HomeMy WebLinkAbout7543RESOLUTION NO. 7543
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ARCADIA,
CALIFORNIA, APPROVING GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT NO. GPA 23-
02 TO AMEND THE GENERAL PLAN LAND USE MAP AND LAND USE
ELEMENT TO IMPLEMENT THE ADOPTED HOUSING ELEMENT FOR
THE 2021-2029 HOUSING CYCLE ALONG WITH AN ADDENDUM TO
THE ADOPTED NEGATIVE DECLARATION FOR THE HOUSING
ELEMENT UNDER THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT
("CEQA").
WHEREAS, California Government Code Section 65358(a) authorizes the City
Council to amend the General Plan if it is deemed to be in the public interest or required
by State law; and
WHEREAS, the General Plan is a long-range, comprehensive document that
serves as a guide for the orderly development of the City of Arcadia; and by its very
nature, the General Plan is subject to update and revision to account for current and future
community needs; and
WHEREAS, California State Housing Element Law establishes the requirements
for Housing Elements, and California Government Code Section 65588 requires that local
governments review and revise the Housing Element of their comprehensive General
Plans not less than once every eight years, and currently the State is in the "6th Cycle" of
Housing Element Updates, covering the time period of 2021-2029; and
WHEREAS, the California State Legislature identifies overall housing policies for
the State with the goal of ensuring every resident has access to housing and suitable
living environments, and additionally establishes a Regional Housing Needs Assessment
("RHNA") which establishes projected allocations of housing units through local Councils
of Governments that are attributed to each jurisdiction in the State; and
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WHEREAS, the updated Housing Element must be adopted by City Council and
determined to be in substantial compliance by the California State Department of Housing
and Community Development ("HCD") in concert with statewide housing policies and in
compliance with the established RHNA; and
WHEREAS, the subject rezoning efforts (a General Plan Amendment, Zone
Change, and Text Amendment-- the "Rezoning Project") were identified by HCD as being
necessary prior to certification of the Housing Element, and the Rezoning Project
implements the strategies identified in the updated Housing Element to address the
established RHNA; and
WHEREAS, the Rezoning Project amends the General Plan Land Use Map to
establish new land use designations and amends the General Plan Land Use and
Community Design Element to reflect changes in density and residential allowances to
support the rezoning strategies within the updated Housing Element; and
WHEREAS, the Rezoning Project will meet the requirements of Government Code
Section 65583.2 (h) and (i) related to the accommodation of affordable housing;
specifically in that developments in which at least 20 percent of the units are affordable
to lower income households shall be allowed by -right; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA"), an
Addendum to the Adopted Initial Study/Negative Declaration ("IS/ND") was prepared for
the Rezoning Project in compliance with CEQA and the local environmental review
guidelines, and a Notice of Intent to Adopt a Negative Declaration for the Rezoning Project
was posted with the Los Angeles County Clerk's Office on December 21, 2023; and
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WHEREAS, on January 23, 2024, a duly noticed public hearing was held before
the Planning Commission on the Rezoning Project, at which time all interested persons
were given full opportunity to be heard and to present evidence, and the Planning
Commission subsequently voted 5-0 to recommend approval of the Rezoning Project to
the City Council; and
WHEREAS, on February 6, 2024, a duly noticed public hearing was held before
the City Council on the Rezoning Project, and the associated Addendum to the Adopted
Initial Study/Negative Declaration, at which time all interested persons were given full
opportunity to be heard and to present evidence and all public comments on the
environmental document were reviewed; and
WHEREAS, all other legal prerequisites to the adoption of this Resolution have
been fulfilled.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ARCADIA,
CALIFORNIA, HEREBY RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1 The factual data submitted by the Development Services
Department in the Staff Report dated February 6, 2024, and associated attachments, are
true and correct.
SECTION 2. The City Council finds that based upon the entire record, including
all written and oral evidence presented, pursuant to Section 9108.03.060 of the Arcadia
Development Code, all of the following findings can be made.
1 The proposed action is consistent with the goals, policies, and actions of
the General Plan.
3
Facts to Support This Finding: The Rezoning Project is a primary implementation
effort associated with the City's approved Housing Element, which in and of itself is part
of the General Plan. An approved (and substantially compliant) Housing Element is
required to make the General Plan consistent with state law requirements per
Government Code Section 65580, which requires the Housing Element to be updated
every eight years upon the adoption of a region's Regional Housing Needs Allocation
("RHNA"). The Housing Element Update identified goals, policies, and implementation
programs addressing housing opportunities, removal of governmental constraints,
improving the condition of existing housing and providing equal housing opportunities for
all Arcadia residents. These goals, policies and program actions further the City's overall
policy goal within the General Plan to inspire a more diverse, sustainable, and balanced
community by implementing strategies and programs that contribute to economic and
socially diverse housing opportunities that preserve and enhance Arcadia's character.
The rezoning efforts that are part of the proposed action are the heart of the Housing
Element's Implementation Plan and will provide the capacity for required affordable
housing units throughout the City.
2. The proposed action would not be detrimental to the public interest, health,
safety, convenience, or welfare of the City.
Facts to Support This Finding: The Housing Element Update reflects the input of
residents, decision makers, and other stakeholders in the community. The proposed
action is to implement the adopted Housing Element rezoning strategies to enable
additional residential units (and especially affordable housing units) to be built throughout
the City. This is a direct benefit to the public interest in that housing affordability is a
4
regional crisis and all cities need to do their part to accommodate regional housing needs.
The rezones proposed do not compromise public health, convenience, or welfare; rather,
they provide additional opportunities for new housing of all types to be built in the City of
Arcadia.
The Addendum to the Adopted Initial Study/Negative Declaration for the Housing
Element Update analyzed all the significant environmental impacts of all candidate
housing sites associated with the proposed 6th Cycle Housing Element Update, and it
was determined that all the potential impacts would be less than significant. Additionally,
the Addendum also documented the fact that the total number of housing units anticipated
by the rezoning effort is less than the number anticipated through the original approval of
the Housing Element Update. Therefore, the proposed General Plan amendment would
not be detrimental to the public health and welfare.
SECTION 3. The Rezoning Project has been assessed in accordance with the
authority and criteria contained in the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") and
CEQA Guidelines. An Addendum to the Adopted Initial Study/Negative Declaration
("IS/ND") has been prepared for the project for the City, as the lead agency. The
Addendum was prepared pursuant with the requirements of CEQA on the basis that there
was no substantial evidence that there may be significant environmental impacts on
specific environmental areas as a result of the project. Subsequent housing developments
proposed will, of course, be subject to compliance with CEQA as they are submitted.
SECTION 4. For the foregoing reasons the City Council approves General Plan
Amendment GPA 23-02, updating the General Plan Land Use Map as shown in Exhibit
"A" and updating the General Plan Land Use and Community Design Element as shown
5
in Exhibit "B", and approving the associated Addendum to the Adopted Initial
Study/Negative Declaration prepared for the project. Development Services Staff is
authorized to correct typographical errors, spelling, formatting, or codification and to make
any minor revisions to improve reader's comprehension of the Development Code
provided that any revisions do not alter the regulatory meaning and intent. The
Development Services Director or designee is further authorized to make any technical
or clerical revisions or clarifications to the Housing Element and/or Development Code as
may be required by HCD in order to be in substantial compliance with State law.
SECTION 5. The City Clerk shall certify as to the adoption of this Resolution.
[SIGNATURES ON THE NEXT PAGE]
0
Passed, approved and adopted this 6th day of February, 2024.
ATTEST:
City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
614114114�----
Michael J. Maurer
City Attorney
7
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES) SS:
CITY OF ARCADIA )
I, GENE GLASCO, City Clerk of the City of Arcadia, hereby certifies that the
foregoing Resolution No. 7543 was passed and adopted by the City Council of the City of
Arcadia, signed by the Mayor and attested to by the City Clerk at a regular meeting of said
Council held on the 6th day of February, 2024 and that said Resolution was adopted by the
following vote, to wit:
AYES: Cheng, Kwan, Wang, Cao, and Verlato
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
E
City Clerk of the City of Arcadia
Exhibit "A"
Updated General Plan Land Use Map
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Land Use Designations
Residential Estate (up to 2 du/ac)
Very Low Density Residential (2-4 du/ac)
Low Density Residential (4-6 du/ac)
Medium Density Residential (6-12 du/ac)
High Density Residential (20-40 du/ac)
Commercial (50 du/ac & 0.5 FAR)
Commercial (80 du/ac & 1.0 FAR)
Regional Commercial (0.5 FAR)
Horse Racing
%/A Mixed Use (50 du/ac & 1.0 FAR)
® Downtown Mixed Use (80 du/ac & 1.0 FAR)
MONROVIA
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Commercial/Light Industrial (80 du/ac & 1.0 FAR)
Mixed Use Notes:
Industrial (0.5 FAR)
Mixed Use FAR is for non-residential uses.
Public/Institutional
Mixed Use designations requires the inclusion
Open Space - Outdoor Recreation
of a ground -floor, street frontage commercial
Open Space - Resources Protection
component for all projects. Commerial uses
Rail Right-cf-Way
are allowed.
Downtown Overlay (1.0 FAR)
Santa Anita Commercial (0.3 FAR)
�; J Arcadia City Boundary
Exhibit "B"
Redlined General Plan Land Use and Community Design Element
Chapter 2:
Land Use and Community
Design Element
Arcadia General Plan
Introduction
Arcadia's motto, A Community of Homes, clearly identifies the defining
characteristic of our community. From large estates to post -World War
II subdivisions to attractive condominiums and apartments, Arcadia
offers diverse places to live and enjoy the qualities of this City. The City
also has attractive parks, successful business districts, abundant
shopping and entertainment venues, and a distinguished community
aesthetic. This element focuses on identifying, preserving, and
enhancing those physical aspects of Arcadia that are highly valued by
residents and the business community. The goals and policies set forth
the City's vision and fundamental land use philosophy regarding
appropriate types, intensity, and location of development, and the
means for maintaining the community's environmental, social, physical,
and economic health and vitality.
While the Land Use Policy Map defines the two-dimensional distribution
of uses citywide, equally important is the third dimension of character
and form. Quality design of both public places and private properties
Arcadia General Plan — November 2010 Land Use AND Community Design 1 2-1
DRAFT — December 2023
enhances the visual image that Arcadia conveys to residents and
visitors to the City. Also, the form design takes can encourage walking
and use of transit. Integrating plazas, paseos, and attractive
landscaping into project design creates places that people enjoy.
Thoughtful and considerate design in all types of development can
enhance property values and encourage maintenance. This element
identifies the community design priorities for Arcadia.
Key goals relative to land use and community design are:
Creating Identifiable Places
The General Plan identifies locations where Arcadia residents
can relax, enjoy the outdoors, stroll, and meet neighbors and
socialize. These are unique places that create a sense of place,
make Arcadia more identifiable, and promote a high quality of
life.
■ Enhancing the Public Realm
The City has established policies and recommendations on how
to improve the public realm. The public realm encompasses
public areas and improvements such as road medians and
parkways, street trees, public signage, and public art.
Improving the Private Realm
Policies and recommendations to enhance the private realm
complement public realm improvements. The private realm
includes areas that developers and private property owners are
responsible for improving through design recommendations
which help improve Arcadia overall, creating a more aesthetic
and visually pleasing community.
Achieving Our Vision
The City's character and amenities make Arcadia a very desirable
place to live. In Arcadia, residents value their safe and well -maintained
neighborhoods, quality housing, superior parks and recreation
resources, an unparalleled educational system, and strong sense of
community. The City is committed to preserving Arcadia as a quiet
community of homes while responding to residents' desires for a
balance of employment, shopping, entertainment, and recreational
opportunities. The Guiding Principles that highlight this vision are:
Balanced Growth and Development
The General Plan establishes a balance and mix of land uses
that promote economic growth and maintain a high quality of life
for Arcadia residents. Our development decisions reflect Smart
Growth principles and strategies that move us toward enhanced
mobility, more efficient use of resources and infrastructure, and
healthier lifestyles.
■ Neighborhood Character
Land Use and Community Design 1 2-2 Arcadia General Plan — November 2010
DRAFT December 2023
Arcadia's single-family and multifamily residential
neighborhoods have given the City its identity as a Community
of Homes. The City protects and preserves the character and
quality of its neighborhoods by requiring harmonious design,
careful planning, and the integration of sustainable principles.
■ Changing Housing Needs
The City encourages the retention, rehabilitation, and
development of diverse housing that meets people's needs in all
stages of their lives.
Scope of this Element
State planning law requires that the Land Use Element designate "the
proposed general distribution and general location and extent of the
uses of the land" for a variety of purposes (Government Code Section
65302[a]). Through maps and text, this element defines the distribution
and intensity of development of residential neighborhoods, commercial
and industrial districts, parks and other open spaces, and public or
semi-public uses of property in Arcadia. In particular, the Land Use
Plan section contains the Land Use Policy Map, which presents a
pictorial representation of land use policy. The Land Use and
Community Design Element also identifies study areas throughout the
community where specific policies will be implemented to guide the City
toward its land use (and related) goals.
Development and
Environmental Sustainability
The Land Use and Community Design Element serves as a tool to plan
for the future development of the City of Arcadia, and sets priorities and
goals for development types, locations, and character. Inherent in the
City's long-range view of development is the concept of sustainability.
Planning for tomorrow's Arcadia includes understanding that natural
resources are limited and that these natural resources must not be
consumed faster than they can be replenished. But sustainability does
not preclude development, growth, and advancement. Sustainability
can promote positive economic growth and can stimulate technological
innovation, advance competitiveness, and improve our quality of life.
A sustainable future for Arcadia, under this General Plan, includes
strategies to conserve and enhance local resources and safeguard the
environment. The concept of sustainability is used throughout this
General Plan and is expressed in greater detail in the Resource
Sustainability Element. The Land Use and Community Design Element
addresses sustainability and environmental conservation through
policies and programs that promote site and building design elements
in new developments that reduce or better distribute travel demand,
development design and amenities that support transit and other
alternative forms of transportation, including bicycling and walking, and
Arcadia General Plan — November 2010 Land Use and Community Design 1 2-3
DRAFT — December 2023
mixed -use developments that encourage location of employment and
commercial offerings near residential units.
Flood Management
In 2007, the State adopted legislation that strengthened the long -
existing requirement that a General Plan address flood management by
specifically mandating that the Land Use Element identify flood -prone
areas mapped by either the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) or the State Department of Water Resources. To prepare and
mitigate hazards from flooding, the City of Arcadia participates in the
National Flood Insurance Program. Flood Insurance Rate Maps, which
are prepared by FEMA, map potential flood zones. The Safety Element
addresses this issue in detail.
Land Use and Community Design I 2-4 Arcadia General Plan — November 2010
DRAFT - December 2023
I -and Use
Historic Growth Patterns
The land use patterns in Arcadia today reflect the City's heritage as a
community of homes. The planning and development approaches that
date to the City's founding established the arrangement and densities
of the single-family residential neighborhoods we see today, as well as
the concentration of commercial businesses along key corridors and as
part of a large mall. The presence of Santa Anita Park (a world-
renowned horse racing facility) and the Los Angeles County Arboretum
(formerly the Lucky Baldwin estate) —and later Los Angeles County's
Arcadia County Park and Santa Anita Golf Course —identify Arcadia as
a place where open spaces and public gathering places are integral to
all types of development. This is evidenced in the higher -density
housing along Huntington Drive west of Santa Anita Avenue, where
generous setbacks create a grand boulevard.
As Huntington Drive crosses Santa Anita Avenue to the east, the street
and lotting patterns identify the community as one that was also built up
along the railroad, with a very traditional dense street grid and small,
walkable blocks.
Figure lu-1
Block and Street Patterns
Downtown blocks and
streets form a grid pattern
that includes alleyways.
Downtown was established
in the 1920s.
Some of the early residential
neighborhoods include
meandering blocks and
streets. This neighborhood
was built in the early 1940s.
Residential Neighborhood
Arcadia's identity as a community of homes can be traced back to the
1930s, when the first residential subdivisions began to appear,
replacing what had previously been agricultural lands. The
neighborhoods in Arcadia today have developed over time to fill the
majority of the available land in the City. The northernmost portion of
the Baldwin Ranch, which was owned by Arcadia's first mayor, Elias
Jackson "Lucky" Baldwin, made way for the first residential
subdivisions.
