A developer’s proposal to build a seven-story mixed-use building at 490 North Lake Avenue in Pasadena faces significant design challenges. City staff is recommending substantial revisions before the project advances.
The Pasadena Design Commission will review the preliminary plans Tuesday evening at City Hall.
A report by the Planning and Community Development Department showed the proposed building would include 149 residential units and 8,271 square feet of commercial space. Twenty-four units would be designated as affordable housing.
The report said the project would rise on five parcels totaling 37,152 square feet at Lake Avenue and Villa Street. Existing commercial structures built between 1959 and 1963 would be demolished.
City planners identified the building’s second-floor parking as a key concern. The report recommends moving parking underground to reduce overall height. The current design would also interrupt the building facade with an open parking level.
The proposal must comply with new Objective Design Standards the City Council approved Dec. 8. Those standards take effect in spring 2026.
Planning staff say the 225-foot North Lake Avenue facade exceeds the 150-foot maximum. The building would need at least one physical separation 15 feet wide.
The East Villa Street elevation also requires facade breaks under the new standards.
Planners are calling for simpler building massing. The current contemporary design features projecting volumes and applied framing that don’t meet the standards.
The site sits at the northeast corner of Lake Avenue and Villa Street. Commercial properties lie to the north and south. Single-family homes and some multi-family buildings are to the east.
An assisted living facility stands immediately adjacent on the east side.
The building would feature studios and one-, two- and three-bedroom units. A pool deck is planned above the second floor. A roof deck would occupy the northwest corner.
Materials include stone or brick veneer at the base, stucco above and metal storefront systems.
The site currently has Commercial Limited zoning under the North Lake Specific Plan. The updated specific plan adopted Nov. 24 will rezone it as Mixed-Use Core and Mixed-Use Neighborhood.
No historic resources exist in the immediate vicinity. The closest landmarks include the Saunders House at 580 North Lake Avenue.
The Design Commission meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Grand Conference Room.
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