Housing

LUD-10.1 Mix of Destinations. Develop mixed-use retail, residential and office buildings in the vicinity of the future multimodal high speed rail station to establish the area as a regional and local destination.

LUD-10.2 Places for the Community. Develop community gathering spaces including plazas and neighborhood parks near the future multimodal transit station, in order to evolve the relocated Palmdale Transportation Center into an attractive and unique transit gateway.

LUD-10.3 Transit-Supportive Densities. Support minimum development densities/intensities in the PTASP area to promote sufficient development that allows active placemaking.

LUD-10.4 Station Access. Enhance transit and pedestrian linkages to surrounding areas to create a multi-modal transit and pedestrian-oriented center.

LUD-10.5 Avenue Q Revitalization. Reinforce Avenue Q with development patterns that create a “Main Street” environment. Design the buildings facing Avenue Q (and to a lesser extent 6th Street East and 3rd Street East) to reflect the vision for a new “Main Street” – active uses, street-oriented entrances, tall floor-to-ceiling heights, reduced setbacks (unless adjacent to a plaza or park).

LUD-10.6 Pedestrian-Oriented Design. Implement urban design guidelines and features that encourage pedestrian activity and reduce automobile use.

LUD-10.7 Local Employers within PTASP. Continue to provide assistance to support small locally owned businesses and develop a mechanism to support building upkeep and maintenance, signage, and façade improvements for businesses in the PTASP area.

LUD-15.1 Destination Land Uses. Allow a diverse range of retail, dining, and entertainment establishments of any size that help create a destination for Antelope Valley residents and visitors.

LUD-15.2 Residential Land Uses. Allow a broad range of low to medium-density residential at the Antelope Valley Mall as a part of a comprehensive development plan prepared for the mall property. Proposed residential uses on this site are subject to the following standards:

• Any proposal to introduce housing in the Mall site must be accompanied by a comprehensive development plan that provides details on phasing, connectivity, mobility, wayfinding, and other key programmatic and urban design components.
• Avoid locating new residential uses within 500 feet of SR-14 right-of-way.

LUD-15.3 Coordinated Evolution. Work with the Mall operator and property owners to effectuate long-term redevelopment of existing retail into new, higher-density developments such as multistory retail or mixed-use retail with office or residential above. Actively solicit new employment uses, with a focus on office, medical, film, and related uses.

LUD-15.4 Regional Mall Design Guidelines. Guide the redevelopment of big-box retail into more urban, mixed-use formats by encouraging adherence to the following guidance:

• Arrange mixed-use buildings, liner-type buildings, and other active frontages to form an occasional street wall when surrounding an internal parking lot or structure.
• Ensure active frontages and pedestrian-oriented design for any redevelopment of commercial uses at the mall, to eliminate unsightly blank walls and facades.
• Setbacks to internal streets should be less than setbacks to external/arterial streets.
• Major internal drives should include sidewalks on both sides, detailed and landscaped as small streets.
• Building entrances should be accessed directly from the sidewalk, and sidewalks in front of major shops should be as wide as possible. Awnings should be utilized to provide shade for pedestrians.

LUD-20.1 Revised Specific Plans. When modifications to an adopted Specific Plan are proposed, require the plans to adhere to the following:

• Provide connections to regional trails and natural open spaces for all residential units.
• Create protections for western Joshua trees and other critical desert species.
• Review compliance with the City’s Hillside Ordinance for viewshed protection.

LUD-20.2 New Village Centers. Ensure the creation of new Village Centers organized around a central focal point such as a park, school, civic building, or neighborhood retail as development occurs in Specific Plan areas, including:

• Anaverde Nuevo Specific Plan
• Ritter Ranch Specific Plan
• Rancho Vista Specific Plan

LUD-20.3 Planned Developments. Encourage the creation of new Village Centers in Planned Development (PD) areas, including Quail Valley PD, Joshua Ranch PD, Aero PD, and The Strata PD.