The areas nearest the Baldwin Ranch, comprising today's Downtown
core, were the first to be settled by those outside the Baldwin family.
Arcadia General Plan — November 2010 Land Use and Community Design 1 2-5
DRAFT — December 2023
From this core, single-family residential subdivisions spread to areas
north and west of the ranch throughout the 1920s and 1930s.
The southern portion of the City was also developing at this time; its
original configuration was a grid of one -acre ranches devoted primarily
to chicken raising and light agricultural uses. During the mid-1950s to
the early 1960s, hillside residential development was most prevalent,
with neighborhoods extending into the foothills of the San Gabriel
Mountains along the City's northern boundaries. With the construction
of these neighborhoods, the bulk of Arcadia's land had been
developed, and from the 1980s to the present day, large areas of
vacant land for any type of development have not been available.
In 2009, residential development continued to represent the
predominant land use in Arcadia, covering about 68 percent of the
City's land area and providing 20,3401 homes. Commercial uses
account for approximately 11 percent, with the regional mall and areas
surrounding Santa Anita Park significant contributors to this total. As
Figure LU-2 shows, Arcadia is largely built out, with less than one
percent of land within the City vacant in 2009.
Figure LU-2: Land Use Distribution (2009)
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15 0 0 2%
V acai
0 3%
0
1%
Moving toward 2035
When Arcadia initiated a comprehensive General Plan update in 2008,
a key concern of residents was that land use policy changes would
result in substantial population growth. This Plan does provide for land
2009 estimate from State of California Department of Finance (E-5 Population and
Housing Estimates for Cities, Counties and the State, 2001-2009, with
2000 Benchmark).
Land Use and Community Design I 2-6 Arcadia General Plan —November 2010
DRAFT — December 2023
use transitions in targeted areas of the City, but accommodates only
modest population growth. The anticipated growth will result from
natural birth and death rates, new people moving into Arcadia to enjoy
the benefits it offers, and multigenerational households.
The City has taken a strategic approach to doing its part to ease
regional housing demand. This includes recognizing the desires of a
sizeable older population to remain in Arcadia, but to do so in smaller
homes with very limited maintenance responsibilities. It also includes
responding to a younger population's growing interest in more dense,
urban -type development located near transit, restaurants, and
entertainment.
With regard to commercial and business uses, Arcadia has long been a
regional hub, with a large mall attracting visitors from throughout the
San Gabriel Valley. Santa Anita Park has for many years been the
premier horse racing track in California, although changes in the horse
racing industry in the last 20 years have caused attendance to decline
at venues throughout the State, and portions of the property now offer
opportunities to further enhance Arcadia's place as a destination
shopping and entertainment location. This General Plan establishes
policy direction to build upon the commercial base that has allowed
Arcadia to thrive, and to balance that with office, medical, and industrial
uses that provide additional professional and skilled labor jobs.
The subsequent land use discussion in this element provides an
overview of the planned land use patterns and distribution to achieve
the vision stated above, followed by detailed discussion of modest
changes planned for the focus areas identified in Figure LU-7.
Land Use Plan
In response to the community's desire to maintain Arcadia's long-
established land use patterns and identity as a community of homes,
preserve the attractiveness of the City's neighborhoods and districts,
maintain a sound economic base, and enhance the pedestrian
environment, this Land Use Plan has been crafted to guide the
development, maintenance, and improvement of land and properties.
The Land Use Policy Map, illustrated in Figure LU-4, with the
designations described in Table LU-1, will allow the community to
preserve those qualities that define Arcadia.
Understanding Density and Intensity
When describing areas of Arcadia, we differentiate one area from
another by the principal use, such as homes (residential), shops and
restaurants (commercial), manufacturing businesses (business park), a
park, or a school. To describe the level of use, that is, how much
development is allowed on a property (and presumably, what the
associated activity level is), land use planners have developed
measures called density and intensity. The term density, illustrated in
Figure lu-3:
examples of
Residential Densities
Arcadia General Plan — November 2010 Land Use and Community Design 1 2-7
DRAFT — December 2023
Figure LU-3, typically applies to residential uses and refers to the
population and development capacity of residential land.
Land Use and Community Design 1 2-8 Arcadia General Plan —November 2010
DRAFT — December 2023
1• MONROVIA
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Land Use Designations
Residers' Estate (up to 2 dufac)
Ccnynera'aAight Indus'cial ,80 dufac 8 5.G FAR)
Mixed Use Notes:
Very Low Density Residential (2-4 dufac;
Ind.,strial (0.5 FAR)
_ Mixed Use FAR is fo- rion-residential uses.
Low Density Residential (4-e d:L'ac)
Puhllc:lnstAutionai
AUxed Use cesignations requires the inclusion
Med,:lm Density Residents: 18-[2 dufacj*
A •- Open Space -Outdoor Recreation
of a graind-floor, street frontage commercial
! High Density Res identiat (2040 dw'ac)
Open Space - Resources Pro' ectlon
cornpanent for all p-ojects. Commerial uses
Cmme-cla' (50 da;ac & 0 , FAR)
Rail Rigfstof--'hay
sire altwed.
Conx'nexiat (80 d:L'ac & I k FAR)
f// Downtown Overlay (1.0 FAR)
Regional commercial (ME FAR,
f�'S Santa Anita Cmrn anal (0.3 F;.R}
Horse Racing
�'
Arcadla Cry Soundary
ZZA Nixed Use (53 dufac 8 1.0 FAR)
j�f&4 Downt-Awn Mixed Use (80 dufac & 1.0 F.AR)
Arcadia General Plan — November 2010
DRAFT — December 2023
Figure LU-4: Land Use Policy Map
Land Use and Community Design 1 2-9
Density is described in terms of the dwelling units that can be
accommodated on one acre of land (dwelling units per acre or du/ac)
and the population associated with that density (population per acre or
pop/ac).
Development intensity refers to the extent to which a property is or can
be developed. While intensity generally describes nonresidential
development levels, in a broader sense, intensity also can be used to
express overall levels of both residential and nonresidential
development types. For land uses in Arcadia, the measure of intensity
used is the floor -area ratio. The floor -area ratio, or FAR, describes the
relationship between the total square feet of development on a lot and
the area of that lot. The FAR is determined by dividing the gross floor
area of all buildings on a lot by the land area of that lot. Figure LU-5
illustrates different FAR calculations; FAR and factors such as building
square footage, building height, and the percent of lot coverage are all
interrelated. For example, a 20,000-square-foot building on a 40,000-
square-foot lot yields a FAR of 0.50:1. A 0.50:1 FAR allows, for
example, a single -story building, which covers half the lot, or a two-
story building with reduced lot coverage.
Land Use Designations
The Land Use Policy Map (Figure LU-4) graphically represents the
planned distribution and intensity of land use citywide. The colors
shown on the map correspond to land use designations that describe
the types of uses established and planned in Arcadia. The descriptions
on the following pages establish the General Plan designations and
indicate the permitted nature and intensity of development.
Five residential land use designations allow for a range of housing
types and densities, largely reflective of long-established development
approaches. In addition to the primary permitted residential uses, the
City also permits accessory units and non-residential uses such as
schools, parks, child day care, and religious and charitable
organizations, consistent with State law and as set forth in the Arcadia
Municipal Code.
The two commercial land use designations, single industrial
designation, and #yb id Commercial/Light Industrial designation are
designed to support business activity and provide tools to help
businesses and districts maximize their economic potential, or provide
opportunities for more intense residential uses on commercial parcels
that encourages transit -oriented development in proximity to transit
centers, employment centers, and commercial and service uses.
Figure lu-5:
Floor -Area Ratio
L L60.0
0.5 FAR
s • --
1.0 FAR
L
1.5 FAR
Floor Area Ratio (FAR):
Gross Building Area
Lot Area
Two designations accommodate commercial and residential mixed -use
development. The mixed -use designations allow combined commercial
and residential developments and both stand-alone commercial and
residential uses if affordable housing units are provided.; howe
e)EGIUsiYely—FesideRtial uses aFe net 198FFRItted in there -aFeas. The
Downtown Mixed Use designation provides for more intense, mixed -
used development surrounding the planned GeW LiRe Metro Station to
Land Use and Community Design 1 2-10 Arcadia General Plan — November 2010
DRAFT — December 2023
create a complete, compact, walkable neighborhood that encourages
transit use.
RE — Residential Estates
The Residential Estates designation accommodates
low -density single-family residential neighborhoods.
Development is typified by large lot, detached single-
family residences on estate -type lots of 22,000 square
feet or larger. Permitted uses include single-family
residences on a single lot and private tennis courts and
similar facilities.
Other uses that may be appropriate, consistent with
zoning regulations, include public and private schools,
public parks, and other open space uses.
Unit Density: up to 2 du/ac
VLDR — Very Low Density Residential
The Very Low Density Residential designation
accommodates low -density single-family residential
neighborhoods. Development is typified by large lot,
detached single-family residences on lots ranging from
10,000 to 22,000 square feet or larger. Permitted uses
include single-family residences on a single lot and
private tennis courts and similar facilities.
Other uses that may be appropriate, consistent with
zoning regulations, include public and private schools,
public parks, and other open space uses.
Unit Density: up to 4 du/ac
&W94 as r-equk-ed b�, State General Plan .�_aw. PepuleYen densky has been bQRS4
2ee9).
Arcadia General Plan — November 2010 Land Use and Community Design 1 2-11
DRAFT — December 2023
LDR — Low Density Residential
The Low Density Residential designation
accommodates low -density single-family residential
neighborhoods. Development is typified by detached
single-family residences on lots 7,200 to 10,000 square
feet in size. Permitted uses are limited to single-family
residences on a single lot.
Other uses that may be appropriate, consistent with
zoning regulations, include public and private schools,
public parks, and other open space uses.
Unit Density. up to 6 du/ac
MDR — Medium Density Residential
The Medium Density Residential designation
accommodates varied housing types and sizes within a
suburban neighborhood context. Permitted residential
uses include detached and attached residences with
private and/or shared yards and open space areas.
Other uses that may be appropriate, consistent with
zoning regulations, include public and private schools,
public parks, and other open space uses.
Unit Density. 6 to 12 du/ac
HDR — High Density Residential
The High Density Residential designation
accommodates higher -density attached housing types
for both renter and owner households within a
neighborhood context. Such housing types generally
are located near transit stops, along arterials and transit
corridors, and within easy walking distance of shops
and services. Appropriate transition to adjacent lower -
density neighborhoods is required through the use of
yards, other open areas, and building heights.
Other uses that may be appropriate, consistent with
zoning regulations, include public and private schools,
public parks, and other open space uses.
Unit Density: ''' }^ 2n d Me 20-40 du/ac
Land Use and Community Design 1 2-12 Arcadia General Plan — November 2010
DRAFT — December 2023
C — Commercial (50 du/ac and 0.5 FAR)
The Commercial designation is intended to permit a
wide range of commercial uses which serve both
neighborhood and citywide markets. The designation
allows a broad array of commercial enterprises,
including restaurants, durable goods sales, food stores,
lodging, professional offices, specialty shops, indoor
and outdoor recreational facilities, and entertainment
uses. For commercial uses, the Floor Area Ratio (FAR)
is 0.5. In addition, the Commercial designation also
allows for straight residential development at a
minimum density of 30 dwelling unit per acre and a
maximum density of up to 50 dwelling unit per acre if
affordable housing units are provided.
A(d aGeRt t^ rlewRtewR the GempAeFBial .designatien i
iMend�d—te ►set*age small scale effi% and
neighbeFh^^'" sewing semmersial asest"�;a t
aFeas. While the land use designation provides the
general parameters within which development must
take place, the ZeRing Development Code or other land
use regulatory document specifies the type and
intensity of uses that will be permitted in a given area. In
the Downtown area, for example, where properties are
designated Commercial and Commercial/Light
Industrial, and along the Las Tunas corridor west of
Santa Anita Avenue, land use regulations might specify
that active uses such as restaurants and cafes are
permitted, but a flexible Overlay will allow residential
uses with affordable housing to transition into these
areas over time. . The
Zoning Development Code and other regulatory
documents also indicate permitted building height limits
for specific properties.
Maximum FAR — 0.50 (only commercial square footage
is counted toward the FAR).
Unit Density with affordable housing units: 30-50 du/ac
Maximum 0.30 FAR for Santa Anita Park — The
residential density does not apply to this property.
Maximum 1.0 FAR under Downtown
Overlay oveAa) are applied to portions of Downtown
along Santa Anita Avenue, Colorado Place, and
Huntington Drive. (1.0 FAP�.
647r4uding Santa Anita Avenue, Gelerade Raee, an
Arcadia General Plan — November 2010 Land Use and Community Design 1 2-13
DRAFT — December 2023
C — Commercial (80 du/acre and 1.0 FAR)
The Commercial designation that allows mixed -use
development with a density of 80 du/acre and a 1.0
Floor Area Ratio (FAR) is within the City's Downtown
area. This Commercial designation is intended to
encourage a strong pedestrian -oriented environment
that provides a variety of retail and service uses,
restaurants, and neighborhood -serving commercial
uses that complement development in the Downtown
Mixed Use areas. In order to provide the residential
population that is required to support the uses in the
downtown and around the Metro GoldziRe #ramA
station, residential uses in a mixed -use development
are permitted above ground floor commercial or
adjacent to a commercial use. The Development Code
and other regulatory documents also indicate permitted
building height limits for specific properties.
Maximum FAR — 1.0 (only commercial square footage
is counted in calculation of FAR)
Unit Density. Up to 80 du/ac
ighk- Up to 60 feet
RC — Regional Commercial
The Regional Commercial designation applies only to
the regional shopping center located east of Baldwin
Avenue and north of Huntington Drive. The designation
provides for regional commercial centers intended to
serve a regional market and that offer a depth and
variety of retail goods, general merchandise, apparel,
entertainment center, and home furnishings businesses.
Development within the Regional Commercial
designation is characterized by large, multi -tenant
centers anchored by one or more major retailers as key
tenants.
Maximum FAR — 0.50 (Based on gross leasable floor
area for regional shopping center)
Land Use and Community Design I 2-14 Arcadia General Plan — November 2010
DRAFT — December 2023
HR — Horse Racing
The Horse Racing designation provides for the
continued operation of the Santa Anita Park race track
for horse racing and related activities and special
events. Permitted uses include stabling and training of
race and show horses, horse racing, pari-mutuel
wagering on horse racing, horse shows and equestrian
events, and special events. Permitted ancillary uses
include seasonal housing for employees, per Municipal
Code standards.
Maximum FAR — N/A
MU - Mixed Use
The Mixed Use designation provides opportunities for
commercial and residential mixed -use development that
takes advantage of easy access to transit and proximity
to employment centers, and that provide
complementary mixes of uses that support and
encourage pedestrian activity. Mixed -use districts
support commercial uses that integrate well with
residential activity without creating conflicts.
Development approaches encourage shared use of
parking areas and public open spaces, pedestrian
movement, and interaction of uses within a mixed -use
district. Design approaches should minimize or limit
curb cuts/driveways at the front of the development
when rear or side egress options are available.
Residential uses in a mixed -use development are
permitted above ground floor commercial or adjacent to
a commercial use. Mixed commercial/office and
residential tenancies and stand-alone commercial or
office uses are allowed. Stand-alone residential uses
are also allowed if affordable housing units are
provided. HeweyeF,
eeL
Maximum FAR — 1.0 (only commercial square footage
is counted in calculation of FAR)
Unit Density: 22 2 30-50 du/ac
max4mum L eigi4f• up to 40 feet
Arcadia General Plan — November 2010 Land Use and Community Design 1 2-15
DRAFT — December 2023
DMU — Downtown Mixed Use
The Downtown Mixed Use designation provides
opportunities for complementary service and retail
commercial businesses, professional offices, and
residential uses to locate within the City's downtown.
Downtown Mixed Use encourages the inclusion of a
ground -floor, street -frontage commercial component,
but it is not required. Residential uses in a mixed -use
development are permitted above ground floor
commercial or adjacent to a commercial use. Mixed
commercial/office and residential tenancies and stand-
alone commercial or office uses are allowed. Stand-
alone residential uses are allowed if affordable housing
units are provided. HOW8VeF,
Wildi^^c are ^^t alle ^^'. Development approaches
encourage shared use of parking areas and public open
spaces, pedestrian travel ways, and interaction of uses
within the district. Particular features that will define
Downtown include public open space as an integral
component of the fell L4Pe Metro station, as well as
any larger mixed -use or commercial developments.
