Paramount Municipal Code Ch. 17.18 Transit-Oriented Development Objective Design Standards

A. This chapter establishes objective design standards for all qualifying multiple-family residential and mixed-use projects proposed on properties subject to Government Code Sections 65912.155 through 65912.162. Specifically, these regulations apply to transit-oriented development (TOD) projects within one-half mile of a transit station, as defined in Government Code Section 65912.156, inclusive of any properties for which a specific plan has been approved pursuant to Government Code Sections 65450 through 65457. The purpose is to provide measurable, objective design standards that will result in quality development in circumstances in which state law limits the City of Paramount's enforcement of design standards to objective standards or where state law or the Municipal Code require a ministerial approval process.

B. These design standards are additive to the development standards that apply to the zoning classification in which property is located, as well as the standards related to residential building height, residential density, residential floor area ratio (FAR), and average unit size limitations established in Government Code Sections 65912.155 through 65912.162.

C. Where property is located within an adopted specific plan, the applicable regulating plan, frontage classifications, height standards, and other development standards shall apply in addition to this chapter. In the event of a conflict between a specific plan and this chapter, the more restrictive standard shall apply unless otherwise expressly stated in the specific plan or otherwise authorized by Government Code Sections 65912.155 through 65912.162.

D. Notwithstanding the provisions below, the standards in this chapter do not apply where they conflict with or physically preclude, alone or in concert, the applicable housing development standards of Government Code Section 65912.157.

(Ord. 1219, 7/14/2026)

A. Requirements for development plan. The development plan submitted with the required application shall clearly demonstrate compliance with this chapter and any applicable specific plan. The development plan shall include:

1. A site plan identifying building placement, ground-floor use allocation, active frontage areas, public and private open space, paseo connections, parking configuration, mobility facilities, service areas, lighting, signage, drainage, and landscaping.

2. A frontage diagram identifying required commercial frontages, pedestrian priority streets, and residential frontages, as applicable.

3. A massing diagram demonstrating compliance with applicable height tiers and required stepbacks.

4. A circulation diagram identifying pedestrian, bicycle, vehicular, and service access routes.

B. Site layout.

1. Buildings adjacent to a public street or paseo shall have primary entrances oriented toward that frontage and provide direct pedestrian access to the public sidewalk or paseo.

2. Along designated primary streets and transit corridors in the Clearwater Specific Plan, ground-floor commercial or active uses shall occupy not less than 70 percent of the street-facing building facade.

3. A minimum of 70 percent of a primary street frontage shall be occupied by building facade. Surface parking shall not be located between a building and a primary street frontage.

4. Development located within one-quarter mile of a rail station shall incorporate a publicly accessible pedestrian connection to the station or designated mobility corridor.

C. Ground-floor residential units.

1. Ground-floor residential units located along a public street shall incorporate individual unit entrances facing the street, except where located on designated required commercial frontages.

2. Each ground-floor residential unit shall include a private entry feature such as a stoop, covered porch, or forecourt.

3. Stoop or covered porch elevations shall be raised a minimum of 18 inches and a maximum of 42 inches above adjacent sidewalk grade.

4. A minimum setback of five feet shall be provided between the sidewalk and the primary residential facade where ground-floor residential fronts a public street, unless located along a designated required commercial frontage.

D. Public plazas and paseos. Public plazas or paseos, where required by the Clearwater Specific Plan or other regulatory documents, shall:

1. Have a minimum overall width of 12 feet;

2. Provide a minimum clear pedestrian pathway of eight feet;

3. Be open to the sky;

4. Provide seating, shade, and pedestrian lighting; and

5. Connect to public sidewalks or adjacent development parcels.

E. Parking, driveways, and pedestrian paths.

1. Location and design.

a. Parking, where provided, shall be underground, wrapped within a structure, or located at the rear of the site.

b. Surface parking, where provided, between a building and a primary street frontage shall be prohibited.

