Riviera Homeowners Association

They finally did it!! After decades of hearing from hillside residents and six years of meetings, emails and urging from the Riviera Homeowners Association, the Torrance city staff came back with a draft View Equity ordinance which was approved unanimously by city council at the last council meeting on Oct. 4!!!

The View Equity ordinance is based on the model of our  neighboring city of Rolling Hills Estates, and will give residents a process to resolve view disputes that cannot be resolved in informal conversation. The draft ordinance may be found here as part of the Oct 4 meeting agenda, along with attachments presented by city staff.  Soon this will be updated with minor modifications and incorporated into the Torrance Municipal Code.  You can also view the city council meeting deliberations (item 9D on the agenda) by clicking here.

We think this is long overdue.  Our hope is that just by having an ordinance on the books,  neighbors will be more likely to trim trees before they become a problem, and not grow trees to cause an intentional view obstruction.   If the ordinance acts as a deterrent–that’s great!!  If disputes cannot be otherwise resolved, at least now there is a path that will lead to a resolution.

Thank you to all of you who came out repeatedly for many long nights at council meetings, community meetings, individual meetings with mayor and council, visits with neighboring planning directors in other cities, emails and calls.  They all helped bring forward an issue that has long been ignored.

Along with the Hillside Overlay ordinance, the new View Equity ordinance will enhance the value of homes with ocean and city views, reduce the ambiguity over responsibility among neighbors to preserve each others’ property values, and retain the character of this unique “Jewel of the South Bay”.

PCH Safety improvement project

Per the Torrance construction start notice, beginning Monday October 17, work will begin on the safety improvements along PCH which consists of tree removal, a new guard rail, and fencing.  Work will proceed through January; working hours are weekdays from 9AM to 3PM.  Southbound PCH between Janet Lane and Calle Mayor will be reduced from two lanes to one during working hours.  Parking will be limited at times along the residential side street parallel to PCH.

Stretch of PCH impacted by safety improvement project

The RHA will continue to work with Torrance Public Works, Caltrans, and our neighbors along PCH to promote the best outcome for this project.  It’s important to note that the second project phase for incorporating new landscaping is tentative for now, and dependent on the outcome of the first, safety-related phase. For more detailed information, view the city’s project website.

Membership drive underway

Our annual fall membership is now underway; we need your support to continue our ability to represent our community, provide college scholarships and other support for our neighbors, bring you news that impacts your street, your neighborhood, and present meaningful topics for our meetings which remain open to all residents.

Please visit our membership page for a printable copy of your renewal form, or use the Paypal button to quickly and easily register your support for the RHA.  We thank you for your ongoing commitment.

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Torrance city staff will report back to city council on Wed. October 4, with their new, revised draft ordinance. They have been charged by council to include an Advisory Opinion from a city representative as part of the process, recommend fees, and write an ordinance that resembles the one in Rolling Hills Estates.  They have also been told to develop a plan to  implement the ordinance step by step in different neighborhoods, rather than have it start in all areas of the Hillside Overlay at once.

For a refresher course on the ordinance, its history, and prospects, attend our General Meeting this Wednesday September 21 from 7:00 PM at Richardson Middle school featuring Torrance Councilman Kurt Weideman, who will discuss the Hillside Ordinance and how it affects Hollywood Riviera homeowners.

We need a fair, legally binding process to resolve view disputes between tree owners and view seekers. This is the time to do it!!  We encourage all homeowners to attend the Oct 4 city council meeeting and express your own views.

So Long, Summer!

It’s time to say goodbye to summer! Did you hang out with friends and family? Did you take any exciting trips? Come fill the El Retiro Library display wall with memories of your best moments of summer! Drop in anytime the Library is open,  between now and September 22.

Clean up time again

The annual Coastal Cleanup Day is *yikes!* tomorrow morning Saturday Sep 17 9AM til noon.  You like the beaches clean, so pitch in!  Locations include Torrance Beach, Rat Beach, and Redondo Beach.  For details, and to sign up, click on this Heal the Bay website.

Nearby Coastal Cleanup sites

New news

The Riviera Reporter, our venerable printed newsletter, should be landing on your doorstep this weekend.  You can find it here on our website also, as always, along with decades of earlier ones – featuring a wealth of interesting historical tidbits.  See how busy we’ve been this summer, checking out your wonderful yardscapes and pursuing your homeowner interests with the city.   And you’ll find all you need to know about sending in your voluntary homeowner association dues, to help us keep the shine on your Hollywood Riviera, jewel of the southbay.

Another way to contribute

Psst:  got a few extra hours – per year?  The RHA needs you.  Email our co-presidents to find out how!

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For the month of August, the Torrance Historical Society has been hosting Late Night Thursdays at the Museum. 
Tonight, you can watch the History of the Hollywood Riviera DVD by Sherwin Rubin (it will be playing from 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM – stop by any time). The DVD is only about 25 minutes long — it will continue to loop until closing.  You’re invited to pop in and view their extensive collection of photos and city-related memorabilia — including maps of the oil wells, and a blueprint of how to construct an oil derrick! 

