Selling Small Town: An Analysis of South Pasadena, California Master Plan Kristen Cowell History and Background The

city of South Pasadena is a pretty analogy to the small town girl who shows up in Hollywood to be a star. Like the girl, South Pasadena maintains its small town values of community, yet it often finds itself swept into conflict with issues inherent to big city development. This strong identity of authenticity and community fostered a proactive approach to preserving and adapting in the midst of economic and social pressures to deviate from their small-town values. The city established itself in 1888, and now spans 3.5 miles of residential, recreational, and transit area. The city was one of the first suburbs in Los Angeles County, connected to downtown by the Pacific Electric Short Line, which later became replaced by the light rail Metro Gold Line in the Mission-Meridian downtown district. Through out its history, South Pasadena has struggled to maintain the quality of its small-town atmosphere and rich legacy of intact late 19th and early 20th century neighborhoods and residences.1. South Pasadena recognizes the significance of branding their city as not only historical and quaint, but also economically innovative and socially vibrant. General Plan Overview South Pasadenas General Plan emphasizes their commitment to maintaining the small town atmosphere by presenting plans for pedestrian walkways, light rail transit, family housing, and restoration of blighted areas. The plan intends to maintain this fluid neighborhood through specified architecture and zoning in the downtown areas as well as

1 http://www.cityofsouthpasadena.us/about/history.html

restoration and preservation of historical landmarks. The GP also addresses economic revitalization, which became increasingly necessary due to loss in financing, a result of Prop 13, increased competition amongst other Los Angeles border cities, and declining population. The Downtown Redevelopment project aims to increase the employment base and attract residents from neighboring cities by developing more mixed retail and office spaces. The plan also intends to attract economic growth by establishing the city as a hub for local transit via the Gold line metro, which connects South Pasadena with greater Pasadena and downtown Los Angeles. The Mission-Meridian downtown plans facilitate bike, pedestrian, and automobile access to this station. The public amenities lend themselves well to the general residents and their lifestyles. South Pasadena General Plan proposes policies and zoning to fulfill the needs of current and projected resident populations. Households consist of an equal mix of homeowners and renters, with an average of 58% family household. Due to the prevalence of family oriented households, South Pasadena also prioritizes conservation and open space. The plan maintains the 92 acres of parks, bike trails, and private recreation facilities, as well as expands conservation of natural landscapes in Altos de Monterey hillside. In addition, the plan accommodates the safety, health and noise effects of major roads and commercial development to mitigate negatively effects on residences and schools. Altogether the various elements of the GP correlate to each other in order to establish the distinct and cherished experience of a small town that South Pasadena prides itself upon. Thesis The General Plan for the City of South Pasadena demonstrates the importance of synchronizing all elements of the General Plan to successfully establish a unique and specific identity within a physical space. This identity can then be marketed to residents

and bordering cities to accomplish broader social and economic goals within a community. However, the marketability and appeal of a space increases demand, thus increasing prices and excluding certain demographics by placing priority on certain stakeholder such as property owners. These strengths and weaknesses must be weighed in accordance with the law, social equity, and economic feasibility to determine the overall strength of a General Plan. Accessibility, Readability The South Pasadena General Plan is available by simply searching online or attaining it from the City Hall building. The maps and diagrams clearly demarcate land use elements, current demographics, safety hazards, and territorial boundaries. The document reads with clarity and avoids extensive legal jargon or planning terms, making it available for interpretation by any individual. Consistency The South Pasadena General Plan relies on community interaction by incorporating public spaces near residences, thus encouraging pedestrians and bicyclists, and encouraging interaction in commercial spaces. Across the various elements the General Plan is consistent in their goals for a community orientated around accessibility for bikes, automobiles, and metro usage. The circulation, Open Space, and Land Use elements all provide mechanisms to implement these over arching goals. The neighborhood parks and playgrounds within the City of South Pasadena are designed to serve as a place for family recreation within a convenient distance from home, (VII-3) providing that all parks will be located mile from all residential areas. Likewise, the Urban Design element

encourages natural open space or urban open space is adjoining new development, these features should be incorporated into the development as open space amenities (VII-8). Land Use prescribes street level storefronts especially in the Mission downtown area, with

