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Baldwin Park Planning Commission recommends updates to residential zoning to align with state law
Summary
The Planning Commission voted unanimously June 10 to recommend a zoning text amendment to amend Chapter 153, aligning local rules for ADUs, SB9 parcels, driveways and multifamily open-space standards with recent state laws and to clarify several technical standards.
The Baldwin Park Planning Commission on June 10 unanimously adopted Resolution PC26‑04 recommending that the City Council approve a zoning text amendment to Chapter 153 of the municipal code, staff said. The action moves a package of code changes — described by staff as mostly technical cleanups and state-law updates — forward to the city council for formal consideration.
City staff told the commission the proposal updates residential development standards that have remained largely unchanged since a 2012 comprehensive update (ordinance 1346) and incorporates adjustments required by recent state legislation. “Before you tonight is a proposed zoning text amendment to revise chapter 153 of the municipal code,” staff said, adding the changes are intended to improve consistency across residential development types.
Why it matters: The amendments would change how accessory dwelling units (ADUs), SB9 parcels and multifamily development are treated in Baldwin Park. Staff cited AB2221 and AB1304 as drivers: AB2221 requires objective and consistent ADU standards, and, as staff put it, “AB1304 exempts single family home additions from complying with additional parking standards,” prompting updates to the city’s nonconforming-parking language.
Key changes described by staff include replacing percentage-based second-floor stepbacks with a flat 7-foot-6-inch upper-floor setback, allowing SB9 units to match the 27-foot height of R1 zones and a 15-foot minimum front-yard setback for flag lots, permitting two driveway approaches (one per street frontage) in R1 zones, and reducing minimum private open-space dimensions in RG and R3 multifamily zones from a 10-foot width to a 5-foot projection to accommodate typical balcony designs. Staff also said reductions to frontage requirements in multifamily zones would be allowed with approval by the community development director and LA County Fire when appropriate.
A commissioner questioned whether loosening the nonconforming parking clause would “have a severe impact on the neighborhood,” and staff responded that the change does not eliminate parking standards for new development. The staff explanation distinguished two situations: the amendment aligns local language with state law to allow additions on already nonconforming properties to proceed without triggering new parking-compliance requirements, while new developments would still be required to meet current parking standards.
On open-space changes, staff and the city planner said the smaller 5-foot projection is intended to provide flexibility for balconies and patios commonly used in apartment and condo designs, and staff cited similar practices in Glendale and Burbank.
Staff also told the commission the proposal is exempt from environmental review under Public Resources Code §15061(b)(3), the so-called “common-sense” exemption, and recommended adoption of Resolution PC26‑04 (to recommend approval of ACC25‑04) to the City Council.
After public hearing was opened and no members of the public offered testimony, a commissioner moved to approve the item, another seconded, and the commission held a roll-call vote: Commissioners Rodriguez, Aas, Pñena, Vice Chair Miranda Dez and Chair Escobosa all voted yes. The motion carried and the commission’s resolution will be forwarded to the City Council for its consideration.
The commission also approved routine minutes from its May 13, 2026 meeting earlier in the session and noted upcoming meeting dates, including June 24 and July 22. The meeting was adjourned at 7:25 p.m.
