Arrow Highway Corridor Specific Plan

90 Pages·2015·6.56 MB·English

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=0ac0db9ef0&view=att&th=14fdcbc6dd2234fb&attid=0.1&d
isp=safe&realattid=f_ieolkov90&zw
[Type a quote from the document or the summary of an interesting point. You can position the text box
anywhere in the document. Use the Text Box Tools tab to change the formatting of the pull quote text
box.]
[Type a quote from the document or the summary of an interesting point. You can position the text box
anywhere in the document. Use the Text Box Tools tab to change the formatting of the pull quote text
box.]

Arrow Highway Corridor Specific Plan
Technical Compendium
City of Glendora
in association with
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc
KOA Corporation
Fuscoe Engineering, Inc
October 2015
ARROW HIGHWAY INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

The Arrow Highway Specific Plan aims to transform the Arrow Highway corridor into a
vibrant, attractive, and revitalized area that serves the community and the region
through a variety of land uses and activities. The process for developing a specific plan
creates a framework that facilitates collaboration between public and private entities,
and citizens, to direct the future of the corridor. By pairing stakeholders’ input with
studies completed by technical experts, the approach to development standards in the
corridor can be reshaped to better-reflect the community’s needs and vision. This
process will also facilitate the development of streetscape and urban design features
aimed at improving pedestrian and bicycle mobility and creating more dynamic and
inviting spaces for the community to engage with their built environment. The
development of this specific plan will also promote collaboration and coordination
between the jurisdictions served by Arrow Highway, as the split jurisdictional nature of
the corridor requires.

As shown in Figure I-1, the City of Glendora is bounded by the Angeles National Forrest
to the north, the City of San Dimas to the east, the City of Covina and sections of
Unincorporated Los Angeles County in the south, and City of Azusa in the west. The City
is approximately 20 square miles. Glendora is among the 88 cities that comprise Los
Angeles County. I-210 runs through the southern portion of the City, and I-10 is
accessible by crossing the neighboring city of Covina further south. In addition to these
major freeways, Historic Route 66 also bisects Glendora.

The entirety of Arrow Highway spans 53 miles through Los Angeles and San Bernardino
counties, from the western City of Alhambra to the City of Rialto in the east. The Arrow
Highway Specific Plan focuses on a 2.5 mile stretch of Arrow Highway within the
jurisdiction of the City of Glendora in the San Gabriel Valley, which also travels through
the cities of Covina, San Dimas, and portions of Unincorporated Los Angeles County.
Figure I-2 outlines the jurisdictional boundaries as they relate to the project boundaries
on a map. Arrow Highway is the City’s southern boundary but crosses these jurisdictions
in a discontinuous manner. As such, the specific plan project boundary encompasses,
and to a lesser degree of detail, studies the areas belonging to the adjacent jurisdictions
in order to gain a more comprehensive view of the corridor.

October 2015 Technical Compendium Introduction 1
ARROW HIGHWAY INTRODUCTION

n
o
ti
a
c
o
L

al
n
o
gi
e
R

:
1
-
I

e
r
u
g
Fi

October 2015 Technical Compendium Introduction 2
ARROW HIGHWAY INTRODUCTION

s
e
ri
a
d
n
u
o
B

al
n
o
ti
c
di
s
ri
u
J

:
2
-
I

e
r
u
g
Fi

October 2015 Technical Compendium Introduction 3
ARROW HIGHWAY INTRODUCTION

s
e
ri
a
d
n
u
o
B

t
c
e
oj
r
P

:
3
-
I

e
r
u
g
Fi

October 2015 Technical Compendium Introduction 4
ARROW HIGHWAY INTRODUCTION

Throughout the planning process, the areas relating to the Arrow Highway Specific Plan
will be referred to as follows:

 Project Area: The area being studied as a whole; all relevant jurisdictions
included.
 Plan Area: The area being studied and planned for within the Glendora city
boundary.
 Influence Area: The parts of the project area that belong other jurisdictions
(those outside of Glendora).

Figure I-3 outlines the areas on a map.

