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Planning commission approves auto body shop CUP with added filtration and clarifier requirements
Summary
The South Armani Planning Commission voted to approve a conditional use permit for an automotive body shop with a spray booth at 10628 Weaver Avenue, adding a second air-filtration requirement and clarifier conditions after resident concerns about emissions and runoff.
The South Armani Planning Commission on Aug. 26 approved a conditional use permit to allow an automotive body shop with a spray booth at 10628 Weaver Avenue, adopting Resolution No. 25-06 with added conditions aimed at reducing emissions and runoff. The vote passed with commissioners Rubio, Tang, Ratamosa, Vice Chair Barrera and Chair Ortiz in favor.
The permit was continued from the July 22 meeting to give staff time to gather additional operations and air-quality information. Planning Assistant Charlize Hernandez told the commission the site is about 42,320 square feet with a 19,975-square-foot industrial building; the tenant space proposed for the body shop is approximately 5,680 square feet. Hernandez said auto repair uses are allowed in the manufacturing zone except where a site is within 300 feet of a residential zone, in which case a conditional use permit is required.
The commission added a condition requiring a second air filtration system for the tenant space in addition to the booth’s filtration and required the applicant to provide a clarifier for stormwater and to obtain and comply with South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) and Building Division permits. Hernandez said the AQMD had reviewed the applicant’s materials and approved an operating permit; staff also included standard safety and surveillance conditions issued by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Resident Alexandria Graham asked whether wash runoff or other liquids could reach storm drains. Planning Assistant Charlize Hernandez replied that the applicant is required to have a clarifier "which is basically a drainage system that catches all, you know, like oil, gasoline, other contaminants that could run through the storm drain, and then that gets, you know, emptied and replaced every so often." Ms. Graham pressed on frequency; staff said the applicant would have more details.
Applicant Manuk Tarasian told the commission the spray booth is enclosed and that booth filters are changed by the spray booth company under a maintenance plan: "The spray booth is completely enclosed. There's no paint or any anything that goes into the sewer system," Tarasian said. He added the booth’s maintenance system signals when filters need replacement and the vendor removes used filters.
Commissioners and staff clarified the entitlement and building-permit sequences: the planning approval (the CUP) is an entitlement; the spray booth will still require building-division plan check and permits after the CUP is granted. Staff explained plan check inspectors and planning staff will confirm that the installed booth and related conditions match the approved entitlement.
The final resolution requires compliance with AQMD permit conditions, installation of booth-specific filtration, a tenant-space filtration unit, a clarifier for stormwater, and the standard public-safety conditions included at the hearing.
The commission closed the public hearing after applicant testimony and voted to adopt Resolution No. 25-06 approving Conditional Use Permit 25-05 with the added filtration and clarifier conditions. Staff noted continued communication between the applicant and neighbors would be appropriate should concerns arise after installation.
