STAFF REPORT

TO:               Mayor and Council Members		DATE:              July 8, 2025
FROM:         Community Development		DISTRICT(S):   Citywide

SUBJECT:

Adopt the Glendora Station Area Vision Plan (PLN22-0059)

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RECOMMENDATION

That the City Council:

1. Adopt a finding of Statutory Exemption pursuant to Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations (CCR), Section 15262 Feasibility and Planning Studies of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines; and
2. Adopt a Resolution entitled “A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL ADOPTING THE GLENDORA STATION AREA VISION PLAN.”

  

STRATEGIC FOCUS AREAS

 ​​Goal 1: Implement Strategic Economic Development (ISED)

 OBJECTIVE 4: Create a Vision and Development Plan for the Village/Gold Line area.

 OBJECTIVE 5: Sixth Cycle Housing Element follow-up.

 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Glendora Station Area Vision Plan (Vision Plan) aligns with the City Council’s 2023-2025 Strategic Plan, specifically Goal 1: Strategic Economic Development, Objective 4: Create a Vision and Development Plan for the Village/Gold Line Area. To support this initiative, the City secured $200,000 from the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (Metro) Communities Technical Assistance Program (TOC TAP), along with a $20,000 local match in staff time, bringing the total project cost to $220,000. The plan provides technical assistance to foster community consensus on preferred development scenarios and recommended code changes within a half-mile radius of the Glendora Metro Station. In 2024, the City awarded a planning contract to PlaceWorks, who collaborated with the City to prepare the Vision Plan. Additionally, the Vision Plan supports Metro’s policy goals of engaging organizations, distributing transit benefits equitably, and capturing the value generated by transit.

 

The Station Area Vision Plan recognizes a range of land planning policies, programs, and capital projects that the City has adopted or is preparing including the City’s General Plan and Housing Element, Route 66 Specific Plan, People Movement Project, and Objective Design Standards. In addition, the Plan will support the City’s compliance with State mandates under the Housing Element Law.

 

The Glendora Station area, including the Village, is set to undergo significant transportation and mobility improvements, which will drive future development activity. The half-mile radius around the Glendora Metro Station is particularly crucial for meeting the City’s Housing Element RHNA goals, with potential for up to 1,283 residential units in mixed-use or all-residential developments. To proactively guide this growth, the City is developing a consensus-driven Vision Plan. This plan will define the desired type of development, inform future updates to the General Plan, and serve as the foundation for necessary regulatory and code adjustments. The Vision Plan, shaped by extensive public engagement, outlines development scenarios, urban design strategies, and regulatory needs to create a pedestrian- and transit-friendly environment while addressing Glendora's housing needs.

To gather input throughout the planning process, the project team conducted a variety of engagement activities. These included one-on-one meetings with stakeholders, a public in-person open house, two virtual open houses, digital outreach through the project website, online surveys, engagement at the City’s Earth Day events, and Planning Commission study sessions.

The Station Area Vision plan is organized into five chapters:

1. Introduction: Provides an overview of the project, introduces the study area, and summarizes outreach and engagement efforts.
2. Vision: Presents a high-level vision for future development in the station area.
3. Development Scenarios: Provides background on focus area selection. Explores potential development scenarios for selected focus areas.
4. Public Realm Improvements: Identifies recommended improvements to enhance the public realm experience in the Vision Plan area.
5. Implementation: Provides guidance and next steps for executing the Vision Plan.

The plan is accompanied by an appendix, which dives deeper into the technical analysis that informed the development of the Vision Plan.

 

The Vision Plan identifies the regulatory adjustments required to realize the vision; however, the Vision Plan is not a rezoning or regulatory document and does not obligate the City to implement the recommended regulatory adjustments. Implementation of the Station Area vision is described further in Chapter 5, Implementation.

 

Pursuant to Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations (CCR), Section 15262 the Vision Plan would be statutorily exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Future actions or projects facilitated by the Vision Plan would be subject to CEQA and reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY / PREVIOUS ACTIONS

The Station Area Vision Plan recognizes a range of land planning policies, programs, and capital projects that the City has adopted. In addition, the Station Area Vision Plan will support the City’s compliance with State mandates under the Housing Element Law.

