Resident asks Pasadena to enforce body‑shop regulations, cites health and setback concerns

During public comment at the March 3 Pasadena City Council meeting, a resident (speaking through translator Lynn Summers) reported a persistent problem with a nearby body shop she says is not complying with local regulations governing spray booths and stack height.

The resident told the council the body shop’s exhaust stack is far shorter than regulations require — in her account it is approximately the height of a one‑story house while adjacent buildings are two stories — and said the spray booth, preparation area and stack are only about 10 to 15 feet from her home, whereas the cited regulation requires a 50‑foot separation from residences and sensitive sites such as schools, childcare facilities, churches and medical facilities.

She said the business has received more than 30 complaints and that local rules specify stack‑height calculations (stack height must be 1.5 times the height of a taller nearby building or, otherwise, 1.5 times the body shop’s own height). The resident described family health effects — recent diagnoses of diabetes, frequent sore throat for her husband and respiratory allergies for her son — and said the pollution from the body shop can contribute to health problems and possibly increase cancer risk.

The resident asked the council to take action: either shut down the business, require the spray‑booth/preparation area to be relocated, or ensure the stack and spray areas are set back at least 50 feet from her home. She framed the complaint as an ongoing code‑enforcement issue and requested regulatory enforcement.

City staff did not provide a response to the record during the public comment segment. Council members thanked the resident and acknowledged the complaint; the meeting transcript does not record a specific staff directive, inspection schedule, or follow‑up date. The transcript shows the matter was presented during the citizens’ comment portion and translated for council.

What’s next: The transcript does not include a recorded enforcement action, inspection result, or staff timeline. The resident’s request and the claim of multiple complaints are on the public record and may warrant follow‑up by code enforcement, environmental health, or the city attorney’s office; the council should direct staff to report back with inspection results and any enforcement actions if it chooses to move forward.