2. Size of parking spaces. Where parking spaces are provided, the following development standards shall apply.

a. Each off-street parking space shall have an area not less than 180 square feet exclusive of drives or aisles, and a width of not less than nine feet. Each such space shall be provided with a minimum of 25 feet space for a vehicle to enter and exit the parking space, and the parking space shall be improved as provided in Section 17.44.490 of the Paramount Municipal Code.

b. If either of the lengthwise sides of any parking space immediately abuts a fence, wall, building or other structure, then the space shall be 10 feet wide; if both lengthwise sides of any space immediately abut a fence, wall, building or other structure, then the space shall be 11 feet wide.

c. Compact automobile parking spaces shall not be less than eight feet in width or 16 feet in depth. The total number of compact parking spaces shall not exceed 25% of the required number of parking spaces. Individual spaces shall be identified by a sign located at the front of each space. Several spaces located in a common area shall be identified with adequate signing.

3. Driveways.

a. Driveways shall be located on secondary streets or alleys unless, as determined by the Planning and Building Director, no other feasible location can be achieved.

b. Curb cuts along designated pedestrian priority streets, as identified in the Clearwater Specific Plan or other regulatory document, are prohibited unless, as determined by the Planning and Building Director, no other feasible location can be achieved.

c. Ground-floor residential units shall not have vehicular garage access doors directly facing a primary pedestrian street, as identified in the Clearwater Specific Plan or other regulatory document, except for townhouse-style units on local streets not designated as pedestrian priority streets.

d. Driveway widths shall comply with Section 17.44.480.

4. Pedestrian paths.

a. Pedestrian pathways shall connect building entrances, parking areas, open spaces, and transit access points.

b. Paving materials within pedestrian paths shall be visually distinct from vehicular areas.

c. Pedestrian paseos shall have a minimum overall width of 12 feet and a minimum clear width of eight feet, unless otherwise required for emergency access.

d. Paseos and courtyards shall incorporate decorative paving distinct from adjacent drive aisles. Decorative paving includes, but is not limited to, textured stone, brick pavers, clay or ceramic pavers, precast concrete pavers, treated wood, and composite decking materials. Stamped asphalt shall not qualify as decorative paving.

5. Structured parking screening. The following standards shall apply where a parking structure is provided.

a. Above-grade parking levels visible from a public street shall be screened with liner units, architectural panels, or perforated metal screens.

b. Screening shall achieve a minimum of 60 percent opacity.

6. Bicycle parking.

a. Short-term bicycle parking shall be located within 50 feet of the primary building entrance.

b. Long-term bicycle parking shall be located in a secured and weather-protected area.

F. Walls and fences.

1. Walls or fences within required front setbacks shall not exceed 42 inches in height and shall consist of at least 50 percent transparent materials.

2. Security fencing adjacent to rail corridors shall comply with rail operator requirements and incorporate additional landscape buffers where feasible.

3. Blank walls along public streets exceeding 15 linear feet are prohibited.

4. Retaining walls visible from the public right-of-way and exceeding 30 inches in height shall incorporate decorative treatment and landscaping. Decorative treatment shall mean materials with a textured surface, including but not limited to variegated block, split face block, burnish block, slump block, and breeze block.

5. The use of chain link fencing materials and barbed wire are prohibited.

(Ord. 1219, 7/14/2026)

A. Massing and articulation.

1. The maximum length of any single uninterrupted building mass shall not exceed 150 feet without a minimum 10-foot horizontal or vertical articulation break.

2. Buildings longer than 100 feet shall incorporate vertical articulation at intervals not exceeding 40 feet.

3. Building facades shall include vertical articulation such as pilasters, recesses, facade offsets, or material shifts at intervals not exceeding 30 feet in horizontal length.

4. Any facade facing a public street, plaza, or paseo shall not run in a continuous plane of more than 30 feet without at least two architectural treatments per floor, including balconies, recesses, material changes, or facade offsets. Changes in plane shall be a minimum of 18 inches in depth.

B. Stepbacks and height transitions.

1. Buildings exceeding five stories in height shall incorporate upper level stepbacks of at least 15 feet along a minimum of 80 percent of the facade along primary streets and transit corridors.

2. Buildings exceeding 65 feet in height shall provide an additional stepback of at least five feet for every additional 15 feet of building height.

3. Upper stories shall step back a minimum of 10 feet from primary pedestrian streets where building height exceeds 55 feet.

