Riviera Homeowners Association

You Are Invited!  

Saturday May 14th at 7:00 pm
Hollywood Riviera Sportsman’s Clubhouse
 24004 Neece Ave., Torrance

• Four excellent wines to be tasted! Sauvignon Blanc; Chardonnay; Pinot Noir; Cabernet Sauvginon
• Wine expert Michelle Mooney to conduct tasting and impart her vast knowledge!
• Many great bottles of wine to be raffled!  
• This Year’s Added Attraction – Stand-up Comedy Set!

Local comedian and actor Allan Havey has accepted our invite and will do a short stand-up set.   He’s performed at the Comedy & Magic Club and he was great!  If he looks familiar, it’s because he recently had a fairly prominent role in the series Madmen.  

IMPORTANT:
If you would like to attend … please e-mail popopaul@aol.com to be put on the attendee list.
Tickets will be purchased upon your arrival: 

• $30 per person for HRSC Members & Spouse/Guest
• $40 per person for Non HRSC Members

The Hollywood Riviera Sportsman’s Club raises funds that benefit a variety of organizations in the Riviera section of Torrance, California.  The club offers social activities such as dinners, golf outings, chili cookoffs and other activities to promote fellowship among our members and their guests.

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The ExxonMobil Torrance Refinery has been given the “okay” to restart, likely this Saturday/Sunday between 7PM and 7AM.   There is a chance for relatively high levels of particulate pollution as the refinery restarts, so please keep up to date if you work or travel near the refinery.

The Daily Breeze reports Tuesday morning (May 10) that the refinery restart occurred overnight Monday.  More info at the AQMD website.

Here is a link to a recent Daily Breeze Article, Judge Issues Green Light for ExxonMobil to Restart Torrance Refinery:  http://www.dailybreeze.com/general-news/20160502/judge-issues-green-light-for-exxonmobil-to-restart-torrance-refinery and a more recent article announcing the weekend restart: http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/20160504/exxonmobil-sets-torrance-refinery-restart-for-this-weekend

 New Los Arboles playground equipment

From Torrance Community Services manager Jason Minter:
The playground equipment project continues to move along. City Council has approved the contract and a purchase order has been issued. Our target start date is the end of the month, with a timeline of approximately 3 weeks. Staff met with the contractor yesterday to identify the closure areas and construction fence placement. As there is a school gate near the playground, the contractor will do their best to keep the walkways clear, however the temporary fencing will impede the walkways nearest the play area.

The good news is we hope to have the project completed by the end of the school year! Please keep an eye out as I will be sending an update once we have a firm start date.

(By the way, the rocketship stays!)

Playground design: Los Arboles Park A-2

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PCH safety improvements and beautification moves forward

Torrance Public Works has notified the RHA that the project to construct safety improvements on the south side of Pacific Coast Highway, across from South High School officially went out to bid.  Improvements will include a new guard rail and ornamental steel fence. Encroaching trees and other street features will be removed to make room for these improvements.   The plans are now posted to the city’s project website here:   http://www.torranceca.gov/29513.htm

American Cancer Society – Torrance Relay for Life raises over $200,000

Congratulations and thanks to all who participated in this year’s Relay.  For those who walked, thanks for your footsteps.  As always, a meaningful community event that helps bring neighbors together for a great cause.  And hats off to our co-prez Pam Popovich, again one of the top fundraisers.  For more information (and it’s not too late to submit a contribution) visit the Torrance Relay page.

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After 18 months of meetings and hearings, the Public Appeals Hearing on the Legado Conmpanies’ project at PCH + Palos Verdes Blvd (old Bristol Farms site) is finally set for Tuesday, April 5 at 6PM at the Redondo Beach City Council Chambers, 415 Diamond Street. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to make your voice heard to City Council and Mayor Aspel.

The Council has several options:

1. Discuss the already-denied (by Planning Commission) proposal of 149-units and 37,000 SF of commercial/retail space, a new access road and a massive underground parking garage next to the Palos Verdes Inn.
2. Allow Legado to present a very similar, alternate plan with 146-units, and some reduction in commercial space.
3. OR, Council can reject both plans and send Legado back to the Planning Commission for their hearing on the newer version.

Let the Council and Legado know what you believe is the right direction to take for the future of Redondo Beach and the Riviera Village area. Both proposals call for 3-story buildings, plus removal of PCH medians and trees (will PCH look like the 405?). This can very well have a tremendous affect on not only future traffic, but the entire feel of our lovely Riviera area.

All neighbors are encouraged to speak (3 minute max), but even shorter opinions are welcomed and very important (especially if you’ve never spoken on this topic before).

If you really can’t attend, please send your opinion to City Council (via email to Eleanor.Manzano@redondo.org ),by April 4th.
This could well be your last chance to weigh in on this significant project being planned for our community. SPEAK NOW, or …

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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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