If you received a hearing notice about Torch Street and Marlinda Avenue, the proposed change is specific: five vacant parcels would become a condominium development with 13 for-sale townhomes in two two-story buildings. The request includes changing the site’s zoning from R-1 to R-3.
This is general information, not legal or tax advice.
Where does the decision stand?
The project went to the Planning Commission on September 23, 2026, with staff recommending that the commission recommend approval to the City Council. Insider could not find the commission’s action minutes. The City Council makes the final decision, and the item was not on the council’s October 21, 2026 agenda.
The City of Baldwin Park considers these related approvals together, with the commission making a recommendation and the council deciding. A hearing notice is part of that process. Notices were mailed to property owners and occupants within a 300-foot radius of the site.
What would change on the property?
The proposal would replace five vacant parcels at 12769 to 12779 Torch Street with 13 for-sale townhome units for low-income families.
San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity is the applicant. The approximately 0.75 acres sit at the northwestern intersection of Torch Street and Marlinda Avenue. The requested approvals are:
- General Plan Amendment GPA 26-01, changing Single-Family Residential land use to Multi-Family Residential.
- Zone Change Z 26-01, changing Single-Family Residential (R-1) to High Density Multi-Family Residential (R-3).
- Tentative Tract Map TTM 85185, combining the five lots and subdividing them for condominium purposes.
- Architectural design review PR 26-02.
The buildings would contain one four-bedroom unit, five three-bedroom units, four two-bedroom units and three one-bedroom units. Each home would have its own airspace boundaries in a final condominium map, with common areas co-owned by the 13 homeowners.
For a buyer, that ownership structure matters alongside the floor plan. The California HOA disclosure guide provides related reading before reviewing the project’s own documents.
How does the proposal get from 8.7 to 13 units?
Staff says State Density Bonus Law raises the base allowable density of 8.7 units to a maximum of 13 units because all units are to be sold at low-income levels.
The report cites Government Code Sections 65915 to 65918. This is the stated basis for the additional units, alongside the requested land use and zoning changes.
The project also appears in the 2021-2029 Housing Element, where Table H-5.3 assumes a capacity of 12 low-income units. The current proposal requests 13.
The staff report also discusses the Housing Accountability Act, Government Code Section 65589.5: state law limits the grounds on which a city can deny an affordable housing project that meets objective standards, and the staff report walks through those limits.
What exceptions to local standards are requested?
The applicant requests concessions and waivers from local standards to accommodate the proposed design and unit count.
The concessions concern connective pedestrian pathways, allowable driveway materials, certain window trims and treatments, and roof height variation. In plain terms, these requests affect how paths, paving and building details would meet the municipal code.
The waivers concern side yard setbacks, off-street parking requirements, building articulation, trash enclosure setbacks, and allowing open space between a dwelling and the street. Building articulation concerns the building’s shape and variation.
Staff attributes the requests to existing site constraints and accommodating the maximum number of units possible on the property.
The project data lists 29 parking spaces against 27 required. It also lists 3,301 square feet of common open space against 3,250 required, and 2,605 square feet of private open space against 1,300 required. Those totals belong alongside the requested exceptions when reading the plans.
What would change along the streets?
Vehicle access would come from Torch Street only, with frontage improvements proposed along both Torch Street and Marlinda Avenue.
A central drive aisle would also serve as the fire access lane. The plans include a pair of new vehicle gates and no access from Marlinda Avenue.
Off-site improvements include widened sidewalk, curb and gutter along both frontages. Existing utility poles on Marlinda Avenue would remain, and the findings mention new streetlight posts.
The City Engineer determined that no additional traffic studies were required.
For an owner preparing to sell nearby, the California seller disclosure guide offers broader context for reviewing disclosure questions.
What would the draft rules mean for a townhome buyer?
The draft conditions would require recorded CC&Rs and an HOA, with specific limits on alterations and responsibilities for exterior maintenance.
Under draft Resolution PC 26-08, the CC&Rs and homeowners association, as approved by the California Department of Real Estate, must be incorporated and recorded before certificates of occupancy.
The required CC&Rs would prohibit added habitable space. Permanent ground floor patio covers would also be prohibited, while non-permanent patio covers would be permitted. The CC&R limits would control what an owner could add, so the general ADU rules guide is background reading only.
The HOA would handle exterior maintenance, including garage doors, windows, exterior materials and roofs. Parking in driving aisles would be prohibited. Trees could not be removed without the City’s Tree Officer’s written approval.
Other required restrictions address front setback fencing, except the approved fence, and bright flood light fixtures along the street frontage.
What information should a prospective buyer look for?
A prospective buyer should look for the final project documents and the proposed homebuyer awareness package.
Before building permits, the draft conditions require the applicant to prepare a “Prospective Homebuyer’s Awareness Package” for city review. It would include zoning and General Plan information, school information, special assessment district information, utility providers and the CC&Rs. Signed copies for all lots would go to the Planning Department.
The documents released so far do not set out sale prices, income limits, buyer eligibility rules, resale restrictions, an affordability term or a construction schedule, so those are questions for the applicant and the city.
The short version
The Torch Street proposal seeks approval for 13 condominium townhomes, with Torch Street access, frontage improvements and draft HOA restrictions on future changes.
For a separate look at your own property’s value, use the home value tool.
Common questions
Has the Torch Street project been approved?
The project went to the Planning Commission on September 23, 2026, with staff recommending that the commission recommend approval to the City Council. Insider could not find the commission's action minutes. The City Council makes the final decision, and the item was not on the council's October 21, 2026 agenda.
What would the rezoning allow?
The proposal changes the zoning from Single-Family Residential (R-1) to High Density Multi-Family Residential (R-3), alongside other requested approvals for 13 for-sale townhomes in two two-story buildings.
Would vehicles enter from Marlinda Avenue?
No. The proposal provides vehicle access from Torch Street through a central drive aisle, with no access from Marlinda Avenue.
Could a buyer add living space or a permanent patio cover?
The draft conditions require CC&Rs that prohibit added habitable space and permanent ground floor patio covers. Non-permanent patio covers would be permitted.