Guided by the policies and vision of the General Plan, a
specific plan or subsequent zoning changes for
Downtown will contain detailed development standards,
infrastructure requirements, land use regulations, and
implementation measures for coordinated development.
Maximum FAR: 1.0 (only commercial square footage is
counted in calculation of FAR)
Unit Density: Up to 80 du/ac
Height.-, up to gig feet
C/LI — Commercial/Light Industrial
The Commercial/Light Industrial designation provides
areas for a complementary mix of light manufacturing
businesses, limited auto service and repair, and support
office, and retail uses-, or high density residential
projects with affordable housing that encourages transit -
oriented development in proximity to transit centers,
employment centers, and commercial and service uses.
The designation recognizes the importance of small-
scale industrial and quasi -industrial businesses for the
community in terms of business start-
ups/entrepreneurship, job provision, residents' access
to needed goods and services, and revenue from point -
of -sales operations. Such uses are low scale, with
development and operating conditions built into the
development to minimize impact on surrounding uses.
Permitted retail uses are limited to those that support
the industrial businesses. L=aFgeF 66a'8 ^ ^i^' ' 1696
will he G sorer. d e a by n e ba6ir, in the I ^uVer
Land Use and Community Design 1 2-16 Arcadia General Plan — November 2010
DRAFT — December 2023
Maximum FAR: 9.50 1.0 (only commercial square
footage is counted in calculation of FAR)
Unit Density. 80 du/ac
I - Industrial
The Industrial designation provides for an array of
warehouse, distribution, manufacturing, and assembly
uses in appropriate locations.
Maximum FAR: 0.50
P/I — Public/Institutional
The Public/Institutional designation accommodates
public, semi-public, and institutional uses, including but
not limited to offices and facilities used by federal, state,
and local government; special districts; public schools;
hospitals; colleges and universities; and other public
agencies and public utilities.
Maximum FAR: as set forth in zoning regulations
OS -OR — Open Space —Outdoor Recreation
The Open Space —Outdoor Recreation designation
encompasses all City, county, state, and federal parks
and associated facilities, including private facilities on
leased public lands. The designation identifies public
lands intended to be used for active and passive
recreational activities, such as parks, golf courses,
trails, and the Arboretum. Public lands used as
detention basins may also be designated Open Space -
Outdoor Recreation when co -located with active
recreational uses or when open spaces serve two uses,
such as a sports field and a detention basin.
Maximum FAR: N/A
Arcadia General Plan — November 2010 Land Use and Community Design 1 2-17
DRAFT — December 2023
OS -RP — Open Space -Resource Protection
The Open Space —Resource Protection designation
applies to areas which require special management or
regulation because of unusual environmental conditions
such as earthquake fault zones, steep slopes, flood
zones, high -risk fire areas, and areas required for the
protection of water quality. While alternative uses of
such constrained areas may be allowed, the unique
character or constraints of the area must be adequately
addressed. This land use designation may also include
sensitive habitat areas, groundwater recharge basins,
hillside areas, and viewshed management areas.
Maximum FAR: N/A
Community Design
Why do some places feel special and distinct while others are
nondescript and uninspiring? Why do we want to spend hours walking
around some neighborhoods, while others do not captivate us?
Historically, great places have come about by following tradition —
people doing things the way that they have always done them. Over
time, people discovered and incorporated into their traditions the
principles of great place -making.
The field of community design studies the places that attract us and
extrapolates core principles that can be used to create new places that
appeal to us in the same way. This section describes how Arcadia
incorporates community design into development decisions for both
private properties and the public realm.
Citywide Design Principles
The following community design principles apply to all of Arcadia:
■ Creating Identifiable Places
■ Improving the Public Realm
■ Improving the Private Realm
Creating Identifiable Places
Community character is defined by the built and natural environments.
Specific attention to urban design can enhance places where people
gather, and create memorable and attractive streetscapes.
Components of citywide urban design include:
Activity Nodes and Areas
Activity Nodes are places of pedestrian activity and excitement. These
are places where people congregate, socialize, and shop. They are
also places where residents can leisurely stroll, participate in a
Land Use and Community Design 1 2-18 Arcadia General Plan —November 2010
DRAFT — December 2023
recreational activity, or relax and experience the outdoors. Examples of
activity nodes, identified in Figure LU-6, include:
■ Santa Anita Park
■ Downtown Arcadia
■ Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanical Garden
■ Arcadia County Park
■ Regional Shopping Mall
Arcadia General Plan — November 2010 Land Use and Community Design 1 2-19
DRAFT — December 2023
PASADENA
GLEN
m
Mapped by Wogle-Ireland, Inca
Source Arcadia, GIs 2008.
Is
��r !iA is lR�•,��
Sierra Madre
—. ..r-..—..1 Monrovia
Major Corridors
Focal Intersections
—•-- City Boundary
Activity Nodes
d0*g Primary Gateways
Sphere of Influence
Major Road
Activity Areas
Secondary Gateways
Freeway
Parks
City Entry Signs
Railroad
Civic Uses
Water Feature
Land Use and Community
Design 1 2-20
RUBY
CANYON
FIGURE LU-6: OVERALL URBAN
DESIGN FRAMEWORK
Arcadia General Plan — November 2010
DRAFT — December 2023
This page intentionally left blank.
Arcadia General Plan — November 2010 Land Use and Community Design 1 2-21
DRAFT — December 2023
Major Corridors
Major Corridors are boulevards and streets that provide important multi -
modal transportation routes. They are scenic and picturesque, with
large, mature street trees on both sides of the street, with accent
plantings and landscaping. Continuous sidewalks provide pedestrian
connections along the corridor to link activity nodes, neighborhoods,
and transit stops.
Some streets include medians, where landscaping and street trees
create a grand thoroughfare, such as Huntington Drive. Many of the
City's primary and secondary gateways are located on Major Corridors.
Focal Intersections
Focal Intersections occur at junctions of Major Corridors. They are
important focal points of the community; they provide visual anchors,
points of interest, and enhanced pedestrian connections. The following
standards should be applied at all focal intersections:
■ Buildings at Focal Intersections should be of the highest
architectural quality to make them memorable and
recognizable.
■ Buildings should be oriented toward public streets and spaces
to make the public space vibrant and pedestrian friendly.
■ Activities that attract or generate pedestrian traffic such as
cafes, retail functions, and public art are highly desirable at
Focal Intersections.
■ Define prominent intersections by locating new buildings or
other structures closer to the street and defining the
intersection space.
Huntington Drive is a
Major Corridor with
large, mature trees in
landscaped medians.
Photo credit:
google. com
■ Main building entrances of corner buildings should be close to
the corner.
■ Intersections should include raised crosswalks with textured
materials to help improve pedestrian visibility and reduce
pedestrian/vehicle conflicts.
Land Use and Community Design 1 2-22 Arcadia General Plan — November 2010
DRAFT — December 2023
Enhancing the Public Realm
The public realm consists of public property along street rights -of -way
and within medians, as well as public signage and public art. These
enhancements make Arcadia more recognizable to visitors and
distinguish the City from surrounding San Gabriel Valley communities.
Gateways
Gateways announce arrival into a community or district through
such design treatments as public signage, special landscape
treatment, and unified architecture. Streets in Arcadia continue
directly into adjacent communities, and oftentimes travelers do
not know whether they are in Arcadia or Temple City or
Monrovia. To identify Arcadia entrances, gateway treatments
can be utilized where major streets cross municipal boundaries
and at freeway ramps. District gateways should be considered
for especially recognizable districts, most notably Downtown
Arcadia. Figure LU-6 indicates potential locations for gateway
statements. A major gateway exists at the corner of Huntington
Drive at Fifth Avenue.
A hierarchy of gateway treatments will be developed that
respond to the significance of the entry point. There are two types of
gateways:
Primary Gateways. These gateways are the main entryways
into the City. These gateways can be found on major
corridors.
Secondary Gateways.
these entries will differ
The gateway treatments for each of
in response to their context, but will
Huntington Drive and
Santa Anita Avenue is
a Focal Intersection.
This iconic gateway on
Huntington Drive
welcomes visitors to
Arcadia's Downtown.
Arcadia General Plan — November 2010 Land Use and Community Design 1 2-23
DRAFT — December 2023
generally be smaller in scale and lower in profile than the
primary gateways.
A particularly strong statement of arrival includes vertical design
elements. Where the City owns right-of-way to provide such
components, it can. However, private development can also contribute
to community gateway statements with strong corner massing, tower
elements, or other architectural features that create a distinct profile.
Additional approaches include using a combination of special paving,
lighting, and/or landscape treatment to augment the appearance and
visual impact at gateways.
Street Trees
Arcadia's trees are a significant aesthetic and ecological resource.
They are one of the City's real treasures and a key part of what
distinguishes Arcadia. There remain, however, many areas of the City
with minimal or nonexistent street tree coverage. The City has
recognized the importance of a major species of tree with the adoption
of the Oak Tree Preservation Ordinance, as well as tree maintenance
with the Comprehensive Tree Management Program. The
implementation of the Urban Forest Master Plan will complement the
positive effects of this ordinance by starting to fill in the areas of the City
that could still benefit from street trees. Street trees should be shade
trees wherever possible.
The Parks,
Recreation, and
Community
Resources Element
discusses street
trees and tree
preservation in
Trees can make commercial areas much more inviting to pedestrians. Contrast the two photos.
Public Signage
A coordinated program of public signage helps identify and make a
place distinct. Public signage should emphasize local history and
identity, and be placed with regard to its surroundings. Distinctive
signage should be used to identify unique districts, neighborhoods, and
locations in the City. Public signs should also be organized, have a
uniform appearance, and enhance the visual environment.
Public Art
Public art can range from the unobtrusive to the monumental. When
well executed and appropriately sited, public art distinguishes a
community and can celebrate different cultures. Large pieces can mark
a focal point of a neighborhood or serve as a landmark for navigation.
Small, out-of-the-way pieces can impart a sense of wonder and
Land Use and Community Design 1 2-24 Arcadia General Plan — November 2010
DRAFT — December 2023
discovery. Public art can also lead to economic benefits, as it can be
an attractor to a business area.
M—M M IN
77�
-4
Public art can be decorative and whimsical, and can celebrate culture and heritage.
Improving the Private Realm
The private realm consists of privately owned areas that are generally
visible to the public and that contribute to streetscape conditions. While
properties are privately owned, the City can define its expectations
through zoning regulations and design guidelines. Enhancing these
areas with design treatments works to coordinate private improvements
with public realm investment, thereby creating more aesthetic and
attractive commercial districts and neighborhoods.
Compatibility
No development exists in isolation. Every act of construction affects
and is affected by its surroundings. Every development, therefore,
should be evaluated for its compatibility in terms of use, scale, and
aesthetics with the neighborhood or district in which it is located. For
small projects, this area of influence may be considered to be as small
as to only include the buildings directly next door. For large projects,
one must consider entire blocks or corridors. Where land use or other
incompatibilities exist today, the City can take action to encourage the
transition over time to a more cohesive urban form.
Arcadia General Plan — November 2010 Land Use and Community Design 1 2-25
DRAFT — December 2023
Land Use and Community Design 1 2-26 Arcadia General Plan — November 2010
DRAFT — December 2023
Commercial Signage
Commercial signs have a significant influence on the overall aesthetic
impact of a given street. If signs have enough uniformity and are well
proportioned and appropriate to their context, they can collectively
function much the same way as public art in providing a sense of place
and unique identity. If, on the other hand, signs are ill proportioned,
cheap looking, and an odd mix of styles (monument versus pylon
versus wall signs), they create visual "noise" and clutter that make it
difficult to see the positive qualities of the street and to locate
businesses.
Signage within the City's commercial corridors, with Baldwin Avenue
being a particular example, has tended toward the latter rather than the
former. To address sign clutter, the City developed sign guidelines
which are integrated into the architectural guidelines for commercial
and industrial properties. These guidelines lay out recommendations for
everything from typefaces to materials to sign placement. If followed
citywide, these guidelines will dramatically improve the character of
Arcadia's commercial corridors over time.
Illustrations from
Arcadia's Architectural
Design Guidelines for
commercial and
industrial signage
Signs shOuiti
no( W placed
Orr fop of O—Ong
[alter fio'ghl
Arcadia General Plan —November 2010 Land Use and Community Design I 2-27
DRAFT — December 2023
Citywide
Policies
Goals and
Goal LU-1: A balance of land uses that preserves
Arcadia's status as a Community of
Homes and a community of opportunity
Policy LU-1.1: Promote new infill and redevelopment
projects that are consistent with the City's
land use and compatible with surrounding
existing uses.
Policy LU-1.2: Promote new uses of land that provide
diverse economic, social, and cultural
opportunities, and that reinforce the
characteristics that make Arcadia a desirable
place to live.
Policy LU-1.3: Encourage community involvement in the
development review process.
Policy LU-1.4: Encourage the gradual redevelopment of
incompatible, ineffective, and/or undesirable
land uses.
Policy LU-1.5: Require that effective buffer areas be created
between land uses that are of significantly
different character or that have operating
characteristics which could create nuisances
along a common boundary.
Policy LU-1.6: Establish consistency between the Land Use
Plan and the Zening Development Code.
Policy LU-1.7: Encourage developments to be placed in
areas that reduce or better distribute travel
demand.
Policy LU-1.8: Encourage development types that support
transit and other alternative forms of
transportation, including bicycling and
walking.
Policy LU-1.9: Establish incentives and development
standards to encourage development of land
uses that provide public amenities and/or
desirable facilities or features, as well as
private open space and recreation areas.
Land Use and Community Design 1 2-28 Arcadia General Plan — November 2010
RAFT — Dectmber 2023
Policy LU-1.10: Require that new development projects
provide their full fair share of the
improvements necessary to mitigate project
generated impacts on the circulation and
infrastructure systems.
Policy LU-1.11: Encourage the development of a range of
childcare facilities, including infant care,
preschool care, and after -school care, to
serve the needs of Arcadia families and
workers. Encourage the development of
childcare facilities near transit -oriented
development. In accordance with the
strategic plan adopted by the Los Angeles
Child Care Planning Committee, reduce
barriers to childcare services due to zoning
regulations and expensive permit
requirements.
Goal LU-2: A City with a distinctive and attractive
public realm, with pedestrian -friendly
amenities in commercial and mixed -use
districts and single-family neighborhoods
that continue to maintain Arcadia's
standard of architectural and aesthetic
quality
Policy LU-2.1: Ensure that trees planed in the public right-of-
way continue to be well maintained where
they exist, are planted in areas where they
are currently lacking, and encourage
replacement of undesirable tree species in
public right-of-ways.
Policy LU-2.2: Emphasize the use of public spaces and
design that are oriented toward the
pedestrian and use of transit throughout the
community.
Policy LU-2.3: Develop a public art program that encourages
and guides the creation, promotion,
implementation, and maintenance of public
art throughout the City. Emphasize art that
draws upon the local history and is placed at
locations accessible to the public.
Policy LU-2.4: Establish administrative support and
community participation systems for the
implementation of a public art program.
Develop a dedicated funding source for
Arcadia General Plan — November 2010 Land Use and Community Design 1 2-29
ummr i December 2023
public art to be paid for as a part of large
private and public development projects.
Policy LU-2.5: Develop a hierarchy of gateways to mark
entrances into the City, as illustrated by
Figure LU-6.
Policy LU-2.6: Ensure the aesthetic quality and pedestrian
orientation of the City's commercial corridors
by implementing the recommendations of this
Community Design section, as well as the
Architectural Design Guidelines for
commercial and industrial properties.
Policy LU-2.7: Through a combination of incentives to
business owners and enforcement measures,
attain compliance with signage standards and
guidelines throughout the City, with a priority
placed on high -traffic commercial corridors
and gateway areas.
Single -Family Residential
Development
Arcadia's long-established, single-family residential neighborhoods are
at the core of the City's identity. These stable neighborhoods, many of
which boast block after block of mature trees planted in the public right-
of-way, are what the City means when it refers to itself as a
"Community of Homes." Protection of these most prized assets of the
City is a primary objective of this General Plan.
In 2006, largely as a response to community concerns over
.,mansionization" and tree destruction on single-family properties, the
City adopted Single -Family Residential Design Guidelines. The core
issues that these guidelines address are:
Mass and scale: Building mass and scale are required to relate
to established homes in the neighborhood and natural site
features. Design approaches, particularly for two- and three-
story structures, should consist of articulated building planes,
roof and facade offsets, and other techniques that break up
building masses.