C. Podium and tower form. Where buildings exceed four stories in height, the following shall apply.

1. Podium-style buildings shall clearly differentiate the base, middle, and top through material changes, facade articulation, or cornice treatments.

2. A podium base shall be defined by a horizontal articulation line located between the third and fifth stories.

3. Towers above a podium, where exceeding 75 feet in height, shall maintain a minimum separation of 40 feet from other towers on the same site.

D. Entries.

1. Primary residential lobbies shall be directly accessible from a public street or publicly accessible paseo.

2. Residential lobby entrances shall include weather protection projecting a minimum of four feet.

3. Pedestrian entries shall be recessed a minimum of three feet from the façade plane.

4. Ground-floor commercial tenant spaces shall provide individual entrances at intervals not exceeding 75 feet.

E. Ground-floor residential entries.

1. Ground-floor residential entries shall be clearly identifiable through architectural features such as projecting stoops, covered porches, entry recesses, or individual address numbers visible from the street.

2. Ground-floor residential entries shall be spaced at intervals not exceeding 40 feet along public streets unless grouped in clusters of two or more units sharing a common entry court.

F. Windows.

1. Ground-floor commercial facades shall provide a minimum of 65 percent transparency between two and 10 feet above grade.

2. Required commercial frontage shall provide a minimum of 60 percent transparency between two and eight feet above grade. Tinted or reflective glazing shall not be permitted on required commercial frontage.

3. Upper-story residential facades shall provide a minimum of 30 percent transparency.

4. Ground-floor residential units facing a public street shall provide a minimum of 35 percent transparency between two and eight feet above grade.

5. Where ground-floor residential units are located within 10 feet of a public sidewalk, windows shall incorporate one or more of the following privacy treatments:

a. Raised sill height of at least 30 inches above finished floor.

b. Landscaping within the setback.

c. Decorative metal railing, with decorative meaning coated and/or painted metals but not including aluminum.

d. Translucent lower window glazing.

6. Windows shall be recessed a minimum of two inches from the exterior wall plane.

7. Exterior security bars are prohibited.

G. Roofs.

1. Flat roofs shall include a parapet or cornice at least six inches in depth.

2. Rooftop mechanical equipment shall be fully screened from public view and set back at least 15 feet from primary facades.

H. Materials and colors.

1. A combination of at least two and no more than four exterior materials shall be used on each facade.

2. Materials shall wrap building corners a minimum of two feet.

3. Changes in material shall occur at inside corners or through defined trim elements.

I. Prohibited materials.

1. The following building materials are prohibited:

a. Vinyl siding.

b. Aluminum siding.

c. Mirrored glass.

d. Corrugated metal panels as a primary facade material.

e. Exposed concrete block along primary pedestrian streets. Acceptable concrete block materials include any with a textured surface, including but not limited to variegated block, split face block, burnish block, slump block, and breeze block. Where used, such materials shall not extend more than four feet from the base of the ground floor.

2. Use of exterior insulation and finish systems (EIFS) and synthetic stucco is limited to upper stories above the primary street wall and shall not exceed 30 percent of any facade facing a primary street.

(Ord. 1219, 7/14/2026)

A. Relationship to public areas.

1. Pedestrian pathways shall connect the public sidewalk to all primary building entries.

2. Sidewalks and paseos along primary streets shall provide a minimum unobstructed pedestrian width of 10 feet.

B. Weather protection.

1. Buildings along commercial frontages shall provide a continuous awning or canopy covering at least 50 percent of the frontage length.

2. Awnings and canopies shall maintain a minimum clearance of eight feet above sidewalk grade.

C. Blank walls.

1. Blank wall segments exceeding 20 feet in length along a public street are prohibited.

2. Where blank walls are unavoidable due to utility or structural constraints, they shall incorporate decorative treatment, public art (in compliance with Chapter 17.112 of the Paramount Municipal Code), green wall systems, or equivalent facade articulation. Decorative treatment shall mean materials with a textured surface, including but not limited to variegated block, split face block, burnish block, slump block, and breeze block.

D. Relationship to adjacent properties.

1. Where a TOD project abuts a lower-density residential zone, any portion of the building exceeding 45 feet in height shall be set back an additional 10 feet from the property line.