walk able parking to encourage community engagement on the main streets. In addition, the Mission-Meridian downtown facilitates bike, pedestrian, and automobile access to the Gold Line metro station. Despite the internal consistencies across these elements, the Housing element does not align with these plans for accessibility. As South Pasadena flat lands became built out, the plan implemented residential zoning and development emphasis in the hillside of Altos Monterey. Until the 1980s this area remained undeveloped due to steep grading and poor street conditions- neither has changed. Residential development in this terrain is not consistent with the GPs goals for pedestrian oriented downtown and local parks. Furthermore, there is no public transit to these areas due to narrow streets and winding roads. The circulation and Urban Design elements fail to incorporate the Housing elements projections for residential growth in Monterey Hills. The reality of Urban Design contrasts the goal to Encourage higher residential densities and a reduced reliance on the automobile in the design of projects in proximity to public transitwith associated infrastructure and public facilities. (II-54) Rather, this group of households is excluded from these public amenities and the close-knit community the plan tries to implement. They cant bike to the train, walk to Mission Street, or jog to a park (unless they want a knee replacement). A vital element of the accessible quaint town is lost to them. The plan accounts for growth and encourages development in areas where there is no plan to implement the Urban Design element. This inconsistency exposes a weakness in the GPs accordance with its strive to promote a small town environment with accessible public space and local retail. Implementation The General Plan addresses the importance of addressing issues of congestion to maintain a tranquil pedestrian centric downtown area. The Economic Revitalization and

Land use element prescribed increased retail, commercial, and residential units to increase the employment base and attract consumers from neighboring cities. These developments would inevitably affect parking and traffic patterns. Therefore, the implementation of the Circulation element plans to ensure a balance between parking supply and demand so that an adequate supply of parking is provided to meet the demands generated by the land use element (II-8). The existence of the implementation section is one perfunctory detail, however the actualization of the implementation is most important. In a City Council meeting on December 3, 2001, the Planning Commission approved the Mission Parking structure to address the increased demand due to new retail and transit. South Pasadenas aims to redevelop a quaint downtown area could potentially faced immense failure without the accordance between the Economic Revitalization and the Circulation elements. Congestion, stress, and inaccessibility would deter any potential customer or business owner from setting up shop in this area. Therefore, the desired ambience relied not only valued nostalgic facades and street level retail; but also coordinated mechanisms to establish this ambience by strategically implementing their plans. Current The General Plan was created in 1998 and is reviewed and amended as necessary for state policy changes, shifts in regional orientation, or change in community goals. In 2001 the plan was amended and the city changed their zoning policy to a Planned Development Permit, which could provide greater flexibility for development of mixed use projects by allowing the approval of a discretionary permit maintaining the underlying zoning as opposed to a zone change. Policies changes such as this allowed the goals of mixed-use projects and housing units, in accordance with the General Plan. This change allowed the city to approve a height variance to convert a vacant parcel into lofts, commercial space, and a penthouse. This showed the implementation of mixed-use

projects and housing units, including live/work spaces and artist lofts, above ground floor commercial uses, (VI-40) as stated in the Land Use element. Treating the General Plan as a living document is essential to realize policies not in accordance to the overall aims of the city. South Pasadenas GP amendment successfully implemented changes in order to allow for stated development goals of mixed-use spaces in the downtown district. Territory The General Plan not only includes planning for future development in all of the territory, but it also incorporates its plans with those of wider regional needs. The inclusion of all territory within South Pasadena boundaries is seen in the Focus Areas, which define development potential that is more specific in intent than the underlying land use designations (III-15). However, beyond the inclusive Focus Areas, the GP considers development on a regional level. The Circulation and Noise elements create a nexus to coordinate with local cities: As land uses adjust over time, the City must select proper truck routes and deal appropriately with the issue of truck traffic to protect those land uses that are adversely affected by heavy truck traffic [noise] (III-17). This regional extension substantiates the GPs overall goal to protect and implement small town residential areas via corroborating with regional transit issues beyond its own territorial boundaries. Address Local Issues The Housing element insufficiently addresses local issues pertaining to providing adequate housing for all residents based on income, age, and ability. The fact that 38% of renters and 27% of homeowners spend more than 30% of their income on housing clearly indicates that South Pasadena residents over leverage their housing costs against their income. But instead of mitigating high housing costs, the plan proposes to build 46% of future units for moderate and above moderate-income households. Further, there are no

housing units currently restricted to low-income housing (VI-21) and despite the citys dedication to addressing the housing needs of all citizens, the GP contains no plans for voluntarily providing future affordable housing units. Rather, the city spends funding for affordable housing programs, such as HUD and Community Development Block Grant, to rehabilitate owner-occupied homes of eligible residents (VI-36). South Pasadenas community plan for beautification and design to pervade an image of a small-town community incidentally excludes certain demographics and contributes to the growing trend of income segregation2. However, despite what appears to be exclusionary

