write a news report based on this information from the City of Pasadena and include instructions for the community to participate: SUBJECT: APPLICATION FOR PRELIMINARY CONSULTATION (DHP2023-00218)
CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW THREE-TO-FOUR-STORY, 35,874 SQUARE￾FOOT, MIXED-USE PROJECT WITH 5,329 SQUARE FEET OF COMMERCIAL 
SPACE AND 21 RESIDENTIAL UNITS
Project Description:
This proposal is for the construction of a new three-to-four-story, 35,874-square-foot, mixed-use 
project consisting of 5,329 square feet of ground-floor commercial space and 21 residential 
units at 2771 E. Foothill Boulevard. Three onsite trees that are not protected, two Chinese Elm 
Trees (Ulmus parviflora) and a Queen Palm Tree (Syagrus romanzoffiana), are proposed to be 
removed. The property is within the East Pasadena Specific Plan, Subarea d1, Limited 
Commercial (EPSP-d1-CL) zoning district.
The 22,609-square-foot project site is located at the northwest corner of E. Foothill Boulevard 
and N. Daisy Avenue; Wenger Alley adjoins the site along the north. The site is developed with 
two vernacular buildings that were constructed in 1936 and are being used as a mechanic shop. 
Both buildings and related improvements will be demolished as part of the proposed project. 
The buildings have been reviewed through the Historic Resource Evaluation process and were 
deemed ineligible for designation as landmarks on August 14, 2023.
Surrounding properties include low-scale commercial, retail, restaurant, office, and service￾related uses ranging from one to three stories in height. Adjoining the west property line is a
one-story Starbucks Coffee shop and to the east, across N. Daisy Avenue, is a one-story Pilates
studio and similar small commercial storefronts. To the south, across E. Foothill Boulevard, is a 
two-story restaurant supply store. One-and two-story single-family residential uses are to the 
north, beyond Wegner Alley. The closest designated historic resource is a historic neon sign 
located at 2547 E. Foothill Boulevard (Foothill Liquors Delicatessen), located west of the project 
site. 
The proposed building is designed in a contemporary interpretation of a traditional Spanish 
Colonial Revival style with pitched and flat roofs, repeating projecting and recessed building 
volumes, stacked punched openings and projecting sunshades. The design is supported by a 
simple, but rich material palette consisting of stucco that will be detailed with wood trellises, 
Design Commission
Preliminary Consultation – 2771 E. Foothill Blvd.
October 10, 2023
Page 2 of 7
protecting windows, tile, clay tile roofs and an ornamental statue at the southeast corner of the 
roof parapet. Additionally, on the south elevation, canvas sunshades are provided on the 
windows of the residential units on the second and third floors. Overall, the proposed design 
represents a unique architectural concept within a commercial area that is in transition while 
showing deference to the adjoining residential district. The building is articulated at the base to 
achieve a clear commercial ground floor design fronting E. Foothill Boulevard. The residential 
entry is oriented towards N. Daisy Avenue and is differentiated from the design of the 
commercial spaces. The tucked-under parking spaces are accessible from the rear alley 
through a number of openings framed by supporting columns. The upper floors are articulated 
with modulation throughout the facades created by recessed balconies, projecting window bays 
that extend multiple stories, as well as a variety of window types, sizes and organization. The 
most significant break in the wall plane occurs at the southeast corner, resulting in the building 
volume that is pulled back from E. Foothill Boulevard and N. Daisy Avenue to create a 
landscaped outdoor courtyard around the residential entry. The treatment of the west elevation 
appears most different from the rest of the building due to adjoining gabled roof forms, a central 
three-sided bay window and overall fenestration that diverges from the treatment and 
consistency found on the other elevations.
As proposed, there will be three commercial tenant spaces of roughly the same size, located on 
the ground floor, fronting and immediately accessible from Foothill Boulevard. All 21 residential 
units are located on the upper levels. The primary pedestrian access for the residents is from N. 
Daisy Avenue, through a gated opening and pathway that leads to the entry lobby. The entry 
lobby provides access to the residential units via two elevators. Additional access is provided by 
two stairwells that are accessible from the front and side of the building. The elevators and 
easterly stairwell also serve the underground parking level. The majority of the amenity spaces 
serving the residential component of the project, such as the lobby/lounge, leasing office and 
outdoor garden, are located on the ground floor with an additional lounge on the second floor. 
Both at-grade tucked-under and subterranean parking can be accessed from the alley and a 
driveway portal from E. Foothill Boulevard; located at the westernmost portion of the site. 