2. A minimum six-foot-wide landscaped buffer shall be provided along shared property lines with lower-density residential zones.

3. Windows and balconies located within 30 feet of a property line abutting a lower-density residential zone shall incorporate privacy treatments.

4. Upper-story residential windows located within 15 feet of a side property line abutting a lower-density residential zone shall incorporate obscured glazing or maintain a minimum sill height of 42 inches.

(Ord. 1219, 7/14/2026)

A. Planting areas.

1. A minimum of 15 percent of the total site area shall be landscaped.

2. At least one 24-inch box canopy tree shall be provided for every 1,500 square feet of lot area.

3. Street-facing setback areas shall be fully landscaped.

B. Ground-floor residential frontages. Ground-floor residential frontages shall incorporate foundation planting within required setbacks consisting of:

1. Shrubs spaced at a minimum of 24 inches on center;

2. At least one accent tree per 30 linear feet of frontage; and

3. A decorative paving transition between the public sidewalk and private entry. Decorative paving includes, but is not limited to, textured stone, brick pavers, clay or ceramic pavers, precast concrete pavers, treated wood, and composite decking materials. Stamped asphalt shall not qualify as decorative paving.

C. Shade.

1. Open space areas shall provide shade coverage for at least 30 percent of seating areas.

2. Surface parking areas shall provide tree canopy coverage over at least 50 percent of paved areas at maturity.

D. Hardscape and paving. Permeable paving shall be used in at least 25 percent of hardscaped open space areas.

E. Compliance with water-efficient landscape provisions.

Landscaping and irrigation shall comply with Chapter 17.96 of the Paramount Municipal Code.

(Ord. 1219, 7/14/2026)

A. Amenities.

1. Minimum amenity requirement. Residential and mixed-use projects shall provide a minimum number of common amenities based on lot size:

2. Ground-floor residential private patios or stoops shall not count toward the minimum common amenity requirement.

3. Qualifying amenities. Qualifying amenities may include, but are not limited to:

a. Rooftop deck.

b. Public plaza.

c. Community room.

d. Co-working space.

e. Fitness center.

f. Pool or spa.

g. Community garden.

h. Outdoor kitchen or barbecue area.

i. Children's play area.

j. Common security camera system with livestream and recording access available to all residents.

4. Common open space configuration.

a. Common open space areas shall have a minimum dimension of 15 feet in any direction.

b. At least 50 percent of required common open space shall be contiguous.

5. Rooftop amenities. Rooftop common open space shall include shade structures covering at least 25 percent of the seating area.

B. Utilities and mechanical equipment.

1. Rooftop mechanical equipment shall be fully screened from public view and set back at least 15 feet from primary facades. Screening shall extend to the height of the equipment.

2. Ground-mounted mechanical equipment shall:

a. Be screened from public view;

b. Be located at least 10 feet from pedestrian paths; and

c. Not be located between the building and a primary street.

3. Utility areas and equipment shall not be located within any required active frontage areas or required common or private open space areas.

C. Lighting.

1. Pole-mounted pedestrian light fixtures shall not exceed 20 feet in height.

2. Pedestrian pathways shall be illuminated at intervals not exceeding 50 feet.

3. Lighting shall be shielded to prevent light spillover onto adjacent properties.

D. Loading zones, loading docks, and service areas.

1. Provisions shall be made onsite for short-term loading zones for pedestrians and deliveries to residents.

2. Loading docks and service areas, when required, shall not face primary streets or primary pedestrian streets.

3. Loading bays shall be screened from view by landscaping or architectural treatment.

4. Loading docks adjacent to residential zones shall incorporate sound-attenuating walls.

E. Accessory dwelling units (ADUs). Accessory dwelling units are permitted and shall comply with all requirements of Chapter 17.104 of the Paramount Municipal Code.

F. Short-term rentals. No dwelling units in whole or in part shall be rented for a term shorter than 30 consecutive calendar days.

G. Facilities for nonorganic recyclable materials, organic waste, and solid waste.

A TOD project shall comply with Chapter 17.118 of the Paramount Municipal Code regarding receptacles, storage, and facilities for waste.

(Ord. 1219, 7/14/2026)