Front entry: Building entries and entry features should not
dominate the front facade. Architectural enhancements must
blend with the overall home style and not use monumental or
large vertical components.
Garages: As street -facing garages tend to be uninviting and
have the potential to dominate the front elevation of a house,
the guidelines encourage garages to be set back from the front
facade or tucked in the back yard.
Land Use and Community Design 1 2-30 Arcadia General Plan — November 2010
DRAFT — December 2023
Architectural style and design: As many new homes built
during the 1980s and 1990s lacked a coherent architectural
style, attempted to combine too many different styles, or had a
style clearly incompatible with surrounding homes, the
guidelines establish preferred styles and stress the importance
of maintaining a consistent style in a single structure or group of
structures.
Additions and accessory buildings: Additions, as opposed to
new homes, have their own set of design challenges. The City
requires additions to blend with the original structure as outlined
in the guidelines.
Colors and materials: Regulating color is tricky, but the City
recognizes that the use of bright or strong paint colors and/or
unnatural building materials can result in a house that looks out
of place in a more traditional neighborhood setting.
Landform and tree preservation: Careless removal of mature
trees and severe grading of hillside properties show little regard
for a site's natural attributes. The guidelines emphasize
working with environmental conditions on a site rather than
against them.
In addition to application of the City's guidelines, five homeowners
associations in Arcadia enforce private, neighborhood -specific design
standards through adopted covenants, conditions, and restrictions
(CC&Rs). These associations have played an important role in
preserving the character of the residential neighborhoods in the
northern portion of the City.
Arcadia's five homeowners associations are (as of 2010):
■ Highland Homeowners Association
■ Rancho Santa Anita Property Owner's Association
■ Santa Anita Oaks Association
■ Rancho Santa Anita Residents Association
■ Santa Anita Village Association
Goal LU-3: Preservation and enhancement of
Arcadia's single-family neighborhoods,
which are an essential part of the City's
core identity
Policy LU-3.1: Protect the character of single-family
residential neighborhoods through the
preservation and improvement of their
character -defining features. Such features
include but are not limited to tree -lined
streets, building orientation, sidewalks, and
architectural scale and quality.
Arcadia General Plan — November 2010 Land Use and Community Design 1 2-31
DRAFT December 2023
Policy LU-3.2: Implement design guidelines to keep new
homes and home additions consistent in
scale, massing, and architectural quality with
prevailing conditions in a neighborhood.
Policy LU-3.3: Encourage a variety of architectural styles for
new and renovated structures that reflect
local architectural characteristics.
Policy LU-3.4: Strengthen neighborhood identity with new
development that is compatible with
surrounding structures through scale,
massing, and preferred architectural style.
Policy LU-3.5: Require that new construction, additions,
renovations, and infill developments be
sensitive to neighborhood context, building
forms, scale, and colors.
Policy LU-3.6: Encourage preservation of the natural
topography of a site and existing mature
trees.
Policy LU-3.7: Ensure that the design and scale of new and
remodeled single-family residential buildings
are appropriate to their context.
Multifamily Residential
Development
The City has a goal of improving the quality of the community's
multifamily developments. Multifamily residential developments should
exhibit quality in architectural design, the use of quality building and
landscape materials, and balance the relationship of buildings to their
environmental setting and their neighborhood. Multifamily residential
developments need to respect the scale and character of adjacent
residential neighborhoods through attention to views, building scale and
orientation, proximity to adjacent uses, location of driveways, noise and
lighting mitigation, and landscape buffering.
Goal LU-4: High -quality and attractive multifamily
residential neighborhoods that provide
ownership and rental opportunities for
people in all stages of life
Policies specific to
housing issues can be
found in the Housing
Element.
Policy LU-4.1: Require that new multifamily residential
development be visually and functionally
integrated and consistent in scale, mass, and
Land Use and Community Design 1 2-32 Arcadia General Plan — November 2010
DRAFT — December 2023
character with structures in the surrounding
neighborhood.
Policy LU-4.2: Encourage residential development that
enhances the visual character, quality, and
uniqueness of the City's neighborhoods and
districts.
Policy LU-4.3: Require the provision of adequate private and
common open space for residential units.
Require sufficient on -site recreational
facilities to meet the daily needs of residents,
if possible, commensurate with the size of the
development.
Policy LU-4.4: Strictly enforce City codes, including building
and safety, zoning and land use regulations,
and property maintenance codes, to maintain
safe, high -quality residential neighborhoods.
Policy LU-4.5: Provide amenities that make a multifamily
development a fully functional residential
community.
Policy LU-4.6: Encourage multifamily projects built with
quality materials that will physically endure
and provide a positive long-term living
environment for residents.
Policy LU-4.7: Arrange multifamily buildings on a site to
meet the following criteria:
■ Provide interest to the "street scene"
within the development and give as open
a feel as possible to the site.
■ Create a sense of place by relating
buildings to each other and to adjacent
open space.
■ Provide a variety of open spaces of
different sizes and shapes that perform
different functions on the site, including
contiguous areas large enough to be
used for both active and passive
recreation.
■ Separate balconies and patios on
adjacent buildings from one another to
increase the privacy of these spaces.
Arcadia General Plan — November 2010 Land Use and Community Design 1 2-33
DRAFT — December 2023
Hillside Development
Hillside areas in Arcadia offer reduced densities, a more rural
character, significant views of valleys and hills, proximity to large
natural open space areas, and privacy. However, if hillside
development is improperly planned, the very amenities that people
seek as precious attributes of foothill living can be destroyed. In
addition, the cumulative effect of improper hillside development can
result in significant destruction of sensitive biological habitats and
habitat linkages, erosion and degradation of water quality, increased
downstream runoff and flooding problems, slope failure, fire hazards,
high utility costs, and inadequate access for emergency vehicles.
Arcadia's approach to hillside management is to require preservation of
the natural character of hillside areas, and to require full mitigation
against hazards from wildland fires, landslides, earthquake faults, and
other environmental conditions.
Goal LU-5: Hillside management approaches that
balance desires for unique neighborhoods
and home sites with the need to protect
residents from environmental hazards and
to respect wildlife habitat and viewsheds
Policy LU-5.1: Maintain the visual character of hillsides,
recognizing both the importance of the
exposure of hillside development from off -site
public views and the importance of providing
panoramic public views from and of hillsides.
Policy LU-5.2: Minimize the alteration of existing landforms
and maintain the natural topographic
characteristics of hillside areas, allowing only
minimal disruption.
Policy LU-5.3: Protect the natural character of hillside areas
by means of contour grading to blend graded
slopes and terraces with the natural
topography.
Policy LU-5.4: Avoid mass graded pads within hillside areas.
Smaller steps or grade changes should be
used over single, large, slope banks to the
greatest extent feasible.
Policy LU-5.5: Ensure that any change in hillside land use is
accompanied by appropriate safety measures
and that the environmental constraints are
Land Use and Community Design 1 2-34 Arcadia General Plan — November 2010
DRAFT — December 2023
adequately addressed especially with respect
to runoff and erosion
Policy LU-5.6: Require hillside development to incorporate
architecture, scale, massing, building form,
building color, roof materials, and
landscaping to reflect the natural hillside
setting.
Commercial Corridors and
Districts
With the exception of the regional mall, most commercial development
in Arcadia occurs along the major streets and corridors. These corridors
represent the "face" of the City to the many visitors who come to shop,
work, or do business. The corridors support businesses that provide
local jobs and services to Arcadia residents, and are a significant
source of tax revenue. Revenues from commercial businesses support
the maintenance of infrastructure, fire and police services, community
services, and public facilities. Given the uncertainty surrounding future
revenue from Santa Anita Park, Arcadia's long-term fiscal stability is
closely tied to the continued stable financial performance of its
commercial areas.
The Las Tunas Corridor, Live Oak Corridor, First Avenue (south of
Huntington Drive to Duarte Road), and most of the Commercial Districts
in the City offer opportunities for the incorporation of high density
residential uses along with commercial activity. Such mixed -use
development (or stand-alone residential development if affordable
housing units are provided) will allow the City to diversify its housing
base while enhancing the aesthetic quality of these corridors. Mixed
use will also help enliven the commercial market in these areas by
providing a ready customer base within walking distance. New mixed -
use developmentsWill ire may have a commercial component to
ensure that new retail or office space is provided to the area.
Goal LU-6: Attractive and vibrant commercial
corridors that provide for the retail,
commercial, and office needs of Arcadia Policies specific to
economic
with expanded opportunities for mixed-
use development development within the
commercial districts
are in the Economic
Policy LU-6.1: Encourage all new commercial development, Development Element.
through the use of entitlement incentives
and/or requirements, to provide public
gathering spaces and pedestrian facilities
and connections.
Policy LU-6.2: Use code enforcement to address
maintenance issues and to improve the
Arcadia General Plan — November 2010 Land Use and Community Design 1 2-35
DRAFT December 2023
overall appearance of the City's commercial
corridors.
Policy LU-6.3: Establish parking districts in key commercial
areas to make use of shared parking, public
parking lots, and other creative approaches to
parking. The aim of such an approach should
be twofold: to reduce problems associated
with parking and to create incentives for
development.
Policy LU-6.4: Encourage design approaches that create a
cohesive, vibrant look and that minimize the
appearance of expansive parking lots on
major commercial corridors for new or
redeveloped uses.
Policy LU-6.5: Where mixed use is permitted, promote
commercial uses that are complementary to
adjacent residential uses.
Policy LU-6.6: Develop landscaping that is compatible with
the City's water efficient landscape ordinance
and facade standards for commercial
properties, and require all new development
to adhere to them. Encourage the
improvement of rundown buildings by offering
entitlement incentives.
Policy LU-6.7: Encourage a balanced distribution of
commercial development throughout the City,
ensuring that neighborhoods and districts
have adequate access to local -serving
commercial uses.
Policy LU-6.8: Encourage the intensification of commercial
uses on underutilized commercial properties
and the transitioning of non-commercial uses
on commercial properties in accordance with
the Land Use Policy Map and all applicable
regulations.
Policy LU-6.9: Pursue public/private partnerships aimed at
creating an investment strategy for the City's
commercial corridors.
Policy LU-6.10: Identify and provide appropriate
monumentation and signage for major City
gateways where commercial corridors enter
Arcadia from neighboring cities.
Policy LU-6.11: Provide mature street trees, continuous
landscaping {that includes drought -tolerant
Land Use and Community Design 1 2-36 Arcadia General Plan —November 2010
DRAFT — December 2023
plants), and pedestrian amenities along
corridors and within districts to create a more
visually pleasing and cohesive streetscape.
Policy LU-6.12: Create pedestrian connections along
corridors and districts that link surrounding
neighborhoods and provide a more
pedestrian -friendly atmosphere.
Policy LU-6.13: Redesign focal intersections and public areas
to create outdoor amenities and improve the
pedestrian experience.
Policy LU-6.14: Provide opportunities for high density
residential development providing affordable
housing units in a commercial zone that will
serve as a catalyst for other types of
development in the surrounding area.
Industrial Districts
Industrial businesses play an important part in job creation and revenue
generation. Arcadia has no heavy industrial uses and only a few areas
where light industrial uses, such as manufacturing and warehousing,
occur: north of the Downtown, along portions of Live Oak Avenue, and
in the southeastern limits of the City around Goldring Road, Clark
Street, and Lower Azusa Road.
Arcadia has done well attracting light manufacturing businesses to its
industrial areas. In fact, while this City is known for its homes and
regional mall, one of its largest revenue producers is a manufacturer of
fire safety equipment. The City can become even more attractive to
such businesses, as well as those in the technology incubator sector of
the market, through a focus on infrastructure improvements.
Particularly in regards to the development of the Lower Azusa Road
Reclamation Area, roadway and other infrastructure improvements will
help ensure that Arcadia remains able to take best advantage of its
location in the San Gabriel Valley, a significant regional center for
manufacturing with more than a proportional share of Los Angeles
County manufacturing businesses. According to a report3 from the Los
Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, the San Gabriel
Valley claims 17.9 percent of Los Angeles County manufacturing
establishments although it only has 10.4 percent of all County
establishments.
Goal LU-7: Industrial areas that encourage local, well -
paying employment while providing for
3 San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership: Economic Outlook, Los Angeles County
Economic Development Corporation. November 2008.
Arcadia General Plan — November 2010 Land Use and Community Design 1 2-37
DRAFT — December 2023
the other industrial service needs of the
Arcadia community
Policy LU-7.1: Require the use of buffers and transition in
industrial developments to minimize impacts
on surrounding residential neighborhoods.
Policy LU-7.2: Encourage industrial uses that provide
employment and revenue benefits to the City.
Policy LU-7.3: Require quality industrial development that
includes visually appealing architectural
design, site design, scale and massing, and
landscaping design features consistent with
the City's ordinance
Policy LU-7.4: Require aggregate mining facilities to
adequately buffer operations and facilities
with appropriate landscaping and grading
techniques.
Policy LU-7.5: Provide opportunities for high density
residential development providing affordable
housing units in an industrial zone that will
serve as a catalyst for other types of
development in the surrounding area, or help
revitalize the downtown district.
Public/institutional Uses
Public and institutional uses include those dedicated to government
purposes, such as the Civic Center and public schools. Quasi -public
and private uses that provide an essential community function similar to
government, such as private utilities and hospitals, are also included in
this category.
In response to changing demographics over time, the City will re-
evaluate the public services and facilities it provides to best serve the
community. For example, an increase in senior -aged residents will
necessitate community facilities that can serve the health, education,
and cultural enrichment needs of older residents.
The City's foremost Public/Institutional area is the Civic Center campus
on Huntington Drive, which includes City Hall, the Council Chambers,
and Arcadia's police department headquarters building. The current site
is the fourth location of City Hall in Arcadia's history. When the City
incorporated in 1903, Arcadia's population was approximately 400
people. City Hall moved from the Hotel Oakwood on the southeast
corner of First Avenue and Santa Clara Street to the McCoy Building at
First Avenue and La Porte Street, which housed a general store at the
street level and offices on a second floor, the first new City Hall building
was constructed on the corner of First Avenue and Huntington Drive in
Land Use and Community Design 1 2-38 Arcadia General Plan — November 2010
DRAFT — December 2023
1918. City Hall moved to its current location in 1949. The City plans to
rebuild City Hall at its existing location.
In addition to the Police Department building, which was completed in
2003, the City constructed a Fire Department headquarters station in
2008 and extensively remodeled the main library in 1996.
Founded in 1903 in Los Angeles and moved to Arcadia in 1957, the
h&;thedist USC Arcadia Hospital, located on Huntington Drive just south
of City Hall, is a long-time Arcadia institution that serves as a not -for -
profit hospital. This important regional facility provides a full
complement of medical services, and is a major provider of quality jobs
in the community. With the growth of the healthcare industry, the City
looks to accommodate medical office spaces and facilities that
supplement the services that Methedist USC Arcadia Hospital provides.
The Downtown Overlay applied to properties designated Commercial
offers an FAR of 1.0 as an incentive to development of such
complementary uses near the hospital.
Goal LU-8. Public and institutional uses that provide
community -wide benefits and meet the
needs of Arcadia residents and
businesses
Policy LU-8.1: Protect and maintain properties for public and
institutional services which benefit the City as
a whole.
Policy LU-8.2: Accommodate the provision of public and
institutional uses that meet the needs of a
changing demographic, such as those aimed
at senior populations and day-care facilities to
meet the needs of Arcadia families and
workers.
Policy LU-8.3: Pursue the policies in the Parks, Recreation,
and Community Resources Element
regarding park lands and public school
facilities.
Policy LU-8.4: Permit the orderly expansion and
establishment of medical facilities to meet the
growing demand for hospital and medical
services.
Policy LU-8.5: Coordinate with the Arcadia Unified School
District for the use of school facilities during
off hours for City -sanctioned recreational and
civic activities.
Arcadia General Plan — November 2010 Land Use and Community Design 1 2-39
DRAFT December 2023
Policy LU-8.6: Continue to pursue the funding necessary to
complete the planned construction of a new
City Hall.
Policy LU-8.7: Incorporate outdoor public spaces designed
for public use into civic and public institutions.
Policy LU-8.8: Minimize the visual impacts of parking, and
locate primary entrances of public buildings to
face the street, not a parking lot.
Policy LU-8.9: Incorporate design strategies to achieve
compatibility between public and institutional
uses and residential neighborhoods.