Applicable Design Guidelines:
• Design-Related Goals and Policies in the Land Use Element of the General Plan
• East Pasadena Specific Plan Design Guidelines
• Design Guidelines for Neighborhood Commercial and Multi-family Residential Districts
Approvals Needed/Project Scheduling: • Concept and Final Design Review (Design Commission)
• Building Permits (Building Staff)
CEQA Clearance:
This is preliminary consultation regarding design review and is not subject to the California 
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Design Commission
Preliminary Consultation – 2771 E. Foothill Blvd.
October 10, 2023
Page 3 of 7
Staff Observations:
Applicable Design Guidelines:
The following design guidelines are applicable to the project and should guide further 
development and study of the project as it moves forward in the design review process:
Design-Related Policies in the Land Use Element of the General Plan: 4.10: Locate and design buildings to relate to and frame major public streets, open spaces, 
and cityscape. New development at intersections should consider any number of corner 
treatments, and should balance safety and accessibility concerns with the vision of the 
area and the need for buildings to engage the street and create a distinct urban edge.
4.11: Require that development demonstrates a contextual relationship with neighboring 
structures and sites addressing such elements as building scale, massing, orientation, 
setbacks, buffering, the arrangement of shared and private open spaces, visibility, 
privacy, automobile and truck access, impacts of noise and lighting, landscape quality, 
infrastructure, and aesthetics. 
7.1: Design each building as a high-quality, long term addition to the City’s urban fabric; 
exterior design and buildings material shall exhibit permanence and quality, minimize 
maintenance concerns, and extend the life of the building. 
7.2: Allow for the development of a diversity of buildings styles. Support innovative and 
creative design solutions to issues related to context and environmental sustainability. 
7.3: Require that new and adaptively re-used buildings are designed to respect and 
complement the defining built form, massing, scale, modulation, and architectural 
detailing of their contextual setting.
10.7: Encourage sustainable practices for landscape materials, landscape design, and land 
development.
25.4: Require that new development protect community character by providing architecture, 
landscaping, and urban design of equal or greater quality than existing and by 
respecting the architectural character and scale of adjacent buildings.
East Pasadena Specific Plan:
The East Pasadena Specific Plan facilitates and encourages transit-oriented development, 
including new housing opportunities to enable residents to live close to jobs and transit. The 
subject site is located close to major regional commercial districts that provide jobs, goods and 
services and are served by a variety of public transportation options, including the nearby Metro 
“A” Line station at Sierra Madre Villa Avenue and I-210 Freeway, which is approximately 1.5 
miles east of the project site.
Design Commission
Preliminary Consultation – 2771 E. Foothill Blvd.
October 10, 2023
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Section 6.3: Private Realm Development Standards and Design Guidelines for Subarea d2:
Landscape: Front, side and rear yards, and pedestrian connections are to receive particular 
attention to landscape design. Front setbacks shall be landscaped compatible with adjacent 
streetscape designs.
Character of the Public and Private Realms Interface: New buildings are required to be set at 
the minimum setback along Halstead Street and Foothill Boulevard.
Pedestrian connections between public and private realms: In order to obtain a good pedestrian 
flow between the private and public realms, private developments shall provide pedestrian 
access to Halstead Street and Foothill Boulevard. 
Section 6.5: Private Realm Design Guidelines for all Subareas:
6.5.2: Building Architecture, Massing and Height
• …The specific plan recommends that building designs should have an elegant, timeless 
and permanent quality relating to the heritage and climate of Pasadena. Buildings 
should not be copies of historic buildings but should draw from their positive features.
Features of this type of character include:
o Consistent materials and color palette;
o Articulated building planes and height to create a pleasing variety and pedestrian 
scale;
o Emphasis on horizontal lines and buildings that integrate the indoors with the 
outside;
o Arcades, awnings, trellises and canopies for shade; 
o Design emphasis on entrances to shops and paseos; and 
o Fountains, courtyards and landscaped features and elements of Pasadena’s 
architectural heritage in high activity areas...
• To promote a “pedestrian-friendly” character and avoid large blocky facades, building 
facades should be articulated with awnings, pilasters, bay windows, a distinct base, 
recessed display windows, a cornice or varied roofline. 
• Buildings should be designed to be attractive from all directions. Where rear or sides of 
buildings are visible from adjacent streets, these facades shall receive equal design 
treatment as the front or main façade. 
Design Guidelines for Neighborhood Commercial and Multi-family Residential Districts:
1.5: The constituent parts of new projects (building, open space, landscape, parking) should 
be internally integrated in image and form, while relating compatibly to those of 
neighboring buildings.
2.2: Activating the street. New multi-family and mixed-use buildings should be designed with 
frontages that activate the street by providing direct access to their ground floor 
dwellings and commercial spaces.