Glendora’s Historical Context
Glendora was founded in 1887 and incorporated in 1911 with only 700 residents, as
articulated by the Glendora Public Library. The City of Glendora is located 26 miles east
of Los Angeles. The Glendora area was first settled by members of the Shoshone Indian
Tribe. Later, the region was colonized by Spanish settlers, symbolized locally by the San
Gabriel Mission. Following the Mexican-American War, the U.S. government gained
control of California land. In 1868, the Glendora district was opened for homesteading
and attracted a multitude of citrus farmers.

Today, Glendora is a residential community that is home to a population of over 51,000
people. Glendora’s population increased dramatically in the first four decades following
World War II, but has slowed since the 1990’s as virtually all vacant land has been
developed. Nevertheless, the population continues to grow at a steady pace1. As a
result, it will be important that the Arrow Highway Specific Plan meets the diverse needs
of the growing population living and working along the corridor.

Technical Memorandum Compendium
As part of the Arrow Highway Specific Plan, a series of technical memoranda has been
prepared that describe the existing conditions of several issue areas relevant to long
range planning in the corridor. The “Arrow Highway Corridor Technical Compendium”
is a compendium of technical information produced by land use planners, urban
designers, economists, civil engineers, and traffic engineers focusing on the Arrow
Highway Specific Plan. The structure of each section may differ, and each can be read as
individual memoranda rather than a single, uniform report. This Introduction will

1 Glendora Library, “History of Glendora: Early Days 6000 B.C. – 1885 A.D.”

October 2015 Technical Compendium Introduction 5
ARROW HIGHWAY INTRODUCTION

describe the location and context of the project are. The Compendium includes the
following memoranda:

 Land Use. This section documents 2015 baseline conditions for land use along
Arrow Highway within the project area, which includes adjacent jurisdictions of
Covina, San Dimas, and Unincorporated Los Angeles County. It is prepared by
MIG. This memorandum identifies key development issues relevant to the
corridor today and provides a context for examining opportunities for land use
changes.
 Urban Design. This section, prepared by MIG, examines the overall physical
patterns and characteristics of Arrow Highway. It provides an overall physical
framework in which key urban design assets, issues, and opportunities are
identified and can be highlighted for future preservation, improvement, or
transformation in the Specific Plan.
 Market Context. A broad overview of market trends will be covered in this
memorandum, prepared by Economic & Planning Systems, Inc. (EPS). This
assessment provides insight into the economic opportunities and constraints,
market-supported land uses and context for understanding economic
development strategies that can work for the Arrow Highway corridor.
 Mobility. In order to assess mobility in and around the corridor, baseline data for
the circulation system was collected and analyzed by KOA Corporation (KOA).
This section includes a summary of the data collection and presents the baseline
characteristics of mobility within the Arrow Highway corridor.
 Infrastructure. This section provides an overview of the water, storm drainage
facilities, and sanitation in the Arrow Highway corridor planning area; prepared
by Fuscoe Engineering.

All sections, other than Infrastructure, identify planning policy context or a regulatory
framework, provide an analysis of the 2015 conditions, identify issues, and summarize
the findings.

October 2015 Technical Compendium Introduction 6
ARROW HIGHWAY L A N D U S E

LAND USE
Prepared by MIG

This Land Use Technical Memorandum describes the current regulatory context, existing
land uses, and zoning in the Project, Plan, and Influence areas. The assessment is based
on a review of available background data and a land use survey conducted by MIG in
June 2015. This information will be used as a starting point for further identification of
opportunities, as well as potential land use and zoning changes in the Plan Area.

The Land Use Technical Memorandum includes the following sections:

 Planning Foundation
 Existing Land Use and Zoning
 Key Findings

PLANNING FOUNDATION
In order to understand the state of Arrow Highway today, it is essential to examine the
recent and current land use planning efforts that shape development patterns
throughout the Project Area. The following is a summary of currently adopted City policy
documents and recent analyses that establish the current regulatory context and provide
a foundation for the Arrow Highway Specific Plan development process. These include
Glendora’s Community Plan and zoning code, the Southern California Association of
Governments (SCAG) Arrow Highway Corridor Study, and general plans for the cities of
Covina and San Dimas, and the County of Los Angeles.