Open Space
Open Space uses such as public parks are located in many
neighborhoods, providing places for recreation, relaxing with friends For more policies
and family, and enjoying nature. The largest open space areas are addressing open
located in the center of the City (Arcadia County Park and Santa Anita space, see the Parks
Golf Course) and on the north and south ends of the City (Arcadia and Recreation, and
Wilderness Park and Peck Road Conservation Park). Community Resources
Element.
Land Use and Community Design 1 2-40 Arcadia General Plan — November 2010
DRAFT — December 2023
Goal LU-9:
Policy LU-9.1:
Policy LU-9.2:
Preservation of the City's existing natural
and recreation -oriented open space areas
Ensure that new development does not
infringe upon open space areas.
Maintain open spaces consistent with the
Parks, Recreation, and Community
Resources Element and the Resource
Sustainability Element.
Policy LU-9.3: Consider creative open space uses such as
native landscaping, community gardens, or
creation of wildlife habitat along right-of-ways
or other public spaces.
Arcadia General Plan — November 2010 Land Use and Community Design 1 2-41
DRAFT December 2023
Land Use Focus Areas
As embodied by the City's motto, one of Arcadia's most treasured
resources is its single-family residential neighborhoods. As such, a
primary goal of this General Plan is to provide the necessary
opportunities for the City to grow and thrive economically while
preserving the quality and character of the single-family residential
neighborhoods. Recognizing the stability of the City, this Plan focuses
on very specific areas where change is desired to diversify housing and
businesses, and to take advantage of benefits the 6eW ine—Metro
station at Santa Clara Street and First Avenue will bring. Figure LU-7
identifies the following focus areas:
■ Downtown Arcadia
■ First Avenue and Duarte Road
■ Live Oak Avenue
■ Lower Azusa Road Reclamation Area
■ Baldwin Avenue and Duarte Road
■ Santa Anita Park
Identification of these focus areas arose from extensive analysis and
discussion conducted with the General Plan Advisory Committee during
the summer of 2008, and subsequently later confirmed by the City
Council and Planning Commission. For the focus areas, the General
Plan Advisory Committee, City leaders, City staff, and the community
developed strategies to:
■ Achieve more efficient or productive use of land resources.
■ Encourage uses that would benefit the City through increased
revenue, employment, and/or housing opportunities.
■ Incentivize innovative mixed -use projects.
■ Enhance select commercial corridors.
■ Establish a vision for future land uses on properties that will
experience significant transition, such as reclamation area.
Land Use and Community Design 1 2-42 Arcadia General Plan — November 2010
DRAFT — December 2023
A
■I: aAR Ira ani
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ae
Focus Areas
Downtown Arcadia
First Avenue and Duarte Road
Live Oak t Las Tunas corridor
Lower Azusa goad R"amatia-i Area
BaldwhAvanue and Duarte Road
Santa Mite Fa-k
I�wl4 Lxi- �
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Figure LU-7: Land Use Focus Areas
Arcadia General Plan — November 2010 Land Use and Community Design 1 2-43
DRAFT — December 2023
Downtown Arcadia
The traditional core of Downtown has long been centered at Huntington
Drive and First Avenue, before City Hall was established at its current
location between East and West Huntington Drive. This core extends
along Huntington Drive for one block in either direction and three blocks
south along First Avenue. These blocks have buildings of a scale and
street orientation that create a wonderful walking environment, and the
City has made extensive efforts to create a pleasant pedestrian
experience and attractive business fronts. However, the area has
struggled commercially and has never really found the right mix of
businesses to allow the corridor to thrive. The proximity of the regional
mall, with its many national retailers and restaurants, creates
competition for smaller, independent businesses. Just behind the
Huntington Drive frontage, several properties are underutilized or have
uses, such as inventory warehousing, that do not foster a thriving
pedestrian commercial neighborhood. Parking is not convenient despite
the presence of City -owned lots.
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The most important and anticipated development in Downtown is the
Metro Geld Line extension and Arcadia station. The Metro Geld Line
light rail system runs from Union Station in downtown Los Angeles to
Pasadena, with the extension planned to add more than 24 miles to the
system, with a terminus in Montclair and possibly beyond to the Ontario
Airport via either bus or rail. The Arcadia station platform at the
northwest corner of First Avenue and East Santa Clara Avenue will
access a planned parking structure adjacent to a public transit plaza.
The City envisions the Downtown Arcadia station as a destination for
visitors and a catalyst for transit -oriented development in the
surrounding district. For visitors, clearly marked travel ways will direct
them to shops and attractions in Downtown, as well as to Santa Anita
Park and the regional mall.
Figure lu-8:
Downtown Arcadia
Land Use and Community Design 1 2-44 Arcadia General Plan — November 2010
DRAFT — December 2023
To revitalize Downtown and move
f d' h' b d b d
oh
rwar wlt t Is vlslon, roa - ase
land use changes are required,
together with a comprehensive
parking strategy and coordinated
public signage improvements, as ,f
well as possibly economic
development incentives (see the
r�
Economic Development section of
this Element). The Downtown Mixed
Use land use designation allows
retail and service commercial, office,
entertainment, and residential uses
at development intensities and `4
densities —up to a 1.0 FAR and 80
units per acre —that are higher thant�'
previously permitted. Along the °� «
Huntington Drive frontage, which is designated Commercial, land use
policy allows a higher FAR than in other commercial areas.
The land use plan for Downtown revolves around the r^'d Line Metro
v
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Figure LU-9: Geld Une Metro station Planned Configuration
station and the tremendous opportunity it presents for Downtown
enhancement. Supported by appropriate land uses, the station will
attract both commuters to shop or dine and residents who want to live
within walking distance of commercial amenities and be able to ride the
train to work.
The first step to realizing the full potential of transit -oriented
development in Downtown is to create capacity for more people in the
area on a 24-hour basis. The Downtown Mixed Use land use
designation focuses the most intense mixed -use development potential
around the station. The 1.0 FAR accommodates sufficient development
Arcadia General Plan — November 2010 Land Use and Community Design 1 2-45
DRAFT Decc fiber 2023
intensity for projects with ground -floor commercial and up to three
additional stories of residential use. Alternatively, individual projects
may consist of combined retail/office or stand-alone office. In
Downtown Mixed Use areas, residential uses are permitted above
ground floor commercial or adjacent to a commercial use; however,
stand-alone residential uses are not permitted.
Properties along First Avenue (south of Huntington Drive to Diamond
Street) are designated Mixed Use, which allows mixed uses (residential
and commercial) and stand-alone commercial uses. Developments
consisting solely of residential uses are not allowed, as the intent is to
create pedestrian activity between the ground -floor, street -fronting
commercial uses. Shared parking lots are encouraged to allow new
development to take maximum advantage of the shallow lots.
North of La Porte Street, between Saint Joseph and Santa Clara
Streets, properties are designated Commercial. The mix of light
industrial and residential uses historically comprising this sub -area are
envisioned to transition to small-scale office and neighborhood -serving
commercial uses that support the surrounding established
neighborhoods and new residential development in Downtown. The
long-established uses will be permitted to remain consistent with zoning
regulations. A Downtown Mixed Use Overlay zone will be added to this
area to facilitate high density residential projects, without compromising
the ability of the existing land uses to remain compliant and thriving.
The extension of the Downtown focus area north and west along Santa
Anita Avenue, Huntington Drive and Colorado Place are designated
either Commercial with an FAR overlay of 1.0 to allow a modest
increase in development intensity or will be re -zoned for Downtown
Mixed Use. The increase in intensity should encourage owners of older
buildings to pursue private redevelopment efforts that will provide
additional residential units as well as hospitality uses and office
space —and medical office space in particular on Santa Anita Avenue —
to enhance the function and appearance of these corridors.
Downtown Community Design
As described in the Land Use Focus Areas discussion above, the
single -most important factor necessary for the creation of a thriving
commercial district is people, and people walking is even better. The
Geld L4R& Metro station represents the key opportunity to generate
pedestrian activity Downtown, combined with creation of a distinct, fun,
safe, and multi -functional outdoor public gathering place. The station
and land use policy that allows for higher -density residential
development in Downtown will generate the critical mass of people that
small-scale retail businesses, cafes, and restaurants require.
Good community design alone will not revitalize Downtown, but it can
complement the transit accessibility and mix of uses that will make
Arcadia a destination stop on the G-9W Metro Line, rather than merely a
pass -through or place where commuters from surrounding cities park
their cars to travel into Los Angeles. Good community design will make
Land Use and Community Design 1 2-46 Arcadia General Plan — November 2010
FT — December 2023
it more likely that the new residents of Downtown will spend their
leisure hours walking around (and spending money in) their
neighborhood, rather than going somewhere else with more appeal.
The following are the key elements of a successful community design
for Downtown.
Public Spaces
Public spaces include publicly accessible plazas, courtyards, and
similar outdoor spaces that form a vital component of a community's
public life. Such spaces attract people. As well-defined outdoor rooms,
they may accommodate public gatherings and celebrations, or serve as
retreats from urban activity. Shade trees and other means of escaping
the sun should be integral to all public spaces. Fountains and water
follies, especially ones which children can play in, can be a major draw
for families on hot days.
Quality public
spaces attract
people.
Signage
In addition to the primary use of providing
direction, a program of public signage helps to
mark and make a location distinct. Key locations
in Downtown, in particular the Geld L+ae Metro
Station and the Huntington Drive and First
Avenue shopping districts, should be well
marked. Signs used should be attractive and
coordinated with the overall aesthetic of the area.
Pedestrian Connectivity
Successful places include safe and convenient
connections from parking areas to shops and
restaurants, and among the shops and
restaurants themselves. Generally, people's
walking tolerance to their destination is about
one -quarter mile, but they can be encouraged to
continue walking if the paths are clear and they
can find excitement along the way. Public
plazas, courtyards, and pocket parks in
Downtown need to be connected via sidewalks
and paseos to create a network of pedestrian
spaces. Particular attention will be paid to the
Arcadia General Plan - November 2010
DRAFT - December 2023
lots and commercial areas.
Paseos work
especially well to
connect parking
lots with
commercial
areas.
Parking
The goal for Downtown is to have visitors park once and be able to
walk to any destination in the district, such as people do at a shopping
mall. One method for achieving this is shared parking, whereby a
business's parking requirement could be fulfilled offsite at a common lot
shared with the other businesses in the neighborhood. In addition to
ensuring that customers do not have to drive and re -park to patronize
more than one establishment, shared parking also makes it possible for
businesses to use commercial space that they would not be able to if
they had to provide parking onsite. This helps to remove a major
obstacle to commercial vitality while continuing to ensure that sufficient
parking is available to serve the district as a whole.
Where parking structures are used, they should be fronted by active
uses, such as storefronts along pedestrian walkways so as not to
disrupt the pedestrian experience.
Parking structures should be fronted by active uses such as
stnrafrnnts
For mixed -use buildings, subterranean or interior parking courts should
be used to minimize the visual impact of parking. The location and
design of parking should not prohibit the desired street -oriented
development pattern nor inhibit the provision of comfortable and
functional outdoor spaces.
Land Use and Community Design 1 2-48 Arcadia General Plan — November 2010
DRAFT — December 2023
Building Orientation
Buildings should be oriented to the pedestrian and the street. Buildings
act to define the boundaries of the public "room" of the street. They
should therefore be designed to function as a part of that room,
enhancing the public space. They should not turn their backs to the
street, but should offer the pedestrian something to interact with. Rather
than having an uninterrupted blank wall, the windows or landscaping of
projects should face the street.
Architecture
Rather than have rigid architectural guidelines or standards for
Downtown that would create almost a theme park appearance, the City
will allow for individual expression. Constants will be:
■ The use of quality, lasting building materials
■ Building scale that relates to the almost intimate nature of
Downtown and the generally narrower street widths
■ Avoidance of "kitsch" or other design elements that will not
easily stand the test of time
■ Unified themes within a development, including ensuring that
window treatments and detailing comport with the overall
building style
Downtown Conceptual Community Design Study
Figures LU-10, LU-11, and LU-12 present a conceptual plan for
Downtown Arcadia. This is not a prescriptive plan for the area; it is
meant to illustrate the types of design elements desired. The plan
emphasizes pedestrian access and open space and integrating the
6eldLiRe Metro station with high -density residential, mixed -use, and
commercial areas via a system of pedestrian alleyways and plazas.
These diagrams identify models to guide development decisions for the
area; the City may adopt a more definitive specific plan document, or
associated zoning standards, for Downtown.
Figure LU-10 is an overall conceptual plan depicting the central
Downtown area between East Colorado Boulevard and Huntington
Drive and Santa Anita Avenue and Second Avenue. The focal point is
the Geld --Line Metro station, which the study envisions as being
surrounded by large plazas on both sides of the tracks. The central
features are pedestrian alleys and breezeways that radiate from the
station plazas to the south, connecting the plazas to mixed -use and
commercial areas south of the station and along Huntington Drive.
Figure LU-11 illustrates the types and scale of land uses envisioned for
each area of Downtown. A well -designed Geld,e Metro station
surrounded by areas of public open space is a crucial component of the
plan. Photographs of potential examples for this kind of station are
presented in the lower right hand corner of the figure. Just above this
on the right-hand side are examples of features that could enhance the
pedestrian alleys, including fountains, benches, trees, and other
landscaping.
Arcadia General Plan — November 2010 Land Use and Community Design 1 2-49
DRAB um;u iuer 2022
Figure LU-12 is a study of edge conditions —or the interfaces between
land uses —between the street and the buildings facing it, for example.
Section A illustrates the proposed pedestrian alley walk, which should
be a minimum of 20 feet wide. Key features of the alley walk include
street furniture and planters attached to the face of the future parking
structure; this adds aesthetic value for pedestrians. Another feature is
the use of trees and groundcover to provide shade and visual variety.
Section B depicts a cross-section of a pedestrian breezeway. This
feature allows for pedestrian access/connection from parking lots or
alley walks in the rear of retail stores to the street. Street furniture and
landscaping are used to "soften" the experience of walking between
buildings.
Section C shows the relationship of building to street, with awnings and
street trees providing shelter for pedestrians. The trees and street
parking also form a physical buffer between automobile traffic and
people on the sidewalk. Adjacent to the building, an amenity zone
provides room for street furniture such as planters and benches.
Section D depicts the interface between a parking lot and the street.
The key feature is a bioswale that catches surface runoff from the
parking lot, preventing polluted water from running directly into the
storm drain system and eventually, into the ocean. Hedges and trees
screen the parking lot from the street.
Land Use and Community Design 1 2-50 Arcadia General Plan — November 2010
umAFT — December 2023
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Arcadia General Plan — November 2010 Land Use and Community Design 1 2-51
DRAFT — December 2023
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Arcadia General Plan -November 2010 Land Use and Community Design 1 2-53
DRAFT - December 2023
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Arcadia General Plan —November 2010 Land Use and Community Design 1 2-55
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Arcadia General Plan —November 2010 Land Use and Community Design 1 237
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Goal LU-10: A thriving Downtown, with healthy
commercial areas supported by high -
quality, residential uses and supportive of
the Metro ra-ld- Line transit station
Policy LU-10.1: Provide diverse housing, employment, and
cultural opportunities in Downtown, with an
emphasis on compact, mixed -use, transit -
and pedestrian -oriented development
patterns that are appropriate to the core of
the City.
Policy LU-10.2: Promote the Metro
station and establishment of a transit station
in Downtown Arcadia, and take full advantage
of the opportunities the Metro GoldLine
station will bring to Downtown and the City as
a whole.
Policy LU-10.3: Work toward the establishment of public
gathering areas in Downtown to bring public
activities and civic events into Downtown.
Policy LU-1.0.4: Establish commercial uses that complement
the vision of the Downtown core with
opportunities for more intense, quality
development at key intersections that are
unique from the regional offerings at the
regional mall.
Policy LU-10.5: Encourage the transformation of Santa Anita
Avenue into a premier office and residential
corridor by offering incentives for
development while at the same time requiring
the high -quality amenities that will attract the
kinds of businesses the City would like to
see.
Policy LU-10.6: Encourage high standards for property
maintenance, renovation and redevelopment.
Policy LU-10.7: Provide accessible plazas and public spaces
throughout Downtown that provide both
intimate, outdoor rooms and larger spaces
that could accommodate public gatherings
and celebrations.
Policy LU-10.8: Establish an attractive and coordinated
wayfinding sign program in Downtown with an
overall consistent design theme.
