If you have not already heard, here’s some great news: On March 24, the City Council committee composed of Council members Mike Griffiths, Tim Goodrich and Heidi Ashcraft, unanimously voted to have the Planning Department draft a Tree and View ordinance to be presented at City Council for a vote at a public hearing later this year!
The committee heard testimony from the Planning Department saying that they needed to have additional staff in order to deal with the anticipated work load of a tree ordinance, but the committee responded by asking to have the ordinance implemented in section by section of the Hillside Overlay, to see what the demand would be first. The Planning Department then asked to include city trees in the ordinance, but Councilman Tim Goodrich correctly judged that it would be difficult and expensive to include the hundreds of city trees in the mediation process. Instead, the city should update and fix the existing process for city trees. He also asked planning to hurry the process of writing the ordinance because so many people have been waiting for this for decades.
The Planning Department has been asked to draft an ordinance based on the Rolling Hills Estates model, which is very inexpensive and requires a minimum of staff involvement. We think it will work very well in Torrance, and our hope is that just by having a tree ordinance on the books that it will serve as a deterrent to those who would allow their vegetation to grow until it obstructs views.
We at the Riviera Homeowners Association are very pleased with the progress on this issue, and although it has taken a long time, a view ordinance now has the support of many of the council members and is on the way to being adopted.
Thank you to the many residents who took the time to attend and speak at this meeting, and thank you also to those who called and wrote emails to the Planning Department and City Council.
The next meeting will be the final discussion of this issue, so we ask that you come down to City Hall one last time to show your support. We will let you know when to come as soon as the meeting is scheduled.
It’s coming!!!
Thank you again.
Judy Brunetti! Co-president
Riviera Homeowners Association
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Riviera Homeowners Association 