LUD-21.1 Timing of Community/Retail Uses. Require development of commercial uses and amenities during key phases of buildout of residential portions of a Specific Plan.

LUD-21.2 Clustered Development. Require rural neighborhoods and clustered development in steeper and topographically constrained areas and use these development types to preserve significant natural amenities.

LUD-21.3 Respecting Natural Ridges. Avoid grading or siting of dwelling units on the north facing side of Ritter Ridge or other major ridgelines.

LUD-21.4 Greenbelt Concept. Strive to create an undeveloped or natural greenbelt around the city comprised of natural areas, parks, open space, and agricultural/utility lands.

LUD-22.1 Mixed-Density Residential. Promote residential infill development, where appropriate, as indicated by the mixed-density Residential Neighborhood land use designations (RN1, RN2, RN3, RN4).

LUD-22.2 Infill Priority. Maximize opportunities for residential development through infill and redevelopment of vacant parcels by facilitating parcel aggregation and streamlining permit processing for infill applications.

LUD-22.3 Distributed Higher Density. Permit a range of residential densities and housing types throughout the city rather than concentrating higher densities in limited areas.

LUD-22.4 Transit-Oriented Density. Direct the location of senior and multifamily housing to areas accessible to public transportation, supportive commercial uses, and community facilities.

LUD-22.5 Varying Housing Types. Encourage and allow a variety of housing types developed at a range of densities to serve varying household types, including, but not limited to, single-family attached and detached, accessory dwelling units, multifamily apartments, townhomes, duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes, and condominiums.

LUD-22.6 Special Needs Housing. Facilitate housing for special needs groups, including the developmentally disabled, and non-traditional family groups by allowing a diverse range of housing configurations that are Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant and flexible.

LUD-22.7 Senior Housing. Promote development of housing types that support multi-generational households, senior housing, and opportunities for seniors to age in place.

LUD-23.1 Connections to Existing Neighborhoods. Provide pedestrian/bicycle connections to trails and open space where appropriate and indicated in past planning efforts.

LUD-23.2 Multimodal Streets. According to the General Plan street hierarchy, require key boulevards and neighborhood connectors to be (re)designed, constructed, and operated as multimodal streets, not wide, high-speed streets.

LUD-23.3 Connectivity Enhancements. Introduce new public trail systems that connect to the regional system through Capital Improvement Projects, private development projects  and city/regional parks improvements.

LUD-23.4 Quarter-Mile Radius. Work toward a goal of having 90 percent of residents living within twenty minutes walking distance of a dedicated park, school, or multi-use trail.

LUD-24.1 Appropriate Densities. Avoid designating land for higher density uses where prevailing existing development patterns are rural residential with lot sizes of one acre or more.

LUD-24.2 Commercial Developments. Permit neighborhood commercial development within rural areas to serve the needs of these areas, provided that such projects include safe, logical, and functional access from the adjacent neighborhoods for pedestrian and equestrian users.

LUD-24.3 Septic Requirements. Enforce Los Angeles County standards and requirements regarding septic systems.

LUD-24.4 Avenue S and SR-14. Require that development near the intersection of Avenue S and SR-14 is complementary to Lake Palmdale, surrounding hillside, and mountain views by minimizing building heights and viewshed impacts; and is consistent with sound water quality management practices by providing a minimum 100-foot setback from the historical high-water mark of Lake Palmdale and meeting other relevant environmental standards.

LUD-24.5 Landfill Buffer. Provide a 1,000-foot buffer between Antelope Valley Landfill operations and residential developments.

LUD-24.6 Potential Annexation. Consider annexation as a last resort option and only as a logical extension of the City boundaries as neighboring properties are annexed and adjacent properties are developed. Before initiating annexation, evaluate the fiscal, infrastructural and land use impacts of proposed annexations to the City, as well as the desires of inhabitants within the areas to be annexed.