 

General Plan and Housing Element

State law requires every city in California to maintain a General Plan to guide the long-term physical, social, and economic growth of the community.  In 2007, the City of Glendora completed a comprehensive update to the General Plan, known as “Community Plan 2025”. The update was a community-driven process that identified strategic goals and priorities pertaining to new development and the quality of life in Glendora. The General Plan includes seven mandatory elements, or chapters, as required by State law: Land Use, Housing, Circulation, Open Space and Recreation, Safety, Conservation, and Noise.  It also includes two optional elements: Air Quality and Historic Preservation.  The Housing Element is updated every eight years on a schedule that is mandated by State law. The City Council adopted an updated Housing Element for the period covering 2021-2029 in December 2022. The Housing Element includes the City’s strategy and adopted policies to comply with the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA).

 

Under the RHNA process, Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) is given a housing needs determination by the State of California and allocates units to each jurisdiction within the region. Development of the SCAG region housing unit allocation for the 6th RHNA Cycle began in 2019. SCAG adopted a RHNA Final Allocation for the region in 2021. The RHNA is the State’s projection of additional housing units needed to accommodate projected household growth at all income levels. Each locality’s RHNA is segmented into four income categories of very low, low, moderate, and above moderate income. Glendora’s citywide 6th Cycle RHNA allocation is 2,276 units. The adopted housing element identifies 60 separate sites (some composed of multiple properties) which were designated as RHNA housing sites to demonstrate how the total RHNA units could be accomplished. Within half-mile of the Glendora station there are 10 sites (see Figure 1), which combined will be 1,283 units based on current zoning.  Many of these sites have existed in past RHNA cycles, dating back to the early 2000s.  Additionally, sites 41 and 12, sit just outside the ½ mile radius but are included in the station area boundary (at Glendora and Bennett). The two sites would produce 10 units at 80% of maximum density; pursuant to State law, housing sites must be developed at a minimum density that is no less than 80% of the maximum density.

 

Route 66 Specific Plan

The City adopted the Route 66 Corridor Specific Plan in 2003, which has been updated a number of times, most recently in 2023. The Route 66 Corridor Specific Plan establishes a comprehensive policy and regulatory guidance document for all properties within the Route 66 Corridor Specific Plan project area. The area surrounding the future Metro Station is planned to provide a mix of higher density residential and commercial development that reinforces pedestrian activity and transit utilization.  The Route 66 Corridor Specific Plan is a community-based plan, developed with extensive input by policy makers, business owners and property owners. The policy and regulatory elements of the specific plan are reflective of public consultation with business and property owners, developers, appointed and elected officials, staff, and the general public.

 

People Movement Project

The Planning Division is also heading up the People Movement Project, which envisions a viable active transportation network spanning over 10 miles of bicycle and pedestrian facilities throughout the City. The People Movement Project contains two components: completion of the Urban Trail System and First/Last Mile Improvements. The Urban Trail System component is construction of roughly eight miles of Class I bicycle and pedestrian facilities along three flood control channels.  The First/Last Mile improvements are strategic improvements aimed at making access to the new Metro A Line station intuitive and safe. Key elements include the City’s first protected bicycle lanes, curb extensions, and a protected intersection, also known as a Dutch intersection, which would be the first of its kind in Los Angeles County.

 

Objective Design Standards

Government Code §65913.4 requires cities to establish objective design standards for qualifying residential development types. PlaceWorks was selected to prepare objective design standards for residential, commercial, and mixed-use development for zoning and specific area plans. Objective design standards provide clear expectations on architectural design, massing, and site layout for residents, property owners, developers, and staff and officials administering, interpreting design standards. This is an ongoing, complex project involving an analysis of Glendora’s existing Municipal/Zoning Code and Specific Area Plans to identify areas that need to be changed to be objective and to follow State housing law, and, where possible, consolidation of related codes. The final product will be repealing and replacing the Zoning Code’s current Appendix 21.B Design Guidelines in its entirety, with a new section, Appendix 21.B Design Standards.

