Design revisions proposed for 32-unit infill at 810 N. Marengo Ave., Pasadena

# What this project is The proposal at 810 N. Marengo Avenue in Pasadena would replace the existing site with a three-story residential building containing 32 apartments over a subterranean garage designed for 52 vehicles. The developer is RAM Pasadena Development, LLC and EJA Design Studios, LLC is the architect of record.

# Why the project needs special approval

# What changed in the latest design Design Commission members reviewed the project previously in September 2025 and asked for adjustments so the new building fit better with surrounding structures. The architect responded with several specific revisions:

• Simplified building form and massing to reduce complexity.
• Narrowed material palette: a brick base, stone tile on the upper floors, and wood paneling as an accent in recessed balcony areas.
• Adjusted exterior colors to correlate with nearby buildings.
• Maintained a contemporary overall style with a flat roof and extended roofline canopy on part of the top level, as described in the staff analysis.

The staff report describes the scheme as contemporary, with asymmetrical and modulated massing and large glass expanses. After reviewing the revisions, staff concluded the changes largely address prior critiques and recommended conditional approval of the design concept.

# What to watch next The design concept is heading toward conditional approval per staff. Future steps will include more detailed design review and entitlement hearings, where commissioners and nearby residents can still weigh in on final materials, landscaping, lighting, and how the building interfaces with the street.

# Practical implications for the neighborhood If built as revised, the building will add mid-rise infill housing—32 units—near the neighborhood. The density bonus and the inclusion of very low-income units mean the project will be denser than what base zoning allows and will contribute some deeply affordable housing to the local inventory. The design revisions aim to reduce visual contrast with existing nearby structures by using a simpler palette and colors that match adjacent buildings.

# Background details Developer: RAM Pasadena Development, LLC

Design review history: prior presentation to the Pasadena Design Commission in September 2025, additional revisions presented in 2026 Parking: subterranean garage for 52 vehicles Style: contemporary, flat roof, large glass areas, extended roofline canopy Materials: brick base, stone tile upper floors, wood paneling accents in recessed balconies

# Bottom line