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View Winners → Council Recap: Revolutionary Street Design Guide Approved
News Mar 22, 2017
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– Photo by Terry Miller / Beacon Media News
City Attorney directed to draft drone ordinance
By Gus Herrera
The Pasadena City Council had a full plate this past Monday, approving items that addressed local businesses, the skies above them, and the streets on which they rest.
Council renewed the South Lake Avenue Property and Business Improvement District (SLA PBID), an act that will continue to facilitate economic development and growth for the city’s southern businesses.
The SLA PBID is made up of 444 parcels, bounded by Colorado Boulevard to the north, Mentor Avenue to the east, Hudson Avenue to the west, and “an east-west line approximately 260 feet south of California Boulevard on the south,” according to city staff’s report.
The SLA PBID was originally established by council in 2007 and was subsequently renewed in 2012. Monday’s approval renewed the SLA PBID for five more years, until December 2022.
The SLA PBID allows property owners to tax themselves, essentially creating funds to provide “enhanced services to … stakeholders within the district.”
According to staff’s report, services include:
– Administration/operations and maintenance.
– Cleaning and security services beyond what the city provides.
– Advocacy/marketing through ambassadors and promotions.
For those interested, a public hearing is set for May 15 at 7 p.m.
Council also approved two recommendations from city committees. The first, Item 11, approved a new street design guide, unanimously recommended to the council by both the city’s transportation advisory commission and municipal services committee.
The guide is particularly unique in that it fundamentally changes street design’s emphasis – focusing on improving safety for the most vulnerable roadway users (i.e. pedestrians and cyclists), as opposed to the traditional emphasis, which focuses on the functionality/accessibility of streets for drivers.
“It’s somewhat revolutionary in the way it thinks about streets and what they’re supposed to do,” said Mayor Terry Tornek.
Additionally, the guide aims to satisfy the city’s new goal of creating “complete streets.” This goal was first spelled out in the updated mobility element of the city’s general plan, approved in 2015.
According to staff’s report, complete streets should “accommodate all users such as pedestrians, bicyclists, public transit, skateboarders, and scooters.” They should also “reflect neighborhood character” and “support healthy activities such as walking and bicycling.”
The street design guide will be applied to future development projects and specific plan updates.
Although certain council members questioned how the guide will be implemented and which projects will receive priority, the item was approved unanimously.
“I support it wholeheartedly,” said Council Member Margaret McAustin.
“It’s a very thoughtful piece … [that] puts the human component first,” said Council Member Tyron Hampton.
– Courtesy photo
A second recommendation, Item 12, was approved without objection and directed the city attorney to draft an ordinance regulating the operation of drones.
The drone policy will address three aspects:
- Careless and reckless operation – flight over public streets and sidewalks will be regulated.
- Flight over special events – property owner/event organizer must grant permission.
- Flight over critical infrastructure – drones will be prohibited from flying over the Glenarm Power Plant, police/fire stations, city hall, city yards, water storage and electric transmission facilities, transit facilities, and light rail.
The city attorney is expected to present the ordinance to council within 60 days, but it is important to note that changes will most likely need be made in response to any new federal/state laws or developments in drone technology.
