Paris council extends citywide warehouse moratorium through Dec. 9, 2026

The City of Paris Council voted unanimously on Jan. 13 to extend an emergency moratorium on industrial, warehousing and distribution development through Dec. 9, 2026.

Kenneth Fung, the city’s director of development services, told the council the extension follows a 45‑day interim ordinance the council adopted Dec. 9, 2025, and that staff prepared a required 10‑day report describing actions taken so far. Fung said staff is requiring a conditional use permit for industrial projects larger than 50,000 square feet, has begun a circulation‑element update tied to Assembly Bill 98 to address truck routing, and has engaged environmental and traffic consultants to quantify cumulative impacts from recent warehouse growth. Fung recommended the council adopt an urgency ordinance extending the moratorium 10 months and 15 days to Dec. 9, 2026; the ordinance requires a four‑fifths vote to adopt as an urgency measure.

The moratorium was the subject of lengthy public comment. Paige Gosney, speaking on behalf of developer Prologis, urged caution about tolling entitlements during a moratorium and warned that Paris is "the only exception that has not" tolled entitlements in the region, which she said could leave projects with little time to vest their rights. Bill Blankenship of NAAP Inland Empire said blocking approvals risks losing projects that fund long‑range infrastructure, and asked the council not to continue the moratorium without further study.

Resident and community‑group speakers urged the extension. Tatiana Flores said extending the pause would "allow the city of Paris to continue to plan thoughtfully for sustainable development, protect residents from increasing environmental and health burdens, and overall improve the quality of life in the city." Carla Pacheco told the council, "As of right now, we have over 82,000,000 square feet of warehouse space in the city of Paris," and asked for independent university studies on cumulative impacts. Several speakers also recommended the moratorium cover AI data centers and other emerging industrial uses.

Mayor and staff clarified for the record that the moratorium "pauses all development," and that the city is not processing warehouse approvals while the ordinance is in effect; staff further confirmed that CEQA applies to the work being done during the moratorium.

Councilman Corona moved to adopt the urgency ordinance; Councilwoman Nava seconded. The council adopted the extension by a recorded vote of 5–0. Fung said staff plans to return with more detailed study results and regulatory recommendations in mid‑2026.

What happens next: staff will complete the environmental and traffic analyses described in the 10‑day report, advance the circulation/truck‑routing update in compliance with AB 98, and bring implementation proposals and any changes to permit thresholds back to the council for further action.

Vote: ordinance adopted, recorded vote 5–0.