CORRESPONDENCE - 75D - Laserfiche WebLink

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i. Solution: Encourage construction of more parking in commercial developments and near transit centers and off ramps. 2. Challenge: Transit Oriented District requirements assume similar density conditions exist throughout the City. Downtown areas have different characteristics than East Pasadena. Downtown is more densely developed with numerous parking structures and an urban residential and commercial environment. East Pasadena is low density / suburban in character with neighborhoods of single family homes well buffered from commercial areas. East Pasadena enjoys several convenient freeway access points, large arterial street systems, Gold Line Stations and Bus Metro Center. Further, the present transit system is immature, but TOD requirements assume a fully functional transit system. The resulting planning over -restricts commercial development with unrealistically low parking ratios. This situation promotes residential development (where lower parking ratios are acceptable) over commercial, office, or retail development. Parking ratios should reflect the reality that office space users occupy space more densely than 20 years ago i. Solution: Adjust Transit Oriented District parking requirements to recognize that all areas aren't the same. Change parking ratios at transit oriented districts to support commercial office development and encourage occupancy in existing class A space in other parts of Pasadena.. Once the transit system matures, excess parking could be used for transit riders and to allow denser office space occupancy. ii. Solution: Encourage commercial office development in East Pasadena where easy access to freeways, separation from neighborhoods and opportunities for transit exist. East Pasadena has more than adequate freeway access. Most workers in Pasadena drive from elsewhere. Locating office development near the freeways protects neighborhoods, keeps traffic out of downtown and provides easy access to work by employees. The light rail provides easy access to downtown. 3. Challenge: Construction permitting and compliance inconsistency creates delays, confusion, frustration and tension between "customers" and the City. i. Solution: All planning department and inspection personnel should work from the same set of guidelines, using a checklist, and could be trained to follow the same protocols. ii. Solution: Initial project reviews should include all required improvements, mitigations and additions so that new requirements are not added at the end of the process, causing delays and unnecessary additional costs. iii. Solution: City could develop an on-line customer satisfaction survey to assess the process. That information could be used to develop and share future best -practices by City staff. 12