A ULI ADVISORY SERVICES TECHNICAL AssistaNCE PANEL REPOrt HUNTINGTON HEALTHY COMMUNITY SEPTEMBER 2015 ULI LOS ANGELES MISSION STATEMENT At the Urban Land Institute, our mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. ULI Los Angeles, a district council of the Urban Land Institute, carries forth that mission as the preeminent regional real estate organization providing inclusive and trusted leadership influencing public policy and practice. ABOUT THE ULI LOS ANGELES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PANELS In keeping with the Urban Land Institute mission, Technical Assistance Panels are convened to provide pro-bono planning and development assistance to public officials and local stakeholders of communities and nonprofit organizations who have requested assistance in addressing their land use challenges. A group of diverse professionals representing the full spectrum of land use and real estate disciplines typically spend one day visiting and analyzing the built environments, identifying specific planning and development issues, and formulating realistic and actionable recommendations to move initiatives forward in a fashion consistent with the applicant’s goals and objectives. PANEL MEMBERS AND STAFF TAP CLIENT Chris Roche Huntington Memorial Hospital Trust Acquisitions and Development, California Landmark PANEL CHAIR Evangelique Zhao Jeff Lambert Architect/Urban Designer, Gensler Community Development Director, City of Ventura PANELISTS ULI LOS ANGELES PROJECT StaFF Ronald Altoon Gail Goldberg, FAICP President & CEO, Altoon Strategic Executive Director Wes Bassett Jonathan Nettler, AICP Designer, SOM Director Lee Brennan Emma C. Lalley Principal, Cunningham Group Associate Clare De Briere REPORT EDITOR Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Molly Strauss The Ratkovich Company Editor, The Planning Report Cecilia Estolano PHOTOGRAPHER Co-Founder, Estolano LeSar Perez Advisors John Dlugolecki Cal Hollis REPORT DESIGNER Managing Executive Officer, Countywide Planning and Stephen Sampson Development, L.A. Metro Dianne Philibosian Director, Institute for Community Health and Wellbeing, California State University Northridge ii HUNTINGTON HEALTHY COMMUNITY Technical Assistance Panel CONTENTS Executive Summary ..................................................................................... 2 ULI’s TAP Advisory Panels ........................................................................... 5 HMH and South Fair Oaks............................................................................ 6 Defining Healthy Communities ................................................................... 10 Observations/Findings ............................................................................... 13 Physical and Design Improvements ........................................................... 16 Implementation ........................................................................................ 20 Conclusion ................................................................................................ 25 Acknowledgements ................................................................................... 26 Panel Member Biographies ........................................................................ 27 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ASSIGNMENT AND PROCESS The area of interest—situated within the South Fair Oaks With changes in the healthcare industry altering service Specific Plan area—is one of the major employment centers delivery at Huntington Memorial Hospital (HMH) in the City in Pasadena. Medical facilities have dominated the area, of Pasadena, property outside of its central campus is now along with Art Center College of Design’s new South Campus. available for uses other than medical treatment. The Collis P. Out of a desire to preserve the district’s commercial and and Howard Huntington Memorial Hospital Trust, which owns industrial nature, housing is currently not allowed there. Retail and controls a portion of that land, has expressed interest in offerings are sparse surrounding HMH. using its holdings to contribute toward a “healthy community” Panelists tour the study The area of interest will soon see changes to its zoning code area to address the adjacent to HMH. At the same time, the Trust wishes to goals of developing the maximize the value of its property, since its primary purpose as the City of Pasadena updates its General Plan and the “Huntington Healthy Community”. is to financially support HMH’s mission. Specific Plan governing land use there. Both major institutions in the area—HMH and Art Center—are undergoing master planning processes for their facilities at this time. The ongoing build-out of Los Angeles County’s rail infrastructure is also touching the area at Fillmore Station as Metro’s Gold Line extends eastward, making the hospital and district more accessible by transit. Significant investment by Art Center and private investors is accelerating. This confluence of factors creates a privileged moment when a coordinated transformation of the area could occur. In the context of these transitions, the Trust has asked the Urban Land Institute’s Los Angeles District Council to make a preliminary study of findings and recommendations that could guide the creation of a healthy neighborhood adjacent to HMH. ULI has used a modified Technical Assistance Panel (TAP) model for this report, meeting over a two-day period instead of the customary one-day format, with a focus on potential uses for the Trust’s holdings, specific land-use and policy suggestions, and a compelling vision for the district as a whole. Finally, the TAP provides a roadmap forward for HMH and the Trust to initiate the creation of a healthy neighborhood in the near-term. 2 HUNTINGTON HEALTHY COMMUNITY Technical Assistance Panel KEY QUESTIONS MAJOR CONCLUSIONS The panel was asked to consider the following questions 1. Current circumstances have created an opportunity: The during its study: Trust’s off-campus properties can achieve two separate goals concurrently. They could be utilized for both financial 1. What are the main goals of a “Huntington Healthy gain and for community benefit, consistent with the HMH District”? mission. Rather than being mutually exclusive, pursuing these 2. How do HMH and the Sponsor currently contribute objectives simultaneously actually reinforces both, allowing to a healthy district? What is the City of Pasadena’s the Trust to meet a broad mission that includes acting as a contribution? responsible fiduciary agent for the hospital and increasing health outcomes in the adjacent community, within which the 3. What land uses contribute to a healthy hospital operates. neighborhood? Describe the positive and negative influence of these land uses in relation to the goals of 2. Seeking to create a wellness community, HMH and the a healthy district. Trust can set a precedent for meaningful collaboration with 4. Which major parcels in the district are suitable for partners, including the City of Pasadena, Art Center, Metro, The Trust’s off-campus properties can achieve redevelopment per the City of Pasadena, HMH, and and private stakeholders. Strengthening these relationships two separate goals the Sponsor? What are the roles of Art Center and concurrently- both is desperately needed while stakeholders have an opportunity for financial gain and others? What are the likely development directions to align. community benefit. for these properties in the context of a healthy district? 5. What are the likely development directions for Sponsor and HMH owned properties in the context of a healthy district? 6. What connective “linkages,” such as walkways and bicycle lanes, should be considered to promote the healthy district goals? 7. Given HMH’s goal of being a catalyst for a healthy neighborhood, what is a “road map” for creating the planning and implementation for this goal? 3 3. The area of interest currently suffers from poor east-west 6. To facilitate this process, the TAP recommends linkages, which impedes rail accessibility. Enhancements to establishing a Business Improvement District (BID) and improve pedestrian and biking opportunities, as well as an creating a Health, Education, Arts, Research, and Technology emphasis on mixed-use development, would energize the (HEART) overlay zone. streets and make healthy modes of transportation both easier and safer. Moving forward, the Trust must determine whether to adopt a passive or active role in creating a healthy community. If, 4. While maintaining a focus on jobs in this area is as recommended by the TAP, the Trust chooses to lead the essential—with an emphasis on innovation—workforce, effort, it can proceed by: student, and senior housing should be strategically • assembling its own project team incorporated. Medical uses can continue to cluster directly • organizing stakeholders into a collaborative group The panel’s key findings adjacent to the hospital. • forging a consensus among participants include land use concepts • establishing the BID to improve pedestrian and biking opportunities, 5. Providing creative programming across institutions and • fostering collaborations among stakeholders separate including strong east exploring opportunities to share facilities can generate a from real estate west connections, energizing the street and culture of collaboration among property owners in the area, • leading efforts to engage the community making healthy modes of necessary for realizing their