policies, South Pasadenas General Plan is in accordance with the state law that requires Redevelopment Agencies . to set aside 20 percent of the tax increments the Agency receives into a Low- and Moderate-Income Housing Fund (VI-37). According to their General Plan, the city prefers to spend this money to beautify current eyesores, rather than prioritize converting, developing, or re-zoning for low-income housing. Despite criticism based on social equity, the Housing policies are integral parts of the accomplishing a small town atmosphere and preserving medium density neighborhoods(II-23) by limiting multi-family housing, and encouraging homeownership. These elements keeps house prices high, provides appealing neighborhoods for families, and thus stable communities with integrated residents. South Pasadena utilizes all these elements to successfully establish their image and accomplish redevelopment efforts. State Policy The City of South Pasadena adheres to state law and participates in state policies in order to further their citywide goals of community parks, tranquil public spaces, and safe environments. Californias Quimby Act allows local agencies to mandate 3 acres of park services for every 1,000 residents. South Pasadena not only meets and exceeds this

2 Journal of Urban Affairs, Volume 32, Number 2

state policy, providing 4 acres of recreation space for 1,000 residents. Surpassing the mandates of state legislation exhibits the priorities established and maintained in this town, by opting for more stringent requirements South Pasadena committed to not sacrificing spaces used for health, involvement, and recreation for other purposes such as high rises or Wal-Marts. Facilities such as this sustain the citys apparent commitment to the value placed on developing the built environment in accordance with the larger goals of the city, to maintain a small town community by preserving spaces available to all residents. Statutory Criteria The General Plan also establishes amenities for residents with special needs and disabilities, providing facilities for elderly residents near retail and public transportation. These developments allow elderly people to stay in their hometowns near their families and friends, contributing to the significance of multi-generation communities. The plan includes a Senior Citizen District which is intended to permit flexibility in site design and a variety in development to encourage maximum utilization of property and to reduce costs to senior citizens (VI-17). The city also provisioned for Granny Flat provisional use permits, which are secondary attached units restricted to family members 65 years or older. The emphasis on keeping family units together is indicative of the image South Pasadena wishes to uphold, one of community and family. Long-Term Perspective A key component of South Pasadenas small town community is its dedication to preserve its status as a distinct - and distinctive community. Although the Historical Preservation element is not required by the state, these preservation efforts protect historical landmarks for future generations and add to the authenticity of South Pasadenas environment. The Historical Preservation aspect gives the GP a long-term view

by connecting the future of the citys character to an irrefutable and unifying reminder of the communitys identity, which is its past. The plan implements this by vowing to Assure continuity of the Citys historic character, scale and small town atmosphere for all future projects (V-10). Maintaining these significant historical serve as reminders of

the citys social, educational, religious and architectural history (V-4). This is implemented in the long-term by establishing financial incentives and enforcing building codes for maintaining them, as well as educating the community on their significance and establishing them as unifying landmarks. Complete The South Pasadena General Plan contains the seven required sections by the state of California, as well as two additional elements: Historical Preservation and Economic Revitalization. The plan could not have been complete without both elements since a significant portion of South Pasadenas goals are contingent on economic restoration and historical preservation. The significance of the economic and historical element is proven by the communitys battle against the 710 Freeway expansions. Due to its historical significance the entire city was listed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of The Eleven Most Endangered Places in the United States for an unprecedented period of time from 1989-1994 because of the decades-long fight to halt the extension of the Route 710 Freeway through the middle of the City (V-5). The courts ruled against Caltrans and the 710 Freeway project due to the demolition of these historic landmarks. Further, the freeway proposal not only destroyed historical buildings, but also robbed the city of its contiguous and unified ambience by imposing noise, congestion, and unwanted development in the heart of the town. The Economic Revitalization plans of street level boutiques and office spaces in a quaint downtown setting would not be possible without the citys regard for Historical Preservation. In the case of South Pasadena, the GP is not

truly complete without the addition of these two elements that symbiotically saved the character of South Pasadena. Yardstick The GP serves as a sufficient yardstick for development by dictating land use and zoning ordinances within any parcel. However, beyond land use, Form-Based codes establish the desired small town ambience of South Pasadena. The General Plan establishes, general goals for landscape aesthetics, urban design, and street width, which are implemented through Form-Based Codes to create a predictable public realm primarily by controlling physical form, with a lesser focus on land uses.3 Enforcing FormBased codes clearly establishes expectations and unity in the built form of the city from downtown street lightings to street median landscapes. For example, GP Considers introducing medians and street trees to reduce the scale of the street where appropriate (II-17) to emphasize pedestrian access over automobiles. And the Housing and Historical element sets goals to Present awards and other public commendations to those projects that employ high standards of craftsmanship and quality (II-23). The list of Form-Based goals continues, yet the enforceability and effectiveness of them is not necessarily end at the General Plan. Funding for these projects, public discourse, and private property rights can limit the success of Form-Based Codes. Regardless of the efficacy of these codes, the GP serves a yard stick for any resident, developer, or USP student by specifying not just what can be built where, but also how the plan intends future development to integrate with the established small town environment. The GP clearly intends for lush landscapes, pedestrian accommodation, historical emphasis, and quality aesthetics. Adequate Maps and Diagrams