2-58 1 Land Use AND Community Design Arcadia General Plan — November 2010
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Policy LU-10.9: Connect various activity areas and plazas via
sidewalks, paseos, and pedestrian alleys to
create a comprehensive pedestrian network.
Policy LU-10.10: Establish a "park once" system in Downtown
with a collection of shared surface and
parking structures.
Policy LU-10.11: Buildings should be oriented to the
pedestrian and the street.
Policy LU-10.12: Encourage architecture that uses quality,
lasting building materials; provides building
scale that relates to intimate nature of
Downtown; and applies a unified theme.
Policy LU-10.13: Recognize that well -designed public open
spaces are vital to the success of Downtown.
Work with private developers and landowners
to facilitate the construction of such spaces.
Policy LU-10.14: Create a high -quality pedestrian experience
in Downtown through the use of street trees,
public art, street furniture, and public
gathering spaces. Using signage, art, and
unique uses, entice and encourage people to
walk and explore the commercial core of
Downtown.
First Avenue and Duarte (Road
The First Avenue and Duarte Road corridors provide local commercial
services and retail uses that support the surrounding residential
neighborhoods. First Avenue is envisioned as a mixed -use street that
complements the surrounding residential properties. Duarte Road is
envisioned as a neighborhood -serving commercial node with uses that
require additional traffic presence.
First Avenue between Huntington Drive and Duarte Road represents
the proving ground for mixed -use development in Arcadia, with the first
projects constructed in the early 2000s. Residential development is
required to have a ground -floor commercial component, unless
affordable housing units are provided. The streetscape improvements
north of California Street, completed also in the early 2000s, have
created a very pleasant pedestrian environment, with shops, cafes, and
services within easy walking distance from neighborhoods on either
side of First Avenue. However, visitors who drive to the district have
trouble with the angled parking. The concern is that exiting from such
spaces into traffic can be daunting. The City will examine options to
mitigate this problem, as well as public or shared lots. In addition, the
City will look into extending the streetscape improvements south to
Duarte Road.
Arcadia General Plan — November 2010 Land Use and Community Design 1 2-59
DRAFT — December 2023
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Figure LU-13:
First Avenue
And Duarte Road
Goal LU-1 1 : An economically vibrant neighborhood
with a mix of residential and commercial
uses along First Avenue
Policy LU-11.1: Work to improve the pedestrian experience
along First Avenue between California Street
and Duarte Road by looking for funding to
extend the streetscape improvements already
in place north of California Street.
Policy LU —11.2: Examine alternative parking options such as
public/shared parking lots along First Avenue
to help improve safety and traffic flow.
2-60 l Land Use AND Community Design Arcadia General Plan — November 2010
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Tunas and Live Oak
Avenue
Las Tunas and Live Oak Ayeeee Corridors have has supported a mix of
low -intensity businesses for many years, although a new residential
and retail center at Santa Anita Avenue and Las Tunas/Live Oak
corridors has established site design and architectural cues that should
inspire new development along the corridor. Along the approximately
one -mile stretch that Live Oak Avenue runs along the southern edge of
the City, one can find everything from light -industrial manufacturing and
auto repair to medical offices and apartments. Live Oak Avenue is also
a major commuter thoroughfare that provides direct
access to the 1-605 freeway. The Las Tunas Avenue corridor is west of
Santa Anita Avenue and consists of commercial, mixed -use, and light -
industrial manufacturing.
Arcadia
General Plan
Land Use Map
Land Use Designations
Comm dal(50 dr;ae d 0.6 FAR)
A1a d Use (W dWac 81.0 FAR)
Canmercb igld Indushial (80 CWx 6 1.0 FAR)
M Mph D ay Re klw ial (20-40 &dx)
Figure LU-14: Las Tunas Drive/Live Oak Avenue
The City has completed landscaping, median, and other streetscape
improvements to enhance the public realm, but the pedestrian
experience is less than optimal due to a narrow sidewalk, an absence
of shade trees, and a lack of interesting places to walk to. The area
serves residents of neighborhoods north and south of Live Oak Avenue
(with neighborhoods to the south in Los Angeles County but also in
Arcadia's sphere of influence). In particular, the avenue's two
supermarkets are major local shopping destinations. There remains,
however, a significant opportunity to improve the other shopping and
service options for the people who live nearby.
In 2002, the City attempted to establish a redevelopment area along the
Live Oak corridor as a means of financing improvements there. This
move, however, was blocked by the County of Los Angeles.
The vision for a reinvented Live Oak Avenue corridor provides for a
livelier, more diverse mix of retail and service commercial uses that
Arcadia General Plan — November 2010 Land Use and Community Design 1 2-61
DRAFT UEnuiiluc12023
better serve local residents, together with new residential uses in select
locations along the corridor in mixed -use or stand-alone developments.
Enhancements to accommodate and promote pedestrian activity will be
balanced with recognition of the roadway as a major east -west
connector.
The Mixed Use designation applies only to those properties that have
sufficient depth to accommodate a combination of uses; stand-alone
residential is not permitted unless affordable units are provided, but can
be integrated either vertically or horizontally into a comprehensive
development scheme, with relationships to the adjoining lower -scale
development clearly recognized and respected for any new
development.
The Land Use Plan acknowledges and retains compatible business
park uses between Santa Anita and El Monte Avenues, as well as
established multifamily housing and low -scale office buildings along the
north side of Live Oak Avenue. Where the Commercial designation
applies, the City supports and encourages the private redevelopment of
commercial centers. Complementary policy direction is included in the
Commercial Corridors section. Applicable policies and programs
include:
■ Use code enforcement activities to address maintenance
issues.
■ Pursue public/private partnerships aimed at creating an
investment strategy for the corridor.
■ Transition non-commercial uses on commercial properties.
■ Encourage the improvement or replacement of older buildings
by offering entitlement incentives.
■ Encourage landscaping and facade improvements.
■ Require appropriate and coordinated landscape and design
standards.
Live Oak Avenue is the boundary between the Arcadia Unified School
District and El Monte K-8 and high school districts. Arcadia residents
have expressed their desire to have City boundaries and school district
boundaries coincide. While the City of Arcadia has no jurisdiction to
effectuate such an adjustment, the City recognizes the value that the
Arcadia Unified School District brings.
Live Oak Avenue is major cross-town thoroughfare, yet the mix of uses
that has evolved along the corridor suggests that sections can be more
pedestrian focused and neighborhood serving, as discussed above.
Also, a unifying streetscape the length of Live Oak Avenue, and along
Las Tunas Drive from El Monte Avenue east to Santa Anita Avenue,
would enhance the driving and pedestrian experiences, and would
create a better visual image of this section of Arcadia. _This will include
coordinated landscaping within parkways and medians, quality street
lighting and street furniture, and well -marked pedestrian crossings.
Pedestrian District
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Between Santa Anita Avenue and Fifth Avenue, the plans for mixed -
use development will emphasize more of a pedestrian environment,
with buildings fronting the street. As with Downtown and Baldwin
Avenue, pedestrian connectivity, especially between established and
new residential uses and commercial uses along the corridor, should be
the main focus of community design efforts. The provision of awnings
should be encouraged, which in combination with a street tree plan for
the avenue, will provide areas where pedestrians can shelter from the
sun. Benches and other places where people can rest will also work to
encourage walking.
For those sections along the corridor where development is more
oriented toward auto traffic, all development should have visually
interesting street frontage as well (for example, windows, variation of
design, artistic elements), with no blank walls. All development shall
feature quality building materials and attractive, well -designed
landscapes.
Goal LU-12: An attractive and economically thriving
Live Oak Avenue and Las Tunas Drive
Policy LU-12.1: Encourage mixed -use and/or residential
development on lots that have the size to
support a higher intensity of development.
Encourage lot consolidation to facilitate such
development.
Policy LU-12.2: Encourage and support the private
redevelopment of commercial properties in
areas not designated appropriate for mixed -
use.
Policy LU-12.3: Encourage the improvement of the pedestrian
environment between Santa Anita Avenue
and Fifth Avenue by requiring new
developments to be designed with an
emphasis on pedestrian connectivity with
neighboring uses.
Policy LU-12.4: Develop a streetscape improvement plan for
Live Oak Avenue. Such a plan should
address street trees, street furniture such as
benches and planters, and pedestrian -
friendly amenities such as awnings.
Policy LU-12.5: Encourage the creation of public driveways to
shared parking behind businesses between
Santa Anita and El Capitan Avenue on the
south -side of Live Oak Avenue.
Arcadia General Plan — November 2010 Land Use and Community Design 1 2-63
DRAFT December 2023
Policy LU-12.6: Provide opportunities for high density
residential development providing
affordable housing units along the Live
Oak/Las Tunas corridors that will serve as
a catalyst for other types of development
in the surrounding area.
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Lower Azusa Road
Reclamation Area
The southern portion of this former quarry, the 10 acres south of Lower
Azusa Road has already been developed with light industrial uses. The
approximate 80-acre northern portion will continue to be filled in with
inert materials (concrete, asphalt and dirt) as
part of a reclamation plan that will create a
sizable development site.
With immediate visibility and access from 1-605,
the site offers the opportunity for several uses.
Any new uses in this location, however, will have
to ensure adequate buffering for the surrounding
residential neighborhoods of the City of El
Monte.
Though this site was historically designated for
industrial and extractive uses, the
Commercial/Light Industrial designation expands
the potential for light industrial business activity
while allowing supportive and regional -serving
commercial uses. The designation recognizes
the importance that small-scale industrial and
quasi -industrial businesses have in the
community in terms of jobs provision, access to
needed goods and services, and revenue from
point -of -sales operations. Industrial uses are
expected to be in high demand due to the increasing conversion of
industrial lands throughout the San Gabriel Valley. The designation also
allows for large-scale, regional -serving retail at this location, providing
options for reuse that will further the City's economic development
objectives.
Complementary policy direction is established in the goals and policies
for Industrial Districts below. Key considerations for reuse of the site
include:
■ Buffering and providing appropriate transition from any new
industrial use to minimize impacts on surrounding residential
neighborhoods
■ Encouraging uses that provide employment and revenue
benefits to the City
■ Improvement of roadway access to the site, in particular
upgrading the connection to the freeway
■ Requiring high -quality site and architectural design, combined
with substantial landscaping, to create showpiece development
Figure lu-15:
Lower Azusa
Road Reclamation
Area
Arcadia General Plan — November 2010 Land Use and Community Design 1 2-65
DRAFT December 2023
Goal LU-13. A developed Lower Azusa Road
Reclamation Area that maximizes revenue
to the City while minimizing negative
impacts on surrounding neighborhoods
Policy LU-13.1: Require that developers of properties within
the Lower Azusa Road Reclamation Area
provide infrastructure at the time of
development that meets requirements
specific to the uses planned, including road
pavement that may be needed to support
truck traffic for industrial uses.
Policy LU-13.2: Improve access to the Lower Azusa Road
Reclamation Area through the upgrade of the
roadway connection to the 1-605 Freeway.
Baldwin Avenue/Duarte Road
Baldwin Avenue between Huntington Drive and Camino Real Avenue is
a very economically successful commercial district. This stretch
functions as a restaurant row, with numerous examples of thriving
establishments. The restaurants may primarily serve Arcadia's booming
Asian population, but they also draw many patrons from all over the
San Gabriel Valley.
Immediately behind the commercial corridors are well -established
multifamily neighborhoods. Townhomes and two- and three-story
apartment buildings, many dating from the 1960s and 1970s, are built
on most of the properties. A large percentage of these older properties
were built at densities at or near 30 dwelling units per acre. In
recognition of this condition and to give property owners the opportunity
to recycle some of the most dilapidated of these structures, the
maximum density for the High Density Residential category has been
increased from 24-te-39 20 to 40 dwelling units per acre. Even with this
improved incentive to rebuild, it is unlikely to result in much
redevelopment of apartment buildings, except for in the most extreme
cases. If over the life of this General Plan the City faces a problem in
this or other neighborhoods with apartment buildings that have become
run down, but for which there is not adequate incentive to spur
wholesale redevelopment, the City may look at other options, such as
the allowance of smaller unit sizes. As always, guiding this process will
be the desire to balance the aesthetic and economic benefits of new
development with the potential negative consequences of increased
densities.
This section of Baldwin Avenue has evolved into a vigorous, busy
commercial corridor, driven to a large degree by the influx of Chinese
and other immigrant -owned businesses, and by a volume of ethnic
restaurants that attract people from throughout the San Gabriel Valley.
From the perspective of community design, however, Baldwin Avenue
leaves much to be desired. Development is primarily auto -centered,
2-66 1 Land Use AND Community Design Arcadia General Plan — November 2010
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with many buildings oriented away from the street. Adjacent buildings
do not relate to each other. Several developments have occurred as
mini -malls that are internally focused, turning their backs on neighbors
and sometimes presenting long, blank street walls. Few pedestrian or
auto connections exist between developments. Once a customer has
arrived, he or she is actively discouraged by the built environment to
walk to adjacent stores. It is easier to drive back onto Baldwin Avenue
and drive to the next destination, even if it is a short distance away.
Figure LU-16:
Baldwin Avenue/
Duarte road
GeneralArcadia
Land Use Map
Along the commercial corridors, the Commercial designation supports
continued economic vitality of the diverse businesses and residential
uses with affordable housing units. Increased focus is needed,
however, on orienting new developments toward Baldwin Avenue and
Duarte Road, enhancing the streetscape for pedestrians, and creating
better physical relationships and ties among developments, including
reciprocal access between adjacent parking lots and even establishing
shared or public parking lots. Reciprocal and shared parking
approaches will help reduce circulating auto traffic as people look for
parking spaces.
Arcadia General Plan — November 2010 Land Use and Community Design 1 2-67
DRAFT — December 2023
The improvement of pedestrian connections between the residential
neighborhoods and the commercial businesses along Baldwin Avenue
is another important community design goal for this area. The
strengthening of pedestrian connectivity through directional signage,
street trees, benches, distinctively marked intersections, and other
streetscape improvements, will have positive effects in terms of
economic development and traffic mitigation, as local people are
encouraged to walk to nearby restaurants and businesses.
Clearly, improvements to the urban design quality of Baldwin Avenue
will be incremental over a period of many years. Nevertheless, the
following development approaches, when applied to new projects and
the rehabilitation of existing development, will make gradual
improvements.
Shared Parking
As with Downtown, Baldwin Avenue businesses could benefit from
shared parking. A single parking structure or lot that could serve the
businesses on an entire block would allow an escape from the mini -
mall -surrounding -a -parking -lot paradigm that dominates.
Pedestrian Connectivity
Pedestrian connections between developments should be encouraged.
Buildings should be oriented toward the sidewalk, and businesses
should not be permitted to impede or eliminate sidewalk ingress and
egress. Walls or other barriers that disrupt pedestrian connectivity
should not segregate parking lots from one another.
Goal LU-14: Maintaining the economic success of
Baldwin Avenue while enhancing design
Policy LU-14.1: Encourage new developments to incorporate
public gathering spaces as part of their design.
Policy LU-14.2: Use code enforcement to address maintenance
issues.
Policy LU-14.3: Facilitate landscaping and facade improvements
through a combination of incentives and code
enforcement.
Policy LU-14.4: Require traffic mitigation and landscape and
design standards. Encourage design approaches
that minimize expansive parking lots fronting
Baldwin Avenue.
Policy LU-14.5: Require new developments on Baldwin to place
entries on Baldwin Avenue to encourage
increased pedestrian use of Baldwin Avenue.
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Policy LU-14.6: Establish a marketing and branding strategy to
unify Baldwin Avenue as a key shopping and
dining destination
Policy LU-14.7: Provide opportunities for high density residential
development providing affordable housing units
along in the Commercial areas in the
Baldwin/Duarte area that will serve as a catalyst
for other types of development in the surrounding
area.
Arcadia General Plan — November 2010 Land Use and Community Design 1 2-69
DRAFT — December 2023
Santa Anita Park
The Santa Anita race track is a key community feature and an
important component of Arcadia's character. The retention of live horse
racing at this facility and the ongoing economic vitality of the race track
are part of Arcadia's plan for a strong economic base. Since the advent
of off-track wagering facilities and a long-term downturn in the racing
industry, attendance at the Santa Anita race track has declined. As a
result, it is no longer necessary to reserve both of the race track's large
open parking areas exclusively for race track event parking. The
combination of lower attendance and the potential availability of a
portion of the race track's parking areas for other uses have given rise
to much community discussion regarding the positives and negatives of
permitting new uses within the race track's parking areas.
