April General Meeting Recap

Posted on May 4, 2026 by Catherine Modesitt, RHA VP

On April 21st, the RHA held its first general meeting of 2026 and Board elections via Zoom.

Board Election Results:

President Elizabeth Spatz, VP (Comms) Gina Magee, VP (Membership) Catherine Modesitt, Treasurer Linda Schwartz

Hillside Overlay Ordinance (HOO) Update

A major focus of the meeting was the Hillside Overlay Ordinance. Kathryn Dunican, a Riviera homeowner from the “Protect Our Homes” community group, spoke about the following:

  • Rewriting the current HOO to protect views/property values with objective language
  • The state laws which create ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) loopholes versus local authority over objective standards
  • Multiple two-story ADUs blocking neighbors’ views currently under construction
  • Challenging the city’s claims that their “hands are tied” regarding enforcing HOO provisions—other cities successfully enforce the HOO

Residents concerned about the HOO are encouraged to attend the City Council meeting on May 19th at 6 PM, where Michelle Ramirez is planning to present the same info as the February 18th planning commission meeting.

Can’t attend? Email City Council members in advance.

Fire Safety & Development Awareness

Joan Davidson, of California Cities for Local Control, discussed the upcoming screening of Small is Beautiful (6:30 PM, May 15th, Hess Park, Rancho Palos Verdes). This documentary follows a rural community battling a massive luxury development that threatens a critical wildlife habitat and puts residents’ lives at risk in a fire-prone landscape. Now that areas of the Hollywood Riviera are included in the recently updated CalFire Hazard Severity Zone map, the film is especially relevant. Local control advocate and candidate for City Treasurer Mike Griffiths will also be speaking.

Local Issues & Community Updates

Jean Adelsman, author of “Take Back Torrance” newsletter and former managing editor of The Daily Breeze, suggested residents educate themselves on where candidates in the upcoming elections (June 2) stand on these issues:

  • District 5 candidates on the HOO
  • Robinson Helicopter using south runway at Torrance Airport
  • Leaded gas still being used at the Torrance Airport
  • $27 million dollar annexation of El Camino Village/College/Alondra Park that could cost Torrance $11 million annually
  • Friendship Cities programs—$350K spent, with zero return, per city staff report

RHA Updates & Improvements

RHA President Elizabeth Spatz discussed the RHA’s continued outreach efforts under our new Vice President of Communications, Gina Magee. Not only does The Riviera Reporter have a new look, but the RHA has a Facebook page. Our April 6th Candidate Forum drew over 150 attendees and was featured in The Daily Breeze. as well.

We’re still looking for someone to join our Executive Board as Secretary and a volunteer with experience in website design. For more information, email us at info@hollywoodriviera.org.

Filed under: General Meeting, Hillside Overlay Ordinance, RHA Board Elections, The Riviera Reporter, Torrance Airport, Torrance City Council, Torrance Elections | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on April General Meeting Recap

April 21st General Meeting

Posted on April 19, 2026 by Catherine Modesitt, RHA VP

The RHA will hold its spring General Meeting via Zoom on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, starting at 7:30 PM. We will briefly share our 2026 activities, followed by a vote on the RHA Officer Slate for 2026-2028 (you must be a current RHA member for your vote to count). After the election, we will have guest speakers and Q&A sessions.

Zoom Link:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83073291184?pwd=AsMxf24OtNVE6t0SpxdAclNLaGvWnH.1

Filed under: General Meeting, RHA Board Elections, Torrance City Council, Torrance Elections, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on April 21st General Meeting

Local Candidate Forum on April 6th

Posted on March 21, 2026 by Catherine Modesitt, RHA VP

Mark your calendar! The RHA and Seaside Neighborhood Association are hosting a local candidate forum for the June state and local elections.

Date & Time: Monday April 6, 7–9 PM

Venue: South High School Performing Arts Center Free parking is available in the school lot next to the auditorium.

Not sure if your voter registration is current? Check your status here: https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/

Have a question you want to ask the candidates? Email it to info@hollywoodriviera.org!  

Can’t make the event? Here’s link to the live stream: https://youtube.com/live/qqJQG9PDt7Y?feature=share

No questions or chat are allowed during the live stream. Technical issues, such as internet, hardware, or platform failures may disrupt the stream. The content is provided “as is” without guarantees of uninterrupted service.

Filed under: General Meeting, Torrance City Council, Torrance Elections | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Local Candidate Forum on April 6th

Updates on the Hillside Overlay Ordinance

Posted on February 12, 2026 by Catherine Modesitt, RHA VP

At the Planning Commission meeting on January 21st, numerous Riviera residents appealed the “Minor Hillside Exemption” issued for the construction project at 439 Via Linda Vista. Residents even presented a petition with over one hundred signatures. Their appeal was approved.

David Kartsonis, Chair of the Torrance Planning Commission, asked his fellow commissioners for consensus to ask the City Council to task the Planning Commission to update the Hillside Overlay Ordinance. The commission agreed.

At the Torrance City Council meeting held on Jan. 27th, Kartsonis made this request, addressing the need for specific language to better manage building projects in the HOO.  Michelle Ramirez, Community Development Director, shared that she and city staff were putting together a workshop on the HOO, which would be presented to the Planning Commission at their upcoming meeting in February.  The City Council suggested they wait until after the workshop has been presented to follow up with the Planning Commission’s request.

If you are interested in learning more and offering your input on the City’s efforts to update the Hillside Overlay Ordinance, consider attending the Torrance Planning Commission meeting, which will be held Wednesday, February 18, 2026, starting at 6:30 pm in the LeRoy J. Jackson Council Chamber at City Hall, located at 3031 Torrance Boulevard, Torrance.

Filed under: Torrance Planning Commission | Tagged: | Comments Off on Updates on the Hillside Overlay Ordinance

6/17 Torrance City Council Meeting Summary

Posted on June 22, 2025 by bmerryman

We recently called attention to two agenda items – the Hillside Overlay and Torrance Airport Ordinances — being discussed at most recent Torrance City Council meeting.  Several residents attended the meeting as well as emailed their points of view on these topics. Here are the results of the discussions:

Hillside Overlay (Agenda item 9B):  While the appeal against the Planning Commission’s recent approval of the precise plan for a property on Susana (PRE23-00013) was denied, the council recognized that the Hillside Overlay Ordinance (HOO) should be updated to include the objective language needed to better assess such projects.  Council member Sharon Kalani stated they (the council) needed to “look into doing public input to update the HOO with objective language and bring the relevant brains together.”  We look forward to learning what next steps will be taken to begin this important update.

Torrance Airport (Agenda item 10B):  Stating their obligation to stand by their previous decision to support noise abatement efforts for the benefit of Torrance residents, the Torrance City Council voted 5-1 against the staff-proposed settlement of a lawsuit and ordinance amendment that would have overturned last year’s ban on touch-and-gos and related maneuvers at the Torrance Airport.  The lawsuit may continue to its trial date already scheduled for February 2026, unless the pilots’ group drops its complaint.  Watch this space for updated information on this situation.

Filed under: Torrance City Council | Tagged: , | Comments Off on 6/17 Torrance City Council Meeting Summary

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    Tuesday, May 19, 6:30pm, City Hall – Torrance City Council Meeting Agenda to include discussion on the Hillside Overlay.  All interested parties are encouraged to attend.  Public comments will be acknowledged – up to 2 minutes per speaker.

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