Neighborhood Wins on Zoning Issue

At the urging of local residents who sought to preserve their neighborhood’s character, the Torrance City Council has voted to rezone a two-block neighborhood from multifamily to single-family zoning.

In a petition to the Planning Department, 21 residents near Border Avenue and San Ardo Street asked for the zone change to ban apartment buildings and condominiums. There are 26 single-family houses on the two blocks.

The change will take effect June 29. There was no opposition to Tuesday’s council action.

Residents have told city officials that they oppose the density that apartment buildings have brought to surrounding neighborhoods.

In a similar situation last month, 16 residents of the 1000 block of Amapola Avenue asked the city to declare the block a historic overlay district. Residents said they feared that without the historic zoning, developers would replace older homes with condominiums and apartments. The council instead approved a zone change that requires a public hearing before any construction takes place on that block.