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Figure lu-17: Santa Anita Park
Arcadia's long-term vision is to retain live horse racing at the Santa
Anita race track, and to preserve the existing grandstand structure. The
opportunity also exists to create a development of urban intensity on
the race track's southerly parking lot which responds to the unique
attributes of the race track to the north and the shopping mall to the
west, and to cultivate this unique combination of regional attractions
into a cohesive center. The City's goal is to ensure that new
commercial development within the southerly race track parking area is
respectful of Arcadia's existing community character, one of well-
2-70 1 Land Use AND Community Design Arcadia General Plan —November 2010
)RAFT — December 2023
preserved, peaceful, and safe residential neighborhoods. Because
future development within the southerly race track parking lot has the
potential for impacting the community, future development must
address the following needs:
■ Achieving land use compatibility with, and a logical physical
relationship to the adjacent mall and residential uses
■ Retaining the ability of area roadways to maintain Level of
Service D (Level of Service C on local residential streets), as
outlined in the Circulation and Infrastructure Element
■ Providing sufficient on -site parking so as not to exacerbate
existing problems of race track patrons parking offsite
■ Maintaining architectural compatibility with the existing race
track grandstands
■ Preserving important community views of the existing race track
grandstands such that the race track grandstands remain
recognizable from locations along Huntington Drive
■ Providing sufficient on -site security so as not to impact the
services of the Arcadia Police Department
The purpose of designating the area south of the race track
grandstands Commercial is to assist in facilitating free market forces to
introduce new, compatible uses with complementary market segments
to the existing mall, Downtown, and other commercial areas within the
City. Overall, the Commercial designation of the southerly race track
parking lot is intended to assist in achieving the City's mission and the
related economic development and public infrastructure goals that are
included in the Mission Statement. By reinforcing the need to establish
linkages between new uses and existing ones, and between the race
track and mall, the General Plan also seeks to create a synergistic
economic relationship between the mall, race track, and new
commercial uses in the race track's southerly parking area.
New development within the portion of the race track designated
Commercial is to be implemented through a specific plan pursuant to
the California Government Code or an equivalent master planning
process adopted by the City, and is to be consistent with the following
provisions.
Community Context
Santa Anita Park is a vital component of the community's identity, its
cultural heritage, and its economic well-being. Further, it is a bonafide
regional destination, drawing visitors from throughout Southern
California. The race track is one of three major live horse racing venues
in Southern California, and possesses a distinct cultural heritage and
recreational identity. It consists of the grandstands, track, paddock
area, stables, other ancillary buildings, and two large surface parking
areas, one to the north and one to the south of the track itself. The
southerly surface parking area provides a unique physical opportunity
for master planned infill development which builds upon the site's
regional identity and central location. Development within the site's
southerly parking area needs to be carefully planned so as to avoid or
Arcadia General Plan — November 2010 Land Use and Community Design 1 2-71
DRAFT December 2023
minimize adverse impacts to existing and established neighborhoods
and commercial areas within Arcadia.
Located immediately southwest of the race track, the regional shopping
mall is Arcadia's primary retail sales tax generator; it consists of
approximately 1.4 million square feet with three major anchors. It
serves Arcadia residents, as well as residents from surrounding
communities. Although the race track and mall are contiguous to each
other, each has a large common boundary, and shares a common set
of access roadways, there are no common activities or functional
linkages between these two uses. A chain link fence topped with
barbed wire currently separates the southerly parking lot of the race
track from the easterly mall parking area.
Large arterial roadways separate the race track/mall complex from
adjacent uses. These roadways, Baldwin Avenue and Huntington Drive,
are wide with landscaped medians, and represent the public/private
edge for the race track and mall. Both the race track and mall are set
far back from Huntington Drive and Baldwin Avenue, minimizing visual
impacts. The location of the race track parking areas to the north and
south of the race track and grandstands has increased the visibility of
these features. The unique architecture of the southerly grandstand
facade has become an important community landmark. Views of this
facade are an important attribute of the site that needs to be protected
in planning for development of the southerly parking area, such that the
grandstands remain a recognizable community feature.
The architectural design of commercial buildings that are introduced to
the southerly race track parking area needs to be compatible with
existing race track architectural design, and functionally build upon the
race track's attributes. The mall has a significant setback with a fairly
dense landscaped buffer at the roadways' edge, limiting visibility of the
mall, particularly from Baldwin Avenue. Of utmost concern to the City is
the continued success of the mall and race track.
Proposed Commercial Uses
The approximate 85-acre development area within the southerly portion
of the Santa Anita race track is strategically located between an
established commercial use (race track) and commercial retail use
(mall). The mix of uses within this development area should add to and
enhance the range of existing retail in the City, and provide uses which
can draw from and contribute to existing patronage at the mall and race
track. The mix of uses and the design of new commercial development
should work together to create a place where people can and will want
to come for shopping and enjoyment. A wide range of compatible land
uses is desired that will increase the area's retail sales potential by
bringing more activity and buyers to the area. Thus, the retail
component of new development within the southerly portion of the race
track should provide a unique shopping experience, emphasizing a mix
of general retailing and specialty goods.
Attracting a wide variety of sit-down restaurants and other types of
eating establishments is important to the success of establishing a
2-72 1 Land Use AND Community Design Arcadia General Plan —November 2010
DRAFT — December 2023
functional link between the mall's commercial uses and the race track's
entertainment identity. A variety of entertainment experiences are
desired to support the dominant commercial use of the site, and to
increase patronage of the area's retail sector without creating a "theme
park" or "amusement park." Desirable entertainment uses include both
ticketed and non -ticketed venues. Office uses should, at most, be a
minor portion of new development, and be supportive of the overall
commercial character of the site. It is understood that, although market
forces will bring an array of new and unique uses to the area, other
uses will invariably compete with existing commercial areas in the City.
Emphasis should be placed upon new uses and uses either having
complementary market segments or a different scale and character
than those currently existing within the City of Arcadia.
Community Design
There are several strong existing attributes that influence the potential
new Commercial area's design. At this time, the mall and race track are
two separate entities with no physical or commercial linkage.
Development of new commercial uses in the southerly portion of the
race track property represents a potential third major entity in the center
of Arcadia. In order to benefit from the locale of the two existing
regional attractions, and to maximize potential economic benefits, new
commercial uses should be designed to establish linkages with the two
existing major attractions (mall and race track), rather than simply
create a third entity in the same area. The intent of such linkages is to
facilitate each attraction's ability to draw patronage from, as well as
contribute patronage to the other attractions, thereby increasing the
success of the mall, race track, and new commercial development.
New commercial buildings and structures in the southerly portion of the
race track property need to respect the architectural and cultural
heritage represented by existing race track buildings. Because any
proposed development would be located closer to Huntington Drive
than the existing race track structures, potential visual impacts of new
development must be carefully analyzed. An appropriate building
setback buffer and/or public edge landscape treatment needs to be
provided to minimize potential visual impacts along Huntington Drive,
and new development needs to protect public views of the race track
grandstands. While it is not possible for new development south of the
grandstands to preserve unobstructed views of the entire grandstand
structure, it is important that the grandstands remain recognizable from
key locations along the perimeter of the race track. Key views which
merit preservation include the first views travelers get of the
grandstands from Huntington Drive/Colorado Place, directly east of the
track (Gate 5) and views of the unique architecture of the southerly
grandstand facade, particularly those of architectural details toward the
center and easterly portion of the grandstands. Views of these key
architectural details from locations along Huntington Drive should be
preserved.
Exposed elevations of new commercial buildings to Huntington Drive,
the race track, and the mall should avoid long, uninterrupted planes,
using articulated components such as staggered setbacks for different
Arcadia General Plan — November 2010 Land Use and Community Design 1 2-73
DRAFT — December 2023
building levels, recessed windows, projecting balconies, arcades, etc.
The design of the rear of buildings and loading or service areas should
be cognizant and respectful of adjacent uses, and the need for
establishing viable linkages with the mall and race track. The size and
design of exterior building and project signage exposed to public
roadways for new development within the southerly portion of the race
track needs to be compatible with the immediately adjacent
architecture. Thus, while signage is important to assist visitors to the
site, signs should not be the dominant visual feature of the built
environment. Landscaping for new commercial development should
establish a project identity along the public edge and at the entries, and
identify the vehicular roadways, pedestrian walkways, building entries,
and plazas. Development of this site should also provide the
opportunity to construct an integrated and consistent landscape
treatment along Huntington Drive. The General Plan acknowledges that
new commercial development south of the race track grandstands will
introduce a new and potentially substantial source of nighttime lighting.
Lighting needs to be integrated into project design, and not appear to
be tacked on as an "afterthought." Lighting structures need to be in
scale with the surrounding buildings. Also, while on -site lighting needs
to be bright enough to promote the general safety of new uses, great
care must be taken to prevent "spillage" of lighting and glare into
nearby residential neighborhoods.
Circulation and Parking
Given the potential intensity of new development south of the race track
grandstands, new commercial uses could generate a substantial
amount of traffic. Because of the key location of the commercial
development area, and its proximity to two major traffic generators
(race track and mail), if not properly managed, traffic from new
commercial development could result in traffic congestion.
_j
Arboretum
Santa Anita
Race Track _
Q
o=
W a CIVIC �~
> �CENTER
ENTRY J
z Potential
cSanta Anita , [� Development �
-, Fashion ark�O�aYYYYY� Area
m hhhhhh'''"' _
% Legend
_ aooQo�� Potential Linkage
rr
o _
Locations
Race Track
Gate Numbers
Figure lu-18: Santa Anita Park Linkages
2-74 1 Land Use AND Community Design Arcadia General Plan — November 2010
DRAFT — December 2023
Traffic resulting from new commercial development needs to be
analyzed and mitigated from both a roadway capacity perspective (both
average daily traffic and peak -hour traffic), and from a land use
compatibility perspective. Thus, new commercial development must not
exceed the roadway performance capacity thresholds identified in the
Circulation and Infrastructure Element. In addition emergency response
vehicle access, and to the maximum possible extent, commercial traffic
needs to be accommodated on existing roadways serving commercial
uses. Existing residential neighborhoods and the hospital should not be
adversely affected by new commercial traffic. These neighborhoods
and their established character need to be protected from adverse
traffic impacts generated by potential commercial development.
Because access points are well established and appropriately spaced,
the internal circulation system for new development south of the race
track grandstands should be connected to existing points of
ingress/egress. Because commercial uses are often characterized by
significant pedestrian traffic, the internal circulation system of any new
commercial project (or increment thereof) needs to assign a high
priority to pedestrian movement in terms of ease, safety, and legibility.
As the result of new development, on -site merging of race track related
traffic with traffic from new commercial uses and the mall will occur. It is
the intent of the General Plan that patrons of the race track, mall, and
new commercial development be able to walk between these uses, and
that automobile traffic between these uses not be forced to use the
external public roadway system as the only means of access between
them.
The General Plan recognizes that, by encouraging development within
an 85-acre area south of the race track grandstands, a substantial
amount of race track parking will be diverted from the track's southerly
parking area to its northerly parking area on a daily basis. Because of
the proximity of residential neighborhoods north of the race track, race
track -related traffic increases onto Colorado Place need to be limited.
Thus, access to the race track parking area needs to continue to be
provided from Huntington Drive and Baldwin Avenue. At the same time,
it is important that the internal circulation system south of the race track
efficiently move traffic from parking entries along Baldwin Avenue and
Huntington Drive through or around new commercial development into
race track parking areas, and that traffic queuing up to enter race track
parking areas not block entries into the commercial area parking or
uses. It is also important that an efficient system of pedestrian access
routes connecting mall and commercial parking and uses be provided,
and that safe crossings of vehicular access routes are provided.
All requisite parking for new commercial uses must be accommodated
on site. The net effect of the physical arrangement of commercial, race
track, and mall parking must not exacerbate the problem of race track
patrons parking off site.
A number of race track patrons use public transit. This mode of
transportation needs to be preserved and enhanced through the
provision of safe and adequate staging areas for buses as determined
Arcadia General Plan — November 2010 Land Use and Community Design I 2-75
DRAFT — December 2023
by the Foothill Transit District and the Metropolitan Transportation
Authority, and through the provision of safe and convenient pedestrian
access from these staging areas to the race track and commercial
uses.
Public Safety
An important objective and benefit of new commercial development is
municipal revenue generation. However, there are often significant
public safety demands and costs associated with these types of
projects. Large commercial venues have the potential to generate large
numbers of people within a relatively small area. While this may be an
objective of the new commercial development, the maintenance of a
high level of public safety within the commercial area and surrounding
lands is imperative. New commercial development south of the race
track grandstands will be required to maintain an adequate level of
security and fire protection as determined by the City of Arcadia Police
and Fire departments.
Phasing and Intensity
The commercially designated portion of the race track's southerly
parking lot is large (85 acres) and potentially able to accommodate
significant new development. It is thus likely that new development will
occur in a number of increments. Individual development increments
need to yield a cohesive, viable mix of uses, and should not be
predicated upon the construction of a subsequent increment. Thus, with
the completion of any individual development increment, the whole of
the commercial area needs to appear to be "complete." Simultaneously,
each development increment needs to represent a rational step that
provides linkages to previous commercial development within the race
track, as well as to subsequent development increments, the mall, and
to the race track itself. In addition, this guideline will minimize visual
impacts on the public roadways.
In order to ensure that new commercial development is respectful of
Arcadia's existing community character, and is compatible with the
community's well preserved, peaceful, and safe residential
neighborhoods, new commercial uses south of the race track
grandstands are to be concentrated away from existing residential uses
along Huntington Drive, although small freestanding pads may be
located along the Huntington Drive frontage. As development
approaches exterior portions of the site nearest to existing residential
uses, the intensity of new commercial uses needs to be significantly
reduced.
Future of the Race Track
Arcadia remains firmly committed to the continuation of a thriving
horse -racing enterprise at Santa Anita Race Track. Given the long-term
trends in the sport, which has seen many venerable courses closed in
recent decades, it is prudent to address the possibility that horse racing
will cease to be viable at Santa Anita at some point over the life of this
plan.
2-76 1 Land Use AND Community Design Arcadia General Plan —November 2010
DRAFT — December 2023
The site offers tremendous potential due to its size, access, and central
location in the San Gabriel Valley; because of this, any use in the Horse
Racing designated portion of the property must meet the following
performance criteria:
■ The appropriate uses will be determined through an
extensive process of citywide community engagement.
■ The uses will be a major and continual revenue source for
the City, comparable to the race track in its heyday.
■ The uses will be world class in scope and appeal, with a
regional draw, appropriate to the scale and unique nature of
the site
■ The uses will be compatible with the character of the
Arcadia community, which is made up of safe and attractive
residential neighborhoods.
■ The uses will complement existing major activity centers
throughout the City.
■ The existing grandstand will be preserved to the maximum
extent feasible.
■ Design will put a priority on creating public gathering
spaces, especially ones that are designed to be used by
Arcadia residents.
■ Planning will incorporate educational and civic uses (e.g.
museums and school facilities).
■ The uses will not place an additional burden on the City's
water supply.
■ Development will preserve views of the mountains and
views of the grandstand from surrounding streets and from
within the site.
■ Site design and uses will accommodate alternative modes of
transportation, and will be linked with transit and the Geld
Liee Metro station.
Goal LU-15. Maintenance of the many benefits —
cultural, fiscal —that live horse racing at
Santa Anita Park brings to Arcadia
Policy LU-15.1: Promote continued economic viability of the
Santa Anita Park race track by providing
opportunities for compatible commercial
uses.
Policy LU-15.2: Recognize that Santa Anita Park and live
horse racing are historically and commercially
important to the community, and that the race
track facility —and the grandstand in
particular —is a significant community feature
worthy of preservation.
Policy LU-15.3: In the event that horse racing is no longer a
viable option at Santa Anita Park, any future
alternative use of the site will meet the
Arcadia General Plan — November 2010 Land Use and Community Design 1 2-77
DRAFT — December 2023
performance criteria set forth above in this
Element for reuse of the site.
Regional Coordination and
Cooperation
The City's policies regarding land use, mobility, and resource use and
preservation recognize that Arcadia is part of a large metropolitan
region, and that by working with its neighbors and regional agencies,
the City can effectively address issues that affect all.
