Happy Holidays from your
Riviera Homeowners Association

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you in 2015!

Look over this oversight opportunity

The Torrance Unified School District (TUSD) has an opening on the Independent Citizens’ Oversight Committee for a homeowner’s association member. That means if you are a current RHA member (paid up) you would be eligible to sit on this district-wide committee which provides oversight of the expenditures arising from recent school bond measures.

The application deadline is Thursday Jan 7 and the TUSD Board will make its selection at its Jan 19 meeting. For further information or questions, please refer to the ICOC Bylaws. Questions may also be directed to Dr. Donald Stabler

PCH improvements still in the works

So, have you heard about the drought?  Thought so.  Well, one result is that Caltrans is currently on hold with regard to installing the needed irrigation for the south side of PCH from Doris Way to Calle Mayor (across from South High).  So, Torrance Public Works Department will be installing fencing and guardrails as soon as Caltrans reviews and permits those plans.  In addition, most of the eucalyptus trees will be removed and the chain-link fence in the center median removed.  The hoped-for landscaping will have to wait either for a change in the weather (bienvenido el niño), or a policy change by Caltrans to allow the old irrigation lines to be replaced.  Please refer to this link from Public Works for future developments.

Relaxed parking rules

From December 20^th, 2015 – January 3, 2016, the Torrance Police Department will not enforce street sweeping parking violations. However, street sweepers will continue to run during this period. Residents are reminded of the importance of keeping our streets clean, and as such, requested to comply with posted street sweeping restrictions.
This Holiday Moratorium will not pertain to all other violations. Torrance residents are reminded that all vehicles determined to be in violation of a parking ordinance other than the street sweeping ordinance, will still be subject to a parking citation.
For additional information on the City’s Holiday Street Sweeping Moratorium, please contact the Torrance Police Department Traffic and Special Events Division at 310-618- 5557.

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Time to review your naughtiness and niceties – Santa will be here this week!

The Torrance Police Officers’ Association will guide Santa in his motorcade according to this year’s schedule:

Santa’s journey 2015
(click for larger picture)

For more information, click here.

Happy Holidays everyone!

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Don’t miss this Wednesday’s GENERAL MEETING at Richardson Middle School with Lawndale Councilmember Jim Osborne and his fantastic collection of rare and vintage photos of the South Bay.  The program starts at 7:00 PM but doors open at 6:30. There will be refreshments and updates on matters of concern to the Riviera community. This will be a fun one, so come in and meet some new neighbors and see some remarkable scenes.

We continue to keep you updated on the efforts to (over-)develop PCH:

Thurs. Nov. 19 there will be a public Hearing to consider adopting the revised Legado Companies’ design at the old Bristol Farms site (149 apartments, 3 stories) at the Redondo Beach Planning Commission meeting. 7:00 PM, 415 Diamond St. Redondo Beach.

Trees + views: ordinance on the horizon?

Note this date: Thursday, January 14, 7 PM. The Planning and Design Committee will hold a workshop to discuss a TREE AND VIEW ORDINANCE for the Hillside Overlay at Torrance City Hall chambers.  If you are interested or concerned about view obstruction from trees, come to this meeting!

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Our first General Meeting of the new year featured a lively moderated debate among the 4 candidates for the TUSD School Board. The RHA Board presented questions to the candidates, who were also allowed time for statements.  Turnout at Richardson Middle School was excellent.  A debt of thanks to Mr. Joe Petito, technology teacher at Richardson, for facilitating the evening.  A great exercise in participatory democracy, brought to your doorstep by the Riviera Homeowners Association.  Do your part to learn the candidates’ positions, and vote!

L to R: candidates Don Lee, Terry Ragins, G. Rick Marshall, Clint Andrew Paulson

Dues diligence

With the beginning of the 2015-16 RHA fiscal year, we remind you that your voluntary dues for the year will help keep the RHA going, serving your community as it has for over 60 years.  Keep an eye out for the next newsletter, and view our membership page to check whether you’re up to date.

While you’re at it, check our landscape page, for all the summer’s awards, given to your neighbors (or you!) for the wonderful care devoted to these front yards.  When you see our signs planted in a monthly winner’s front yard, stop to thank those neighbors for keeping our Riviera beautiful.

Ongoing efforts:

Stay tuned soon for news on the Legado development, the proposed tree and view ordinance, the PCH beautification project, and the upcoming November General Meeting

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Fall General Meeting

Our first General Meeting of the 2015-16 “RHA Year” is scheduled for this Wednesday, Sept 16th, 7PM at Richardson Middle school.
At this RHA meeting, we’ll give an update on the status of both the Cape Point/Sea Breeze project at PCH and Prospect, as well as the Legado (Bristol Farms) mixed-use developments.

The main event will feature a candidates forum with each of the four people running for the open Torrance Unified School District Board of Education.  If you don’t know much about our school board, here are some useful references:

• TUSD Board of Education
• Ballotpedia – election information

The Riviera Homeowners Association Board will host this forum.  There will be three general questions each candidate will be asked to answer, then there will be a period of Q&A from the audience.  You may come to the microphone or fill out a 3×5 card with your question.  Please keep your questions short and relevant, and be respectful towards the candidates and fellow residents.  We expect considerable discussion, but will try to wrap up by 9:00PM.

Important  Redondo Beach City Council meeting set for Sept. 15!

Tuesday, Sept 15th, 6PM presents an opportunity to speak up about the Cape Point / Sea Breeze mixed use development at PCH off Prospect.  (This City Council Meeting takes place at Redondo Beach City Council chambers, 415 Diamond Street, off PCH).
For Tuesday’s agenda click here and look for item L.2:

[CONTINUED] PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER AN APPEAL OF PLANNING COMMISSION DECISION APPROVING A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT… FOR FIFTY-TWO (52) RESIDENTIAL CONDOMINIUM UNITS AND APPROXIMATELY 10,552 SQUARE FEET OF GROUND FLOOR COMMERCIAL SPACE LOCATED WITHIN A MIXED-USE (MU-3A) ZONE AT 1914-1926 S. PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY.

Artist’s rendering of Sea Breeze Plaza development at 1914-1926 S. PCH

Please attend if you wish to learn more about the project, or weigh in with your opinions.

Fall?  Doesn’t feel like fall!

Our El Retiro Library hosts a wonderful program at the end of this month:

Fabulous Fall Story & Craft
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM  Wednesday September 30
El Retiro Library, 126 Vista del Parque
Admission is free
For questions about this program and other youth and adult programs
offered by the library, please call 310-375-0922

Did you know?

The RHA, in partnership with the Riviera Garden Club, gives a monthly Landscape award to a different homeowner each month.  To see the latest awards, and those going all the way back to 1989, click on our website’s Riviera Landscapes page.
Do you know of a front yard landscape that beautifies our Riviera, even your own, that should win this coveted award?  Email our landscape chairperson, and make a case for it.  Please provide an email address or phone number along with the street address.

And now for this important announcement:

All the activities – landscape awards, general meetings, scholarship awards, the Riviera Reporter newsletters –  of your Riviera Homeowners Association -are funded by your gracious donations.
This is the time of year when we seek your voluntary membership dues so we can continue the effort to support the preservation and advancement of the Hollywood Riviera.  So please take a minute to print and send in this membership form with your dues, or you can easily use our safe Paypal connection at your discretion.

Click on form for a larger copy, then print

Thank you, and see you in the neighborhood!

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