4.2: Windows and doorways should be designed to reflect the character and size of the 
rooms to which they belong. The composition of street and courtyard-facing elevations 
should organize these windows, doors, and the space between them into a clear and 
Design Commission
Preliminary Consultation – 2771 E. Foothill Blvd.
October 10, 2023
Page 5 of 7
legible pattern and appropriate to both the style of the building and the scale of the street 
it faces.
7.1: Buildings should be scaled to respond to their context by sensitively and positively 
addressing the scale and massing of their adjacent neighbors.
7.2: The rear and/or side elevations of new buildings that are visible from the public realm 
should be designed with equal care and quality as the front or principal façade.
7.3: The placement and size of windows in side yards and rear yards should respect the 
privacy and need for light and air of existing buildings.
10.3: If blank walls cannot be avoided, then they should be detailed, painted, or landscaped in 
a manner that renders the walls attractive to pedestrians. Applicants should explain why 
the use of a blank wall or walls cannot be avoided in the design narrative submittal as 
described in Appendix A3.
14.3 a: The orientation and proportion of openings should be consistent with the architectural 
language chosen for a project. Openings should relate to one another according to a 
clear system of composition and structure.
14.3 c: Building elevations should exhibit a hierarchy of window sizes to differentiate the more 
formal rooms from the more informal rooms.
16.2: Courtyards and forecourts should provide design elements such as seating areas, 
fountains, and/or outdoor fireplaces to encourage their use as outdoor rooms or 
gathering places.
16.8: Paving materials should be consistent with the architectural language of the building. 
Unit pavers are preferred over stamped concrete.
18.1: Landscape and hardscape design should be compatible with the chosen architectural 
style of a building.
Potential Design Issues:
The traditional character and appeal of the Spanish Colonial Revival architecture delivers an 
attractive design option within a commercial realm while also creating a sensitive transition to 
the residential district. Although the proposed architectural style is not often observed within the 
surrounding context, it will expand on the existing architectural diversity within the area and is 
consistent with Pasadena’s architectural legacy. Based on its unique location that straddles 
between commercial and residential zoning districts, the proposed building is generally 
successful in achieving a sensitive mass and scale through articulation of two rectilinear building 
forms that allows the two primary façades to successfully address the commercial and 
residential characters of both streets by way of its site planning/setback, design treatments, 
access into and circulation around the site, and transition to the public realm. The following 
comments are recommended to further refine the design concept and ensure consistency with 
the applicable design guidelines:
• The overall fenestration appears rigid for the Spanish Colonial Revival style, particularly 
on the west elevation. Reconsider and study the interior configuration of the units and 
how that could inform the treatment of the exterior fenestration, to create more variation 
in window types, shapes, sizes and locations to achieve further differentiation between 
Design Commission
Preliminary Consultation – 2771 E. Foothill Blvd.
October 10, 2023
Page 6 of 7
units or between lower and upper floors to disrupt the rigidness of the fenestration while 
maintaining the solid-to-void proportion that is consistent with the selected style. 
• The west elevation, and its design treatment, appear most different from the rest of the 
facades. The composition of the double gable roof, three-sided bay window and 
fenestration appears unresolved and introduces features that are not seen elsewhere on 
the building. While a stylized and detailed gable roof is often associated with of the 
Spanish Colonial Revival style, consider a single gable or a combination gable and flat 
roof or two gables of different proportion that are not coplanar to resolve the intersection 
of the overhangs. Additionally, consider if the projected bay window is an appropriate 
element and elevate the design in the context of the proposed elevation. Finally, 
reconsider and address the solid-to-void ratio of the ground floor and overall fenestration
of the west façade to achieve consistency with other elevations and design intent. 
Consider the richness, depth and layered design of the east elevation and how these 
features and treatments can be introduced on the west elevation. If the gable roofs are 
preferred to remain as design features on the west elevation, consider whether a similar 
gable roof on the east elevation is also appropriate, which would provide an enhanced 
design treatment to the residential façade and achieve a design consistency between 
the two east and west elevations.
• The introduction of sunshades on the south elevation is a sensible design treatment 
given the amount and quality of light that will be experienced. While canvas awnings are 
consistent with the design, their color and pattern should be further studied. Consider
awnings of a darker color that are complementary to the overall color palette and with 
open sides. 
• Ensure the interior posts framing the at-grade parking spaces, on the north elevation,
are proportional and consistent with the end columns. 
• The proposed statue placed at the southeast corner on the roof parapet is a whimsical 
design feature, but this gesture may be out of context. Consider removing the statue
and, instead, providing an elevated and enhanced design throughout the parapet and at 
the prominent corner that is consistent with the traditional architectural language 
proposed. 
• Ensure that the communal open spaces for the project include amenities that will allow 
for their use by the residents.