Of particular significance to the City is the increasing role of State
mandates (or potential mandates) to address housing availability and
global warming. The most important of these State -legislature directed
efforts are the following:
Regional Housing Needs Allocation
The Regional Housing Needs Allocation, or RHNA, developed through
a process directed by the Southern California Association of
Governments (SCAG), represents the number of housing units —
divided into various household income categories —that have been
calculated to represent every jurisdiction's "fair share" of the regional
housing need during a Housing Element planning period. By law, the
City is required to show in the Housing Element that adequate sites are
available in Arcadia to accommodate the construction of new housing
units consistent with the RHNA. Recognizing that development is often
constrained by the market and environmental and other factors, the law
makes no mandate that these units actually be built. Rather, housing
law merely requires that the City do its part to facilitate housing
construction by designating and zoning land for residential use at
appropriate densities, and by eliminating impediments to housing
development.
The RHNA is based on population and housing needs projections made
by the State and assigned to the regional Councils of Government
(COGs) throughout California. The regional COGs, in turn, allocate
housing absorption to its member jurisdictions. SCAG fulfills this role
for the six -county region that includes Arcadia.
EMW
Assembly Bill 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act (passed in 2006),
sets the target of reducing emissions of greenhouse gases statewide to
1990 levels by 2020. The bill assigned the task of coming up with a
scoping plan for this reduction to the California Air Resources Board
(CARB). This plan, which CARB's board approved in December 2008,
has a range of greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction actions which
include direct regulations, alternative compliance mechanisms,
monetary and non -monetary incentives, voluntary actions, market -
based mechanisms such as a cap -and -trade system, and an AB 32
cost of implementation fee regulation to fund the program.
Refer to the Housing
Element for discussion
of Arcadia's Regional
Housing Needs
Allocation.
2-78 1 Land Use AND Community Design Arcadia General Plan — November 2010
DRAFT — December 2023
SIB 375
Senate Bill 375 (2008) takes aim at reducing the single largest source
of greenhouse gases in California —emissions from passenger
vehicles —by working to reduce vehicle miles traveled. The law prompts
California regions to work together to lower these emissions, and
requires the integration of planning processes for transportation, land
use, and housing. SB 375 requires CARB to develop regional reduction
targets for automobiles and light trucks GHG emissions. The regions, in
turn, are tasked with creating "sustainable communities strategies,"
which combine transportation and land use elements to achieve the
emissions reduction target, if feasible. Arcadia is cooperating with these
efforts.
Goal LU-16: Regional coordination and cooperation
that represent Arcadia's interests at
regional and statewide levels
Policy LU-16.1: Work with lawmakers to provide the City the
opportunity to contribute to legislation
affecting the City.
Policy LU-16.2: Work with Los Angeles County, Caltrans,
Metro, the South Coast Air Quality
Management District, and other public
agencies to ensure that actions taken by
these agencies do not adversely affect
Arcadia's quality of life or are inconsistent
with policies contained in the General Plan.
Policy LU-16.3: Identify opportunities for joint programs to
further common interests in a cost-efficient
manner.
Policy LU-16.4: Assist agencies providing services within the
City of Arcadia, as well as agencies involved
in land use, transportation, and the provision
of public services and facilities within the City,
to understand the importance of the physical
components of Arcadia's character, as well
as the potential impacts of their actions on
Arcadia.
Policy LU-16.5: Foster systems of inter -jurisdictional
communications and development review,
and provide that such review respects the
values of adjacent municipalities and
equitably distributes both the benefits and
impacts associated with a given project.
Arcadia General Plan — November 2010 Land Use and Community Design 1 2-79
DRAFT December 2023
Implications of Land
I llqe Policy
Over time, as properties transition from one use to another or property
owners choose to rebuild, land uses and intensities will gradually shift
to align with the intent of this element. Given the built -out character of
Arcadia, significant development activities may not occur over the life of
this General Plan and certainly, not all properties will be developed to
the maximum permitted intensities and densities. Table LU-1
summarizes the land use distribution, expected level of development
anticipated within each designation, and the resulting residential and
nonresidential outcomes that can be expected through approximately
2035.
When completed in 2010, implementation of the General Plan Land
Use Plan, with the assumptions described below, was projected to
potentially result in 3,624 additional dwelling units, 9,916 new residents,
and 3.5 million additional square feet of non-residential development in
the City of Arcadia, relative to 2008 conditions. Over a 25-year period,
this averages about 145 units and 140,000 square feet of non-
residential development per year. Although most new development will
be channeled toward the focus areas, scattered private redevelopment
actions will create new units and new business opportunities citywide.
Since the adoption of the 2010 General Plan, the City has updated its
Housing Element twice in compliance with State law, in 2013 and again
in 2021. Statewide housing policy was vastly different in 2021 than it
was in 2010, including much more focus on affordable housing.
Additionally, the City was given a housing allocation of 3,214 units in
the 2021-2029 housing cycle, more than triple the allocation of the
previous housing cycle. As a result, projections for future housing units
is much higher than was anticipated in the 2010 document. Each of the
Housing Element Updates included a detailed future conditions
projection as well as population projections. For the most recent
projections, please see the Technical Background Appendix to the 6th
Cycle Housing Element Update.
The analysis provided in 2010 has been retained below for context.
Projected Future Conditions
(2010)
To define a realistic build -out scenario, assumptions about density and
intensity levels were made. Factors used to establish potential future
conditions include policies in this element, established land use
patterns, and past development trends.
2-80 1 Land Use AND Community Design Arcadia General Plan — November 2010
DRAFT — December 2023
Within single-family residential neighborhoods, the expected density
largely reflects established conditions, as most single-family
neighborhoods in Arcadia have lotting patterns and sizes that do not
lend themselves to new land divisions. For the multiple family
residential neighborhoods, expected density assumes 80 percent of
maximum allowable density for all multifamily land use designations.
While some private redevelopment activity may occur, particularly in
areas that allow up to 30 units per acre, physical conditions and zoning
requirements for on -site improvements will limit the ability of some
properties to achieve the maximum densities.
With regard to the non-residential designations, an assumption of 80
percent of maximum allowed intensities has been made, recognizing
the well -developed character of several business districts and the fact
that land use policy does not change long -applied FAR limits.
Table LU-1 indicates the projected future number of residential units,
people, and square footage on non-residential uses based on the
assumptions described above. Projected dwelling units have been
calculated by multiplying the acres of residential land by the expected
density for each designation. For the mixed -use designations, the
assumed ratio of residential to non-residential development was 40 to
60 percent. This assumption reflects the requirement for a commercial
component for all mixed -use developments and the fact that stand-
alone residential development is not permitted.
For non-residential uses (commercial, industrial, and institutional uses),
the projection represents a factor of the land use, in acres, for each
designation and the expected FAR.
The projected population figure takes into account the average number
of persons per household (2.872 in 2008) and the occupancy rate
(95.9% in 2008). The number of persons per household and the
occupancy rate will change year to year, but for projection purposes,
the City has used estimates available from the California Department of
Finance, Demographic Unit at the time of General Plan adoption.
Table LU-2 compares buildout for the 2010 General Plan with that of
the 1996 General Plan.
Arcadia General Plan — November 2010 Land Use and Community Design 1 2-81
DRAFT — December 2023
Table LU-1: Buildout by Land Use Desi._:nation
Acres I Dwelling Units
Land Use Designations Fcity SOIz Total , City I Sol
Residential
Non -Residential Building Square
Population' Feet'
SOI Total City - SOI Total
Residential Estates
545.21
545.21
709
709
1,950
1,950
Very Low Density
1038.1
3
1038.13
2,907
2,907
7,997
7,997
Low Density
1927.6
550.37
2477.97
7,132
2,036
9,168
19,621
5,602
25,223
Medium Density
63.32
63.32
608
608
1,672
—
1,672
High Density
431.86
431.86
1D,365
--
10,365
28,514
28,514
Commercial
Commercial
1 396.41 49.31
445.71
--1
--
--
-
--I
--
7,233,186
859,003
8,092,189
Regional Commercial
79.11 --1
79.11
--
�_ --1
1,378,2381
01
1,378,238
M ixed-Use
Mixed -Use
1 45.08
45.081
433
--1
433
1,191
1,191
859,400
859,400
Downtown Mixed Use
1 23.85
--1 23.851
382
3821
1,050 --1
1,050
478,655
478,655
Industrial
Commercial/Light Industrial
97.021
97.02
--1
1,690,476
--1
1,690,476
Industrial
1 104.441
104.44
--1
1,819,763
--J
1,819,763
Public/Institutional
Public/Institutional 185.821
185.82
--
Open Space
Open Space - Outdoor
Recreation 511.4 511
Open Space - Resources
Protection 160.79 3.63 164.,
Other
Horse Racing 1 2191 219 -- -
Rights -of -way, wash, etc. 1 24 261 1.871 26.12 -- --
Notes: 1. Based on 2.869 persons per household and an occupancy rate of 0.9689 (California Department of Finance, 2008)
2. The General Plan addresses issues within a "Planning Area" that includes areas outside the official City limits known as the Sphere of Influence. The City's sphere of
influence includes an area to the west bounded by Foothill Boulevard, Rosemead Boulevard, Michillinda Avenue, and Duarte Road, and an area located on the
southeastern end of the City, around Live Oak Avenue and divided by a small strip of land in Arcadia that connects the majority of the City with the industrial/quarry
areas in the south. Figure LU-4 shows the sphere of influence area on the Land Use Map. For purposes of the General Plan Housing Element, only land within City
limits applies.
3. The figures presented in the table are derived from the 80% buildout factor that has been applied to all commercial development. These figures do not take into
2-82 i Land Use AND Community Design Arcadia General Plan — November 2010
DRAFT — December 2023
account precise entitled square footage for individual development projects. Such projects -such as the regional shopping mall -are permitted to develop consistent
with entitlements granted.
Tnhle LU-2: Current and Prior Buildout Proiections
Area
1996 General Plan
2010 General Plan
Increase/Decrease
Dwelling
Units
Non -Res.
Square
Feet
Populatio
n
Dwellin
g Units
Non -Res.
Square
Feet'
Populatio
n
Dwelling
Units
Non -Res.
Square Feet
Population
1
Santa Anita Parke
888,624
888,624
2
Downtown Arcadia
206
1,672,732
567
525
3,044,800
1,445
319
1,372,068
878
3
Duarte Rd./First Ave.
125
280,6451
343
93
356,739
256
(31)
76,094
(87)
4
Baldwin Ave./Duarte Rd.
2,039
1,338,1631
5,615
2,816
1,311,853
7,748
778
(26,310)
2,133
5
Live Oak Ave.
80
971,994
222
461
1,071,924
1,269
381
99,930
1,047
6
Lower Azusa Rd. Reclamation
Area
1,449,137
1,610,152
161,015
7
City (outside focus areas)2
17,531
4,685,707
48,279
18,639
5,175,625
51,277
1,108
489,918
2,997
8
Sphere of Influence
2,147
859,003
5,914
2,036
859,003
5,602
(111)
(312)
City Limits Total
19,981
11,287,002
55,026
22,535
13,459,717
61,994
2,554
2,172,715
6,968
Sphere of Influence Tota13
2,147
859,003
5,914
2,036
859,003
5,602
(111)
(312)
Planning Area Total
22,128
12,146,005
60,940
24,571
14,318,720
67,597
2,443
2,172,715
6,656
Notes:
1. The figures presented in the table are derived from the 80% buildout factor that has been applied to all commercial
development. The figures do not take into account precise entitled square footage for individual development projects. Such
projects -such as the regional shopping mall -are permitted to develop consistent with entitlements granted.
2. Development assumptions for the Santa Anita Park Area
No land use changes are proposed for this area.
0.3 FAR allowed for the Commercial portion of Santa Anita Park.
FAR not applicable for the Horse Racing portion of Santa Anita Park and existing structures related to Santa Anita Park
have not been included in the square -footage calculation .
Regional Shopping Mall not included in this focus area.
SCAG Population Projection
SCAG 2035 64,845
SCAG Household Projection
SCAG 2035
22,566
2012 Rra Forecasts
3. Within the Sphere of Influence, the projected decrease in dwelling units and population reflects a difference in methodologies used to make the projections and to
report the number of actual number of units within the Sphere. The City does not anticipate any actions to remove units.
Arcadia General Plan - November 2010
DRAFT - December 202; Land Use and Community Design 1 2-83
General Plan and
Zoning Consis-tpncy
The zoning regulations within the Arcadia Municipal Code serve as the
primary implementation tool for the General Plan. Whereas the General
Plan is a policy document and sets forth direction for development
decisions, the Arcadia Municipal Code is a regulatory document that
establishes specific standards for the use and development of all
properties in the City. The Code regulates development intensity using
a variety of methods, such as setting limits on building setbacks, yard
landscaping standards, and building heights. The Code also indicates
which land uses are permitted in the various zones.
The City of Arcadia is a charter city and is governed on the basis of a
charter that establishes its powers and authorities, as contrasted with a
general law city, which enjoys only those powers specifically granted to
it by the State. While general law cities are required by Section 65860
of the California Government Code to have zoning ordinances that are
consistent with a city's general plan, zoning ordinances in charter cities
like Arcadia are not required to be consistent with the General Plan.
Nonetheless, the City of Arcadia strives to have a zoning ordinance that
is compatible with the goals and policies in the General Plan, as the
Municipal Code provides the primary means for implementing land use
goals. The City will work to ensure General Plan and zoning
consistency by prohibiting zoning of properties in a manner which is
inconsistent or incompatible with surrounding zoning or land uses, and
reviewing development proposals for consistency with all applicable
land use regulations.
Table LU-3 identifies the correlation between Arcadia's zoning districts
and the General Plan land use designations.
2-84 1 Land Use AND Community Design Arcadia General Plan — November 2010
DRAFT — December 2023
Table LU-3: General Plan and Zoning Ordinance Consistency
General Plan Land Use Designations
RE Residential Estates
VLDR
Very Low Density Residential
Corresponding Zone Districts
R-M Residential Mountainous Single Family
R-O. 30,000 First One Family 30,000
R-O. 22,000 First One Family 22,000
R-O. 22,000
First One Family 22,000
R-O. 15,000
First One Family 15,000
R-O. 12,500
First One Family 12,500
R-1. 15,000
Second One Family 15,000
R-1. 12,500
Second One Family 12,500
R-1. 10,000
Second One Family 10,000
R-1. 7,500
Second One Family 7,500
R-O. 12,500 First One Family 12,500
R-O. 15,000 Second One Family 15,000
LDR
Low Density Residential
R-1. 12,500 Second One Family 12,500
R-1. 10,000 Second One Family 10,000
Medium Density Residential
High Density Residential
R-1. 7,500 Second One Family 7,500
R-2 Medium Density Multiple Family
R-3 Multiple Family
MDR
HDR
C
Commercial
C-O Professional Office
CG General Commercial
C-M Commercial Manufacturing
Commercial (Santa Anita Av,
C
Huntington Dr. Colorado PI. 1.0
CG General Commercial
Central Business District
FAR)
CBD
New Overlay Zone Required
RC
Regional Commercial
C-2 Regional Commercial
S-1 Special Use Zone
HR
Horse Racing
Mixed Use
R-1 Low Density Residential
MU
MU Mixed Use
DMU Downtown Mixed Use
C-M Commercial Manufacturing
DMU
Downtown Mixed Use
C/LI
Commercial/Light Industrial
I
Industrial
M-1 Planned Industrial District
PF Public Facilities
P/1
Public/Institutional
OS -OR Open Space - Outdoor
OS Open Space
Recreation
OS -RP Open Space - Resources
Protection
OS Open Space
Arcadia General Plan — November 2010 Land Use and Community Design 1 2-85
DRAFT — December 2023
Introduction.......................................................................................2-1
Achieving Our Vision.........................................................................2-2
Scope of this Element....................................................................... 2-3
LandUse...........................................................................................2-5
CommunityDesign..........................................................................2-18
Citywide Goals and Policies............................................................ 2-28
Land Use Focus Areas....................................................................2-43
Implications of Land Use Policy.......................................................2-80
General Plan and Zoning Consistency ............................................ 2-84
Table LU-1: Buildout by Land Use Designation ............. .................. 2-82
Table LU-2: Current and Prior Buildout Projections ......................... 2-83
Table LU-3: General Plan and Zoning Ordinance Consistency ........ 2-85
2-86 1 Land Use AND Community Design Arcadia General Plan — November 2010
DRAFT — December 2023