 

Glendora Station Area Vision Plan

In November 2022, the City applied for a TOC TAP grant from Metro to create the Glendora Station Area Vision Plan. The plan will build community consensus towards a preferred development scenario, make code recommendations, and provide model design standards in the form of a vision plan to accommodate housing in the area within the half-mile radius around the Glendora Metro Station area. Metro awarded Glendora $200,000 in 2023 to create the plan. Though not intended to be regulatory in nature, this plan is an important tool in tying these past and ongoing legislative actions and projects together and articulating a vision and development guidebook in one document.

 

Planning Commission Regular Meeting

The Glendora Station Area Vision Plan is scheduled to be presented to the Glendora Planning Commission on July 1, 2025, for a recommendation on adoption via resolution to the City Council. As the City Council meeting is scheduled one week later, and the Council packet must be finalized in advance, any updates on the Planning Commission’s discussion and action will be provided verbally at the Council meeting. A video recording of the Planning Commission meeting will also be made available on the City’s YouTube channel.

 

DISCUSSION

The Glendora Station area, including the Village, is set to undergo significant transportation and mobility improvements, which will drive future development activity. The half-mile radius around the Glendora Metro Station is particularly crucial for meeting the city’s Housing Element RHNA goals, with potential for up to 1,283 residential units (Table 1) and mixed-use developments. Many of these sites have existed for multiple RHNA cycles over the past two decades. To proactively guide this growth, the City is developing a consensus-driven Vision Plan. This plan will define the desired type of development, inform future updates to the General Plan, and serve as the foundation for necessary regulatory and code adjustments. The Vision Plan, shaped by extensive public engagement, outlines development scenarios, urban design strategies, and regulatory needs to create a pedestrian-and-transit-friendly environment while addressing Glendora's housing needs.

Table 1: RHNA Sites Within ½ Mile of Glendora Station

 

 

The Plan articulates an urban design concept for the Station Area that creates an attractive, diverse, and vibrant neighborhood with a mix of medium-and-high-density residential uses within walking and biking distance to the future Glendora Station. New development provides adequate housing that will meet the needs of the 2021-2029 Housing Element and is focused around key activity nodes and key corridors within the station area. The vision framework preserves cultural assets such as Glendora Village, the Civic Center, and existing residential uses, encourages development in focused areas that are compatible to the scale and character of surrounding neighborhoods, and provides attractive and lively public realms along key streets connecting to the station.

 

PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

To gather input throughout the planning process, the project team conducted a variety of engagement activities. These included one-on-one meetings with stakeholders, a public in-person open house, two virtual open houses, digital outreach through the project website, online surveys, engagement at the City’s Earth Day events, and Planning Commission study sessions.

The first community open house was held on October 1, 2024, at the Bidwell Forum from 12:00 to 3:00 p.m. The goal of the open house was to introduce community members to the Station Area Vision Plan and gather initial feedback on community sentiment regarding potential development around the Glendora Station. The event followed an ‘open house’ format, with presentation boards displayed around the room for participants to review and interact with. The open house was promoted through several city channels, including the City’s Instagram and Facebook pages, e-blasts to the City’s listserv, and a flyer mailed to over 400 property owners within the station area plan boundary. Approximately 33 community members attended the event. Additionally, an online survey was available from October 1 to December 31, 2024, to mirror the activities conducted at the open house and provide an alternative participation opportunity for those unable to attend in person. The online survey received input from 50 community members.

A Planning Commission study session was held on October 1, 2024. The planning commission study session introduced the plan to the planning commission, provided an overview of existing conditions analysis, and solicited feedback on location of focus areas and potential development types.