Community Plan 2025
Every city in California is required to adopt a general plan, which functions as the city’s
primary regulatory document and must be used as the basis for all planning-related
decisions. As such, any land use approach for Arrow Highway must be consistent the
primary goals outlined in Glendora’s general plan, Community Plan 2025. The Plan was
created between 2006 and 2008 with an update to the Housing Element in 2013. The
Community Plan provides a citywide approach to planning for future development, and
outlines goals and strategies for major commercial corridors including Arrow Highway.
The goals that most closely pertain to the Arrow Highway Specific Plan are described
below1. They are organized according to major general plan topic areas. Each goal is
phrased as an end state or desired outcome.

1 Glendora Community Plan 2025

October 2015 Technical Compendium Land Use 1
ARROW HIGHWAY L A N D U S E

Land Use
 Balanced open space, residential and commercial development citywide.
 Integrated mixed-use development.
 Integrated commercial and residential development.
 Expansion of employment-generating land uses.
 Attraction of high tech businesses and industry.
 Quality infill development.
 Rehabilitation and enhancement of existing land uses.
 Compatibility of adjacent land uses.
 Abatement of incompatible uses.
 Appropriate scale and character of development.
 Coordinated infrastructure development with land use planning.
 Integrate economic development activities with land use planning.
 Establishment of central nodes of commercial and employment activity.

Housing
 Assure the quality, safety, and habitability of existing housing and the continued
high quality of residential neighborhoods.
 Assist in the provision of housing that meet the needs of economic segments of
the community.

Open Space and Recreation
 Coordinated land use and environmental planning.
 Improved community access to recreation facilities.

Circulation
 Safety for motorists and pedestrians on local roadways.
 Coordinated land use and transportation planning.
 Reduced transportation impacts in local neighborhoods.
 Appropriate coordination of transportation planning with adjacent jurisdictions.
 Improved access to alternative modes of transportation.

Air Quality
 Reduction of vehicular trips.
 Integrated land use and transportation planning.
 Promotion of alternative transportation modes.

Conservation
 A comprehensive citywide landscape strategy.

October 2015 Technical Compendium Land Use 2
ARROW HIGHWAY L A N D U S E

Noise
 Reduced noise impacts from transportation sources.
 Reduce noise impacts from non-transportation sources, including those
generated from commercial/industrial activities.
 Coordinated land use planning and noise mitigation.

Safety
 Coordinated public safety and community planning.
 Reduced traffic safety hazards.
 Improved community safety and reduced opportunities for criminal activity
through appropriate physical design.

Existing Zoning Code
Glendora’s existing zoning code describes development standards and allowable uses
by zoning district and across five zoning classifications. Development standards
identified in the code include setbacks, lot area, lot width, density, floor area ratio, site
coverage, landscaping and open area requirements, height limits, storage, and parking.
Zoning relevant to the Arrow Highway Project Area is further described in the “Current
Zoning Regulations” section of this Memorandum.

SCAG Arrow Highway Corridor Study
The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) Arrow Highway Corridor
Study is the product of a 2007 joint planning effort by the cities of Glendora, Covina,
Azusa, Baldwin Park, Irwindale, and the County of Los Angeles. The planning study was
funded by the Southern California Association of Governments with the goal of creating
a shared, multi-jurisdictional vision for Arrow Highway corridor improvements. The vision
for Arrow Highway is described as, “a revitalized corridor serving the community and
region with a variety of land uses set in an attractive environment that creates a warm
and inviting southern gateway to the City of Glendora2.”

To date, few of the study’s recommendations have been implemented, likely as a result
of the national economic downturn that began in 2007, around the same time the study
was completed. Many of the objectives and actions outlined for the corridor are still
relevant today and will provide an important reference for the Arrow Highway Specific
Plan.

A major thrust of the study was to support the City’s overall economic development and
livability goals. Objectives outlined for the corridor include: establishing and defining a

2 SCAG Arrow Highway Corridor Study, page 1

October 2015 Technical Compendium Land Use 3