No Environmental Review of Arts Center
Torrance officials decided Wednesday that a complete environmental review of the city’s Cultural Arts Center is not needed, despite a lawsuit demanding that they conduct one.
The five city staff members who make up the Environmental Review Board voted unanimously that an agreement to share parking with Epson Inc., which is completing its headquarters just north of the future arts center, resolves any environmental problems that the arts project might cause.
An attorney for developer Jerry Conrow, whose March lawsuit demanded the full environmental report, argued that the staff had not properly studied the impact of parking, traffic and noise on the $12.2-million arts complex.
Conrow had hoped to stop construction of the project, which broke ground in February, because the city late last year created strict new parking regulations that prevented him from leasing one of his office buildings for use by the Torrance Superior Court.
He argued that the city’s project should have to meet the same strict standards as private buildings do.
The review board’s decision can be appealed to the full City Council, Planner Jeffery Gibson said.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
