Land Use Element Amendment, Focused Zoning Code Amendment, Zone Change, and Objective Design Standards

The City of Bell Gardens is undertaking a project to implement targeted updates to its land use regulations and interrelated plans. This initiative includes a General Plan Land Use Element Amendment, a General Plan Land Use Map Amendment, a Focused Zoning Code Amendment, a Zone Change, and the establishment of new Objective Design Standards. The project focuses on providing clarifications to existing land use categories without introducing new categories or altering current densities and intensities. Notably, these policy adoptions do not authorize specific construction projects or determine the timing and location of future developments. The project is being managed in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act, with an Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration issued in September 2026 to assess environmental impacts, including geology, soils, and cultural resources. The City has announced its intent to adopt the Mitigated Negative Declaration, with public hearings scheduled for October 28 and November 9, 2026. Administrative oversight is led by Acting Community Development Director Alfonso Hernandez and Senior Environmental Planner Amy Paulsen, with the project performance centered in Bell Gardens, California.