What is Measure SP?

South Pasadena is required by the state to plan for 2,067 additional housing units, plus a buffer of 708. The city’s plan to achieve this housing growth was a five-year effort by city staff, the Planning Commission, residents, and the City Council. The plan preserves most of our neighborhoods and concentrates the mandatory growth to four areas already zoned for multifamily and mixed-use residences.

Measure SP, on South Pasadena’s November 5, 2024 General Election ballot, asks voters to vote YES or NO to removing the 45-foot height limit in these four areas of the city with the infrastructure to support growth: Downtown (portions of Mission Street and Fair Oaks Avenue), portions of Huntington Drive, and The Ostrich Farm (Pasadena Avenue) - see maps below.

South Pasadena Downtown Specific Plan
South Pasadena Portions of Huntington Drive
South Pasadena Ostrich Farm

The Case for Voting YES:

South Pasadena has two options for meeting the state-mandated increase in housing in the city:

1. Spread additional housing density throughout the city, including single-family and multi-family neighborhoods.

2. Increase housing density in areas closer to major transportation and businesses. Measure SP proposes to increase density in the following commercial and higher-density corridors:

  • Downtown (portions of Mission Street and Fair Oaks Avenue)

  • Portions of Huntington Drive

  • The Ostrich Farm (Pasadena Avenue)

The only way to accommodate the increased density in these four areas is by increasing the city’s 45-foot height limit within them.

A YES vote will maintain the 45-foot height limit in most areas of South Pasadena, protect most of South Pasadena’s residential neighborhoods, and accommodate higher buildings in the four areas where they make the most sense. These four areas of the city have the infrastructure to support higher density, and they are near transportation and existing businesses.

Existing historic buildings will continue to be protected. The city will establish by ordinance a new height limit for the higher-density corridors. This will require additional studies, public input, and meetings with the state.

The Ballot Language:

To protect South Pasadena's single-family neighborhoods' residential character; maintain local control over local land use; improve affordable housing opportunities for middle/working-class families/seniors; retain/attract local businesses; shall an ordinance be adopted retaining existing height limits in single-family residential neighborhoods; restricting multi-unit housing in commercial/mixed-use corridors/neighborhoods including Downtown, Huntington Drive, Ostrich Farm with publicly-reviewed height limits necessary to implement South Pasadena's Housing Element?