Pasadena to Consider Halting Developments

Pasadena officials said Tuesday they would consider a moratorium on new retail-residential developments in the city’s downtown, theater and retail corridors.

The proposed 45-day “cooling off” period would give the city time to further study building plans for so-called “mixed-use” developments so Pasadena’s “historic fabric” can be preserved, said city spokeswoman Ann Erdman.

The Pasadena City Council plans to hold a public hearing and possibly vote on the issue April 19.

“Right now, there are no clear guidelines for residential development in the city’s central district,” Erdman said. “We need a consistent vision.”

And officials say they need it soon. During the last four years, more than 1,300 residential units have been built, mainly along major thoroughfares. Another 1,100 are under construction. The total of 2,400 units surpasses the total number of dwellings built during the 1990s.

In recent months, the city has received numerous proposals from developers seeking building approval before summer, when Pasadena is expected to pass a formal plan outlining rules and regulations for future development.

Already, half-constructed buildings and signs promising future residential and retail units dot the streets in Pasadena’s central area, which includes Old Pasadena, the Pasadena Playhouse and South Lake Avenue, where a number of upscale shops and restaurants have opened in the last year.

“We’ve seen an incredible amount of development in Pasadena,” said Sue Mossman, executive director of Pasadena Heritage, a preservation advocacy group. “One might assume” developers are rushing to finish projects before the city’s development plan is formulated.

“A moratorium,” Mossman said, “would give us more time to figure out what’s best for the city. We want good development.”

However, Lynne Hess, president of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce, said her group opposed a proposed construction freeze.

“A moratorium of any kind is contrary to free enterprise and fairness,” Hess said. “There’s an escalating sense that some people want to stop development of any kind in Pasadena. That is not good.”

Erdman and others said there is little open space to build large multi-unit housing developments in Pasadena, a city of many historic neighborhoods and Craftsman-era homes. Instead, developers have been drawn to building multi-story residential projects around the city’s core.

The city has set its sights on attracting moderate- to upper-income dwellers to so-called urban villages, where residents live in apartments or condos above restaurants, shops and entertainment complexes.

One example is Paseo Colorado, an outdoor complex of European-style apartments and courtyards with upscale eateries, boutiques, movie theaters and a supermarket. Apartment rents range from $1,300 a month for a studio to $3,295 for a two-bedroom, two-bath unit.

Mixed-use developments are designed to “bring people downtown,” Erdman said.