Environmental projects for Torrance

The South Coast Air Quality Management District held a Community Meeting in Torrance on August 24 to discuss ideas for environmental projects in Torrance which will be funded with monies received in a settlement agreement with ExxonMobil.

Some of the suggestions so far for how to best spend the money have included air quality monitoring devices, reverse 911 calls, improved alarm systems and solar energy programs.

More information on this subject, with contact information, can be found here on the AQMD website.

Recent burglaries

Please note that there have been two recent Riviera burglaries – one lower (Calle Mayor) and one upper Riviera (Paseo de las Tortugas).

As always, please be vigilant! If you see something – say something!!!  If your street doesn’t have a Neighborhood Watch, start one!

El Retiro Book Group

Meets the first Tuesday of the month 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.  The next meeting features
The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages  – Tuesday, September 6, 2016
It is 1943, and 11-year-old Dewey Kerrigan is traveling west on a train to live with her scientist father–but no one will tell her exactly where he is. When she reaches Los Alamos, New Mexico, she learns why: he’s working on a top secret government program.

Upcoming Meeting —“What the Hillside Overlay Ordinance Means to Homeowners”

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The RHA wishes to bring you an update to the project underway to renovate the look of the PCH strip on the south side of PCH (across from South High school).  For years, the residents living alongside PCH have had to deal with noise and pollution from the street, as well as shabby fence treatments and unsightly vegetation.   Several accidents have involved cars crossing into the area, endangering pedestrians and homeowners.  The interests of these residents, and really all of the Hollywood Riviera, lies in having safe, attractive, and economical improvements made to this area.  The goals are to provide safety for the residents, motorists, and the students who flock to this area every weekday morning, and to improve the aesthetics of the approach along the north side of our neighborhood.

In June, the City Council awarded a contract to construct fencing and guardrails along PCH between Calle Mayor and Nancy Lee Lane.  This project is being coordinated by the Torrance Public Works Department, but involves other agencies, particularly Caltrans, which has jurisdiction over PCH.

In August-September of 2016, 15 trees along the south side of PCH (within the Caltrans-dictated PCH setback) will come out and a new fence will go in.  The fence will be made of tubular steel railing, and the natural color will be silver/ gray; powder-coated to achieve corrosion resistance.  There will be crossbars, and square plastic caps on top of the tubes. It will look similar to the fence along Western Avenue near Toyota Way. Attached is a quick rendering of what it will look like. Note that only the fence itself is planned to be added. Because of the drought, the city is precluded from adding any greenery until after a reclaimed water line is installed in the area for irrigation.

PCH fence and guardrail rendering.
(Photo courtesy Torrance Public Works Dept)

The fence will be covered with the windscreen/tarp after it is constructed.  The chain link fence in the center median of PCH will be removed when the fence is installed, since it will be “redundant fencing.”

The West Basin Recycled Water Line Project is providing funds to construct dual left turn lanes at PCH and Anza, heading east/west on PCH.   Torrance Public Works has a design for a recycled water line to bring water from Anza and PCH  to the south median across from South High School,  which will be installed at the same time as the intersection remodel.  The West Basin Water Project (not the city of Torrance) has to submit plans to Caltrans for approval and permitting.  Realistically, the plans will be submitted in the summer of 2017.  The construction of the intersection and water line will be about a year later, in 2018.  In the meantime, there may be an allowance made for potable water to be used for the landscaping, which will speed completion of the project.

There is no “planting plan” yet for the south median.  There WAS an original plan before the drought. Under consideration are water wise plantings and retention of the podocarpus trees,along with other plants that would give a tiered effect.  The final foliage will depend on what trees are on the Caltrans list of approved plantings.

For full details, please visit the Public Works project website here.  That site will continue to be updated by the city as progress is made.  Your Riviera Homeowners Association has undertaken many efforts to impress the various agencies involved with the need to improve the health, safety, and property values of residents along PCH by moving this project forward.  Thanks for your support to the RHA!

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Folks, this June 28 City Council meeting is one of the most important milestones on the road to getting a View Ordinance governing trees and other vegetation enacted here in Torrance.  You may have received this notice in the mail:

Meeting notice

Please plan to attend, in order to hear details of the View Equity ordinance proposed by city staff, and to provide your input during the meeting.  The draft ordinance can be read here.  Don’t be intimidated by the size of this file; the draft itself can be found on pages 7-14.   A useful flowchart summarizing the draft ordinance is presented in an addendum on the very last page.  The rest is introductory material, plus accounts of past hearings and copies of citizen input.

The RHA is concerned that the ordinance may not have adequate enforcement mechanisms that would make it effective in most situations.  We will report back on our evaluation of this draft, and will be sure to represent the interests of view proponents as well as tree owners in the months ahead.

Worth saving!

If you cannot attend this June 28 meeting (at Council chambers at 3031 Torrance Blvd), then you may communicate via email to your council representatives as well as Linda Cessna, Deputy Community Development Director at Community_Development_Dept@TorranceCA.Gov

Rocketship park almost ready

The new playground equipment is almost ready to be opened up – the exact date will be revealed soon on the City of Torrance Facebook page.  Get the kids ready!

Almost ready to swing into action

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