3 Emily Talen, Journal of American Planning Association, Vol. 75, No. 2, Spring 2009

The diagrams and maps included in the South Pasadena General Plan are clearly defined and sufficient in order to gage the zoning and land use restrictions. The clarity of the zoning map lends itself to the critical observation that South Pasadena land use may be too segregated and fail to plan for mixture of housing types within neighborhoods, work[ing] against socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic segregation.4 The plan clearly demarcates where the city intends to protect detached single-family residences property values. The map shows low-density housing near public amenities such as the Gold Line, public schools, and parks, while segregating multi-family units to the outskirts of the city (See Zoning Map). The majority of South Pasadenas zoning mimics the idea that restrictions on industry and apartment homes were necessary to protect single-family districts, which would promote order and morality.
5

The maps do not specifically

delineate these views, but they do clearly identify land use goals and any observer can note the prioritized placement of single-family homes as opposed to multi-family homes. Therefore, the strength of the maps could also be their weakness. The ambient noise contours also depict a contrast between permitted noise levels surrounding single-family homes versus multi-family units. As seen in Table VIII-1, of the five locations measured, single family zones are the only two below the acceptable 65 dBA. On the other hand, multi-family units and hospitals are located on truck routes and busy intersections such as Mission St. in the downtown district, and Fremont St., which directs through traffic from the 110-freeway in Pasadena to the 7-10 freeway in Alhambra. Also Table VIII-3 shows that the minimum level of R-3 housing is 5-10 dBA higher than that of R-1 and R-2 zones. These maps and diagrams adequately purvey the prioritized location of single-family detached housing near amenities such as uncongested surface streets,

4 Harvey M. Jacobs (2009): Property Right: The Neglected Theme of 20th Century

Planning, Journal of the American Planning Association, 75:2, 134-143 5 Jacobs and Paulsen, Property Rights

community parks, and public schools. Although protecting the interests lower density (thus more expensive) housing is not necessarily the intentions of the zoning ordinances, the GP successfully illustrates that this is the case through their maps and diagrams. These illustrations of inequity identify some of the weaknesses in South Pasadenas GP. Adoption Accordance and approval from state safety agencies are essential to the legitimate adoption a General Plan, but more importantly they are essential to insure a safe environment for residents. The state requires General Plans to adopt a hazardous waste plan to contain hazardous materials, potentially destined for disposal in landfills where they could leach through the soil and contaminate groundwater (VIII-11). In order to fulfill these mandates and adhere to the necessary processes for adoption of the General Plan South Pasadena has presently adopted the County of Los Angeles Hazardous Waste Management Plan into its land and processes by reference (VIII-12). The regulations mandated by state agencies go further than perfunctory adoption procedures; they are inherent to insure the quality of life for residents and future generations. This example, as well as many others, such as establishing earthquake standards and retrofitting Devils Dam, gives merit to the GPs goal to establish a safe and healthy physical space for their inhabitants. Conclusion Every city contains a dynamic set of goals in their General Plan, ranging from small-scale landscape beautifications to large-scale earthquake fortifications; yet it is higher aims for the future of a contiguous community that identifies a city as a marketable product. South Pasadena successfully distinguishes itself from other metropolitan competition by manifesting the built environment into a symbolic and physical representation of its values and standards. Like every product, South Pasadenas GP has a

target consumer for this small vibrant community experience, targeting upper middle-class families. Subjecting policy and zoning to prioritize this niche is not egregiously wrong, however it solidifies a community-wide precedence for insularity to affordable housing and apartment units. Since the General Plan is a blueprint for all future development, constructing a rigid stance within the GP renders it difficult to retroactively adapt to future regional, social, and economic changes. Despite these weaknesses, overall South Pasadenas GP links all the elements to shape a complete, fluid, and robust document in accordance with the particular goal of establishing a small town experience via accessible transportation, pedestrian oriented residences, street level retail, and an abundance of open space. The elements of the General Plan cover vastly varying issues from biohazard to botanical schemes. South Pasadena successfully illustrates the necessity of integrating each component by centering it around a common and withstanding vision for the present and future of the city.