the displacement caused by construction of Interstate 210 between the late 1960s and 1970s, and the Pepper Street Redevelopment Project, which led to the construction of Kings Villages (313 units in 1971) and the La Pintoresca Housing Complex (64 units in the 1970s) despite decade-long resident resistance. Key elements of the community-driven La Pintoresca Vision Plan (December 2024) and North Fair Oaks Vision Plan (February 2025) were incorporated into the proposed plan, including renaming subareas, expanding residential density and enhancing the streetscape.

An Addendum to the 2015 Pasadena General Plan Environmental Impact Report has been prepared under State California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines Section 15164, and the addendum found that the plan would not result in any potentially significant impacts not already analyzed in the certified Environmental Impact Report.

The Planning Commission would consider recommending that the City Council approve the Specific Plan, the General Plan Map Amendment, the Zoning Code Map and Text Amendments, and the California Environmental Quality Act Addendum. All final decisions on the plan would rest with the City Council.

The Pasadena Planning Commission is scheduled to meet at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22, in City Hall, Council Chambers, Room S249, 100 N. Garfield Ave., in Pasadena. For more information call (626) 744-7311 or visit https://www.cityofpasadena.net/commissions/agendas/.