Using grant funding from Caltrans, the City of Bell Gardens is planning new zoning rules to facilitate the development of housing at and around the intersection of Florence and Garfield Avenues. 

The proposed Bell Gardens Transit Oriented Communities (TOC) Specific Plan would encompass an approximately 23-acre area , consisting entirely of properties fronting Florence Avenue, Florence Place, and Garfield Avenue. The area is predominantly developed with commercial store fronts, as well as surface parking and a handful of residential buildings.

The specific plan would introduce new zoning for the area, dividing it into five districts, including: 

  • Mercado District: Located at the southeast corner of the specific plan area, the site is currently developed with a supermarket. The specific plan proposes preserving the market while permitting the construction of new housing and retail in buildings up to 80 feet and six stories in height.
  • Paseo North and South: Located at the northeast corner of the specific plan area, the plan proposes new housing - including for-sale housing - in buildings up to three stories and 40 feet in height.
  • Florence Place: Located at the northern section of the specific plan, the area is currently developed with overflow parking. New buildings in this zone would be permitted heights of four stories and 55 feet.
  • South Florence District: Consisting of the bell Gardens Plaza retail center, along the south side of the specific plan area, new zoning proposes mixed-use residential and commercial buildings of up to three stories and 40 feet in height.
  • El Corazon District: A triangular plot in the center of the specific plan (which is surrounded by Florence Avenue, Florence Place, and Garfield Avenue) is proposed as a mobility hub with commercial uses to support transit riders. Buildings of one story and 22 feet in height would be permitted.

The TOC plan would permit a mix of housing typologies, including townhomes, apartments, small lot homes, live/work units, and micro units. An environmental study circulated for the plan estimates that it would lead to the development of approximately 400 new homes. The amount of commercial space would remain roughly the same as current conditions, with more than 100,000 square feet of total space.

Parcels at the western side of the specific plan are not proposed for rezoning as part of this effort, though the utility right-of-way which serves as the western border of the TOC area is shown designated as public open space.

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