South Pas is thinking about making its Ostrich Farm area a little less business parky and a little more mixed-usey--the city council is considering a proposal to change the zoning in the area, along Pasadena Ave. nears its intersection with Monterey Rd., to allow mixed-use development. The Ostrich Farm was targeted as a growth "focus area" in the 1998 South Pas General Plan--back then, it was "envisioned as a business park," according to a recent staff report (pdf). Even at the time, property owners in the area requested that mixed-use development be allowed, but the idea was never incorporated. In 2007, the planning commission "recommended approval of a General Plan Amendment and Zoning Amendment for the Ostrich Farm area that would prohibit live/work, permit mixed-use, add a broader range of offices permitted in the area," but the city council adopted everything but the mixed-use suggestion.
Now most of the development at the OF is live/work and, according to South Pas Patch, the area's looking a little blighted (with "several vacant buildings and empty lots"); a zoning change could make it "more appealing to potential developers and business owners." South Pas is looking at three options to broaden uses at the OF, including General Plan and Zoning Code amendments, an economic development strategy (essentially taking on the responsibilities of the now-dead redevelopment agency), and a Specific Plan "if a more wide-ranging re-examination is desired." Councilmember Marina Khubesrian says "This is one of the few areas in our city we can develop and turn into something as special as our downtown."
· How Should The Ostrich Farm Be Developed? (Discussion) [South Pasadena Patch]
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