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Paramount council advances Clearwater specific plan, moves to restrict balconies along Union Pacific rail corridor after environmental justice concerns
Summary
After a public attorney raised environmental justice and air-quality concerns, the City Council voted to advance certification of the Clearwater specific plan, adopt mitigation measures and initiate ordinance language ("12 18") to limit residential balconies facing the Union Pacific corridor.
The City Council of Paramount voted to advance the Clearwater specific plan on first reading on May 20, 2026, and to add new ordinance language limiting residential balconies that face the Union Pacific rail corridor after public testimony raised air-quality and environmental-justice concerns.
Cassandra Bow, an attorney representing the group identified in the record as affiliated with "Angel Load," told the council she opposed approving the Clearwater plan as proposed and urged stronger protections for residents near the rail line. "El propuesto viola los elementos de ambientales… Hemos demostrado que la ciudad debe requerir más filtros en futuros proyectos residenciales," Bow said, arguing that the plan’s filtration proposals would only protect residents if units remained sealed and that communities in the area already shoulder higher pollution baselines.
City planning staff responded that they had circulated technical reports and two comment letters (dated March 27 and May 8) and had revised the draft (DYR final) to incorporate mitigation measures. Staff said the updated materials move some residential uses farther from the rail corridor, add guidance on balcony orientation and expand measures intended to reduce resident exposure. The presenter said staff had "actualizado el plan" and added language to reduce exposure of balconies and to cite relocation of residential units farther from the corridor.
Council members then moved and seconded motions to (a) certify the environmental review and adopt mitigation measures and (b) proceed with an ordinance reading to add or change language in ordinance "12 18" to prohibit or limit balconies adjacent to the Union Pacific tracks. The motions passed on roll call; the record shows the mayor and council members present voting to advance the measures.
Why it matters: The council’s action combines land-use changes with design-level restrictions intended to reduce long-term exposure to air and noise impacts where residential development abuts active freight rail. Staff and commenters framed the debate as a balance between long-term redevelopment goals and immediate public-health protections for nearby residents.
What’s next: The council moved the resolutions and initiated the ordinance reading; staff said the ordinance language and specific amendments will return for formal adoption in a future meeting (the record points to subsequent agenda steps tied to the ordinance-number references discussed by staff).