A second community open house was held virtually on April 28th, 2025, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. and on April 29th, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The purpose of the open house was to provide an overview of the draft Glendora Station Area Vision Plan, provide a forum for questions, and to direct community members and stakeholders to the project website and survey form to provide comments to the Plan. The open houses included a brief presentation of the project and draft plan, a demonstration of the website interface and how to provide comments, and a question-and-answer section. Both open houses presented the same content at alternative time slots to provide multiple opportunities for community members to attend. Recordings of both open house meetings were also made accessible on the project website. Similar to Open House #1, the virtual open house was promoted through the City’s Instagram, e-blasts to the City’s listserv, promoted at the City’s Earth Day 2025 event, and flyers mailed to property owners and business owners. An online comment form for the draft Station Plan was made available on the project website from April 23rd, 2025, to May 18th, 2025. Approximately 35 community members attended virtual open houses.

Furthermore, a dedicated project website was created to provide project updates, resources, and ways to participate throughout the plan process. The project website included an overview of the project, a ‘how to participate’ page, and a resources page that included project work products. The website was shared at every outreach touch point to promote awareness of the plan and to keep community members informed and engaged throughout the plan process. The website had approximately 275 unique visitors.

STATION AREA VISION PLAN OVERVIEW

The plan is organized into five chapters:

1. Introduction: Provides an overview of the project, introduces the study area, and summarizes outreach and engagement efforts.
2. Vision: Presents a high-level vision for future development in the station area.
3. Development Scenarios: Provides background on focus area selection. Explores potential development scenarios for selected focus areas.
4. Public Realm Improvements: Identifies recommended improvements to enhance the public realm experience in the Vision Plan area.
5. Implementation: Provides guidance and next steps for executing the Vision Plan.

 

The plan is accompanied by an appendix, which dives deeper into the technical analysis that informed the development of the Vision Plan. The appendix includes:

1. RHNA Capacity Analysis: Reviews potential development opportunities on the 2021–2029 Housing Element Inventory Sites.
2. Case Studies: Offers a summary of recent development around nearby Metro A Line (Gold) stations.
3. Market Analysis: Provides a market analysis for potential development within the station area.
4. Existing Conditions: Presents maps, diagrams, and accompanying narrative to establish a clear understanding of the current urban environment.
5. Development Opportunity: Builds on the existing conditions analysis, highlighting potential development opportunities in the station area.

 

IMPLEMENTATION ACTIONS

The Vision Plan is an illustration of City aspirations, outlines a development vision through various scenarios, and provides a description of goals for how growth and development may occur around the Glendora station over the next 20+ years. The Vision Plan identifies the regulatory adjustments required to realize the vision; however, the Vision Plan is not a rezoning or regulatory document that does not obligate the City to implement the recommended regulatory adjustments. Implementation of the Vision Plan may be carried out through preparation and adoption of a General Plan update, a Glendora Station Specific Plan, Station Area land use and zoning amendments. These implementation pathways are further described in Chapter 5, Implementation of the vision Plan.

 

FISCAL IMPACT

This plan was prepared under a reimbursable funding agreement with LA Metro as follows:

 

Use of Funds	Source of Funds	Amount
Glendora Station Vision Plan	Grant Fund: 28060400-59100	$179,977
Contingency (10%)	Grant Fund: 28060400-59100	$17,998
Total Appropriation Requested		$197,975

 

Additionally, there was $20,000 local match commitment for staff time.

 

The vision plan is nonregulatory, therefore, there is no other fiscal impact considered with the recommended action.

 

ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION

The Vision Plan is a feasibility and planning study for possible future actions and does not result in a legally binding effect on later activities. Therefore, pursuant to Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations (CCR), Section 15262 Feasibility and Planning Studies, the Vision Plan would be statutorily exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (Authority cited: Section 21083, Public Resources Code; Reference: Sections 21102 and 21150, Public Resources Code). Future actions or projects facilitated by the Vision Plan would be subject to CEQA and reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

 

Prepared By	Hans Friedel, AICP, Principal Planner
Concurs With	Select, Planning Commission
Reviewed By	Jeff Kugel, Community Development Director
Certified to Availability of Funds	Kyle Johnson, Finance Director/City Treasurer
Approved By	Adam Raymond, City Manager
Legal Review	Danny Aleshire, City Attorney
CEQA Review	Not Applicable

 

ATTACHMENTS:            

1. Resolution
2. Station Area Vision Plan
3. Station Area Vision Plan Appendices
4. Presentation