Riviera Homeowners Association

Many residents have commented to us that their neighbors are building bigger and bigger remodels in the Hillside Overlay Area.  Has this happened to you?  Are you noticing that more homes are being built that seem to exceed the .50 FAR (floor area ratio) size limit on remodels?

If so, we are asking you to send in an email to City Council or call in to the City Council meeting on Tuesday, January 26, when there will be a public hearing on a remodel that is .60 FAR on a small lot.  The proposed remodel will  impact the neighbors on both sides with view, light, air and, privacy issues. The remodel also will have a roof deck on top of the single story garage, two balconies and a fire pit on the roof deck!  
Still, this project was approved by the Planning Department which found “no serious impacts” and was subsequently unanimously approved by the Planning Commission.  

Here is a link to the city staff report on the proposed development (may take a minute to load).

• Please call in to the council meeting if you are disturbed by bigger and bigger homes being approved by the City. We have learned that Item “10A Terre Appeal”   will be heard earlier than indicated in the agenda.  It will be still called” Item 10A Terre Appeal” but it will come right after Item 7 – Orals. To weigh in, you will have only one minute to speak.  Please say your street name or that you live in the Hillside Overlay.  The number to call is 310 618-2404.  Please ask others to do the same.

If the City Council approves this home next week, it will set a precedent that will undermine the strength of the Hillside Overlay Ordinance, and eventually we risk losing the character of our beautiful neighborhood.  Please call in to the City Council meeting either before Agenda Item 7 Orals (open comments) or before “Item 10A, Terre Appeal to Council on 310 Calle de Arboles.” Or you may send a single email addressed to all of the City Council members, listed below, by or before next Tuesday Jan. 26 at 2 PM. 

We are representing you at that meeting.  Help us by backing us up with your support.

Thank you!
Judy Brunetti, former RHA President

Mayor Furey and City Council members:

• PFurey@torranceca.gov
• HAshcraft@torranceca.gov
• GChen@torranceca.gov
• TGoodrich@torranceca.gov
• MGriffiths@torranceca.gov
• SKalani@torranceca.gov
• AMattucci@torranceca.gov

AND/OR: Call in to City Council meeting at (310)618-2404.
The council meeting is on Jan. 26, starting at 7 PM, viewable on CitiCABLE Channel 3 (Spectrum) and Channel 31 (Frontier). Live streaming is available at the time at http://torrance.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?publish_id=18  
Call before Item 7 Orals (Open communication)  or before Item 10A “New Construction at 310 Calle de Arboles”

Also, at the January 26 meeting, the council plans to review proposed state housing legislation (AB68, SB6, etc.) and adopt a resolution stating the city’s positions.

Avoid Covid-19 scams

We aren’t going to try providing guidance on how to get your vaccination, given the questions over supply and distribution, though we do encourage you to do so when the time comes. Please continue to protect your health, and your pocketbook – with this advice from Senior Medicare Patrol:

We rely on your annual membership dues!

Please check your membership status and forward your voluntary dues contribution by mail or Paypal. We don’t exist without your support. Thank you.

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The Riviera Homeowners Association wishes all our Riviera neighbors, their families, friends, and loved ones a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving. Let’s make our neighborhoods a haven in these trying times throughout the holiday season and beyond.

Yearning for a Commission Position?

The City of Torrance is seeking applications from certified residents to fill an unscheduled vacancy on the Parks and Recreation Commission which occurred after the Commission appointments on November 17.

The applicant must have completed the Commission Certification Training before submitting their application. To request online Commission Certification, please email CityClerk@TorranceCA.gov to request the link. The online training takes two hours and can be done one module at a time all at once or over a couple of days.

Applications are due in the City Clerk’s Office on December 2, 2020.  Due to COVID19, we are accepting applications via email as long as they have been signed by the applicant. Applications may be mailed to
City Clerk’s Office, 3031 Torrance Blvd., Torrance, 90503.
Applicants may drop off their application – the City Clerk’s Office is open to the public. We have COVID19 safety procedures in place – contactless hand sanitizer, etc.

The appointment will be made at the December 15 City Council meeting.
For more information, see https://www.torranceca.gov/government/commissions

Landscape Awards carry on

Maybe it’s the Covid, but our front yards seem to be getting more attention lately. We’ve had some terrific examples this year, so see our Landscape page for all of this year’s winners. Thanks go to our Landscape chairperson Denise O’Neil and Riviera Garden Club partners Lynn Fernandez and Bobbie Davison for choosing and awarding this 2020’s proud homeowners.

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Voting centers

We are in the home stretch of this most unusual voting season. Please make sure to vote by November 3. Best to avoid using the post office this near the deadline, and go straight to a nearby drop-off box or vote center (see below).

