Baldwin Park planning commission backs General Plan amendment, zone change and design review for 9,000‑square‑foot pocket park

The Baldwin Park Planning Commission voted Sept. 24 to recommend that the City Council approve a General Plan amendment, a zone change and design review to convert a vacant industrially zoned lot (APN 8536‑016‑902) into a roughly 9,000‑square‑foot pocket park to be called Anna Montenegro Park.

The commission also recommended adoption of an initial study and mitigated negative declaration and a mitigation monitoring and reporting program under the California Environmental Quality Act. The commission approved four resolutions forwarding the project to the council and added requests that the council consider additional steps on parking enforcement, traffic calming and camera placement.

Nick (city planner), presenting on behalf of the Recreation and Community Services Department, told commissioners the city acquired the vacant lot in April 2022 using Quimby and community enhancement funds and is proposing a neighborhood‑scale park with play equipment, shade structures, five shade trees, a 500‑square‑foot restroom building and security lighting and cameras. "No off street parking is provided with this proposal," staff said in the presentation.

The project includes perimeter screening—a 10‑foot block wall on the northwest boundary and 8‑foot steel pickets atop a 3‑foot…