Homeowners tried to stop a 133-unit project designed for low-income renters displaced by the Eaton Fire, arguing the project didn’t fit the neighborhood.
This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, But some council members noted their hesitancy to approve the project, saying their hands were tied by state law.
The council denied an appeal from a homeowners group who opposed the project, which plans to bring 133 units of low-income housing to East Pasadena. The nearby residents said it was too tall, too dense and had too little parking. Mayor Victor Gordo expressed reluctance about denying the appeal. He blamed state lawmakers for pitting local elected leaders against the interests of existing residents.
“We're going to see more and more of these frustrating hearings, where the local elected body essentially has little to no discretion, little to no say, and that's wrong,” Gordo said during the Monday night meeting. Sign up for Building Your Block, a seven-issue newsletter course from LAist that explains the obstacles around housing development in L.A. and what you can do to make things better.
The developer’s plans for the project include adapting a former office building into 50 units of permanent supportive housing for tenants, including formerly unhoused people. A new five-story building will include another 81 units of income-restricted housing. Two units will be for property managers. Members of the Lower Hastings Ranch Association appealed an approval of the project by the city’s Design Commission.
They argued the development wasn’t suitable for the neighborhood. Ronnie Po, the association’s president, said nearby homeowners felt “blindsided” by the plans. Their appeal wasn’t really about the project’s aesthetics, he said. They were mainly opposed to the development’s height, density and “I wouldn't call this a design issue,” Po said.
“This project will literally rise up to the backyards of some of our neighbors up there. So this is literally in someone's backyard. ”After a failed vote to extend the ban, the county’s long-standing prohibition on raising rents by more than 10% from pre-fire levels will expire May 29. The city’s airport is set to close at the end of 2028.
Voters have approved turning it into a park. But some now want a piece of that land for affordable housing. Two pilot programs are trying to stem the tide of evictions by bringing renters and landlords together for mutually agreeable settlements. The development team countered those complaints in a presentation to the City Council, saying the project complied with all relevant laws and did not impinge on single-family homes.
“The building is no closer than 25 feet to the nearest property line, and no closer than 110 feet away to the nearest home,” said Dana Sayles, who is with the land use firm three6ixty. The project at 600 N. Rosemead Blvd. will be reserved for renters who earn no more than 80% of the area’s median income. By current standards, that would include individuals earning up to $84,850 per year and families of four earning up to $121,150.
Many units will be set aside for renters with even lower incomes. And under state funding agreements, preference will be given to tenants displaced by the Eaton Fire.
“More than half of the units are two and three bedrooms, so this project is very much focused on families,” said Stephanie DeWolfe, a consultant on the project. “Getting family-sized units has been a challenge for the city in the past, and especially now with all the people displaced from the fires.
"Because of the state’s density bonus law — which allows larger projects when units are kept affordable — the developer is allowed to build taller than would normally be allowed under Pasadena codes. The project is within a half-mile of the Sierra Madre Villa stop on Metro’s A Line, qualifying it as near a “major transit stop” under California law.. The developer is voluntarily planning to build 55 parking spaces.
Many public commenters — and some council members — said more parking was needed. Huntington Beach's MAGA coalition is fracturing over 'cronyism' Huntington Beach’s MAGA majority showed signs of fracturing over recent allegations of self-dealing. Some say the problem is pervasive. Want to experience the cockpit of a Boeing 747?
LA museum expansion prepares to make it happen The Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center is built around a towering centerpiece: space shuttle Endeavour in its 20-story vertical launch position. People at the meeting who expressed support for the project said many tenants, including those exiting homelessness, likely would not be in a financial position to own cars.
“I support this building since it would be perfect for people like me, who would qualify based on income limits and do not need to have parking,” said Koji Sakano. “Those who apply, like me, would tend to be those that do not wish for car parking in the first place.
”Jesse Zwick, the Southern California director of the Housing Action Coalition, said the Pasadena project’s path to approval shows city officials and residents slowly catching up to changes in state law, which in many cases override local opposition.
“The state has awarded priority to building affordable housing in places like this — that typically have resisted it,” Zwick said. “What you're seeing now is some of that resistance being up against where state law has evolved on this issue. ” Cities that have resisted state housing laws aimed at increasing development have found themselves in California’s legal crosshairs.
Beverly Hillsmassive “builder’s remedy” projects after it failed to comply with a state requirement for cities to plan for more housing. Huntington BeachDespite those risks, some Pasadena residents urged city leaders to fight back on the state’s efforts to encourage taller, denser affordable housing projects.
“The state of California has come up with these crazy laws,” said Scott Shimamoto. “We would love for the City Council and mayor to tell the state of California: Pause this. ” You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit.
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