Torrance Council Delays Vote on Home Club

Saying it wanted to give the developer time to redesign parking plans, the Torrance City Council delayed a decision on a plan to build a 110,000-square-foot Home Club store at 190th Street and Hawthorne Boulevard.

The council’s 6-1 vote delayed until Feb. 21 a decision on the project at 4343 W. 190th St. A Mazda auto dealership does business on one portion of the site.

Councilman Bill Applegate said he recommended the delay because he wants the developer to remove rooftop parking from the plan and consider obtaining more land for parking.

Applegate said in an interview that rooftop parking would allow the developer to build too large a building on the lot. He also said he would prefer that Home Club, which sells home improvement and other household products, reduce the building size by about 10%.

City officials said no other retail stores in Torrance have rooftop parking.

Councilman Mark Wirth said he voted against the delay because he opposes the project, with or without the rooftop parking. As did many of the two dozen residents who live near the siteand who attended Tuesday’s meeting to oppose the project, Wirth said the project could increase traffic at an already-congested intersection.

The project is also strongly opposed by Major Paint Co. at 4330 W. 190th St.

Earlier this month, the paint company mailed post cards to all residents of two ZIP codes in North Torrance denouncing the project. The post card, which depicts a Home Club store surrounded by heavy traffic, called the traffic that would be generated by the store a potential nightmare.

Major Paint attorney Owen Petersen said the company opposes the project because of traffic concerns, not because it considers Home Club a competitor.