

East LA was horribly scarred by freeway construction in the '50s and '60s, but LA County planners are now trying to right those planning wrongs, using the Gold Line's Eastside Extension as a jumping-off point. The Department of Regional Planning and the Regional Planning Commission hosted a hearing last week on the Third Street Specific Plan, which would guide development and public space around East LA's four rail stations along Third Street (this is on top of recent pedestrian and bike improvements near the stops), plus nearby First Street, Cesar Chavez Avenue, Atlantic Avenue, and residential areas. Eastsider LA reports the public was also briefed on the Community Standards District Update, which will update zoning requirements in the area for the first time in 26 years. The county is looking to transform East LA into South Pasadena with two to three-story mixed-users, public plazas, landscaping, outdoor dining, public art, and more biking and pedestrian infrastructure. Plans for Third Street and adjoining areas should be finalized this year, though these are long-term and will take years to implement.

· Muffler Shops or Cafes? East LA Plans for the Future [ELA]

· Third Street Specific Plan [LA County]