October 30          5-Day Vote Centers Open (10 am to 7 pm)
November 3        Election Day (7 am to 8 pm)

Helpful Links for Voters:

• CA Secretary of State – complete voter guide:  https://voterguide.sos.ca.gov/pdf/
• Accessible Vote by Mail (aka Remote Accessible Vote By Mail):  https://lavote.net/home/voting-elections/voting-options/vote-by-mail/ravbm
• Vote by Mail Drop-off Locations:  https://lavote.net/home/voting-elections/voting-options/vote-by-mail/vbm-ballot-drop-off
• Interactive Sample Ballot:  https://lavote.net/isb
• Find your vote center:  https://locator.lavote.net/locations/vc?id=4193&culture=en
• Request a replacement ballot:  https://lavote.net/home/voting-elections/voting-options/vote-by-mail/how-to-vote-by-mail
• How to track your ballot:  https://california.ballottrax.net/voter/
• Info on election day accessibility services, including curbside voting and find a vote center near you (available on 10/5/2020):  https://lavote.net/home/voting-elections/voting-options/voting-accessibility/election-day-services
• L.A. County Election Phone number (800) 815-2666

Oct 14 General Meeting

The RHA held a historic first General Meeting by Zoom on October 14. We had close to 100 neighbors joining in, with presentations by Torrance City Councilman Mike Griffiths, Jeffery Klein from the LA Country Registrar of voters, and Torrance City Clerk Rebecca Poirier. If you missed it, you can view the entire meeting using this link:

Due to COVID-19, the 2020 Riviera Village Halloween Trick or Treat was scared off this year, but there is an alternative: a special drive-in movie event featuring The Nightmare Before Christmas held on Friday, October 30 at Wilson Park. Movie starts at 7:00pm; $20 per car. Pre-registration required.

Library Services in South Torrance

All Torrance Library buildings are closed, but staff is available for reference information calls, book requests and holds.

NEW HOURS for all libraries:  Mon.-Fri. 9-6 for answering phone calls, 10-5 for picking up requested books.
Phone numbers — 310 375-0922:   Walteria 310 375-8418:  El Retiro

There are Book Clubs that meet on Zoom at each library.  Click here to find the times that they meet.

• Walteria Library Bookclub  is  “The Armchair Travelers”    
•  El Retiro Library Bookclub is   “Mayhem in the A.M.”

website www.library.torranceca.gov

NEW LIBRARY SERVICES:   

• It is free (not the usual 50¢) to request and put a book on hold.
• Torrance libraries are not charging late fees for any book that are returned late! (turn in those old overdue books!)
• There are free craft kits for children that parents can pick up every week through December 2020.
• Zip books is a new interlibrary loan service.  They will deliver any book that our library does not have to your door!  You may keep these books for 6 weeks.
• Returned books are quarantined for 5 days before circulating again for your safety.

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Our next meeting will be online! Much like the kids attending school from home, we’ll be in our ‘virtual Richardson auditorium’ for this one. We hope you’ll join us, for a timely discussion on our upcoming election, new legislation likely to affect the Riviera, developments on Developments, and more.

The RHA is inviting you to the
RHA General Meeting for October 2020:
Wednesday Oct 14, 2020 7:00 PM Pacific Time

To join our Zoom Meeting, click on this link
Alternatively, use this information:
Meeting ID: 851 0591 2862
Passcode: 909090

Don’t worry, if you’ve never Zoomed, after clicking the link above you can click on “download and run Zoom” then on “join from your browser”. Sorry, no refreshments. (But then, no chairs to put away!)

November election information

The Riviera Homeowners Association studiously avoids making electoral endorsements, so instead we will recommend these sources to help you with your decisions:

To find out where to vote, go to lavote.net/locatorbyaddress

LA Times election endorsements:  
www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2020-09-09/la

Daily Breeze election endorsements:
 www.dailybreeze.com/tag/endorsements

Ballot Measure summaries and full text:
https://ballotpedia.org/California_2020_ballot_propositions

For more comprehensive help with election information:
lavote.net/home/voting-elections/current-elections/find-my-election-information

The RHA encourages everyone eligible to vote (once)!

Airport Noise

The City’s Airport Noise Abatement Center and the Webtrak tracking for Torrance Airport were both suspended from October 1 to December 31 by City Council without resident input at a recent City Council meeting.
Webtrak helped identify planes that were operating outside of curfew hours, or flying low, loud or outside the recommended paths.  Enforcement is suspended for now.

However, the Noise Abatement Center phone number at the airport is still working, and you can reach it at (310)-784-7950 to log complaints. Residents can also email complaints to noiseabatement@torranceca.gov . 

Complaints and recommendations will be presented back to the city early next year. If you wish to leave a message for one or several Council members about this or other issues, call the City at 310 618-2801.

Census 2020

There is still time to complete your household census. Do it now, the census ends on October 15.

The census population count determines how many representatives each state will have in Congress for the next 10 years and how much federal funding communities will receive for roads, schools, housing and social programs.

Torrance School Board Candidate Forums

There are 4 candidates for the 2 open seats on the TUSD School Board. The Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce will hold its candidate forum on Thursday October 8 at 8:30 am. To view it online, go to this website:
https://www.torrancechamber.com/torrance-unified-school-district-board-of-education-candidates-forum/ 

The League of Women Voters held their forum on September 21. You may view it here: www.torrancevotes.org/candidate-forums.html

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Please save this date:

Wednesday October 14th 2020
7:00 P.M. to 8:30 P.M.

Join us for our first ever online Zoom RHA General Meeting!

We’ve planned a great event, with guest speaker Mike Griffiths (Torrance City Council Member), who’ll discuss the impact of recently passed bills to your block, our City and State. And we’ll give all you need to know on how to vote in November, highlight a couple of the 12 ballot measures, and provide the latest on Butcher-Solana.

This will be new for all of us, but we’re positive we can make it a success—especially if you are with us! We hope to see you online on the 14th and don’t forget to join or renew your RHA membership now! Whether tracking statewide bills that greatly affect our neighborhood, donating to our local school programs or giving scholarships to college-bound seniors, we’re still here. And, we need your help with dues that enable us to do these things, plus keep you informed, via newsletters and meetings (that we hope will return before too long). We need you to renew or join today!

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