The City of Pasadena council has approved a range of incentives for adaptive reuse projects, including exemptions from dwelling units per acre requirements, flexibility on floor area ratios for modifications within existing buildings, and height allowances of up to 15 additional feet for residential amenities such as pools or fitness centers, as reported by Pasadena Now.
The ordinance requires a minimum average unit size of 450 square feet, with exceptions for projects that are 100% affordable or have fewer than 10 units. Each dwelling must have at least 150 square feet of open space, which can include common areas like lobbies with residential amenities and accessible rooftop areas.
No new parking spaces will be required for adaptive reuse projects in Pasadena. The ordinance includes provisions for “car-share” options to further reduce the necessary parking spaces.
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Limited new construction is permitted in conjunction with adaptive reuse projects under the new law, allowing up to a 50% increase in units or up to the maximum General Plan density, whichever is less.
After concerns were raised by a labor union representing hospitality workers, hotels and motels were specifically excluded from the new adaptive reuse ordinance, though under current Pasadena law hotels under 80 rooms may be converted to affordable housing.
In a letter to the council, UNITE HERE Local 11 said it supports streamlining housing development but expressed concern that there could be “tension between housing and tourism priorities” as Los Angeles County prepares to host FIFA World Cup matches in 2026 and the 2028 Olympics.
In Northern California, a developer is seeking approval to replace an office campus with apartments in the Contra Costa County suburb of Lafayette as the city faces a lawsuit from advocates alleging it has failed to comply with state housing laws by relying on “misleading and unrealistic” sites to meet its state-mandated goal.
Lafayette-based SAJ Development is planning to build a 90-unit mixed-use residential apartment building at 1001 Oak Hill Road. Three office buildings will be torn down at the site and replaced with a seven-story, 171K square foot multifamily tower.
The project is deploying a state density bonus and will receive streamlined approval under a state law known as SB 330. SAJ is planning 79 market-rate units, five very-low-income and six moderate-income units. The inclusion of the 11 affordable units granted the project a 22.5% density bonus for 17 additional market-rate units.
Lafayette, with a population of 25,000, is required to meet a state-mandated goal to plan for 2,114 new units of housing by 2031. The city has built just 115 units in the last decade.
A 315-unit apartment development that was first proposed 12 years ago in Lafayette was delayed by two lawsuits, a ballot referendum and more than 100 public hearings. In 2023, the state Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal from a neighborhood group aiming to stop the development, which has yet to break ground.
Last week, the Housing Action Coalition filed a lawsuit alleging that Lafayette is “pretending” to comply with the state housing law because its state-approved housing element plan includes proposed sites now occupied by business and religious institutions that have no actual intention of developing housing.
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