Council approves 20-unit Paramount Boulevard condo map with traffic-safety conditions

The Lakewood City Council voted unanimously to approve a vesting tentative tract map (No. 84811) submitted by Ashton 3 for a 20‑unit condominium development at 4152 Paramount Boulevard, contingent on traffic‑safety and neighborhood mitigation measures.

Director of Community Development Alder Cervantes told the council that the site is in the C4 General Commercial Zone and falls under the Mixed Use Overlay Zone, which permits residential uses by right. Cervantes said LA County Fire has approved the project pending the council's decision and staff recommended adopting the proposed resolution and the related categorical CEQA exemption.

Project manager Matt Ashton said the design is a three‑story, 36‑foot‑high townhome development with two‑car garages for each unit and 14 outdoor spaces, and that the developer had continued community outreach after the December meeting. "We've met with Mister Burt Johnson" and other neighbors, Ashton said, and described concessions the developer offered, including frosted glass on upper‑floor windows to protect privacy and measures to reduce overflow parking and safety impacts.

Several council members and staff focused on parking and pedestrian safety. Adjacent property owner Ernesto Benitez presented aerial photos and asked the council to install a stop sign, painted 'STOP' markings and pedestrian‑warning signage at the alley and breezeway near his corner property, citing near‑misses involving children. "This is a significant public‑safety concern," Benitez said. Cyclist Renee Miller supported the request.

Bert Johnson, who said he had met repeatedly with the developers, urged approval after describing concessions and an advisory council he helped organize: "They have been more than willing to give us their time, their attention, and their cooperation," Johnson said.

Councilmembers discussed implementation and legal mechanics. Staff and Public Works confirmed a stop sign and bollards were feasible and that mitigation could be added to the project's CC&Rs or explicitly included as conditions of approval, with placement and technical compliance to follow the State Traffic Manual. Cervantes told the council that CC&Rs and conditions could be reviewed prior to recordation and building permits.

A councilmember moved to approve the staff recommendation conditioned on installation of a limit line, a stop sign, bollards, and pedestrian‑safety measures (such as crosswalks, mirrors or other measures) deemed appropriate by staff and in accordance with the State Traffic Manual. The motion passed on a unanimous roll call vote (Aye: Vice Mayor Jeff Wood; Council Members Croft, Arellano and Todd Rogers; Mayor Mary Chase).

Next steps: staff will finalize language and technical placement for traffic controls and incorporate the conditions into the project's approval materials and CC&Rs as appropriate before recordation and building permits.