Torrance Rejects Signs

The Del Amo Fashion Center has run into strong city opposition to its efforts to install four “electronic reader boards” at the periphery of its mall in central Torrance.

The Torrance City Council voted 6 to 1 Tuesday night to reject plans for the beige signs, which would display illuminated messages promoting mall stores, hours and events. The largest sign, on Hawthorne Boulevard, would stand 34 feet high and have an area of 336 square feet, making it the largest sign of its kind in Torrance.

“Everyone knows where Del Amo is. We don’t need big flashes,” said Beverly Sachar, a Redondo Beach resident who attended the meeting.

Some City Council members said they worry that the lighted messages--with four lines of type--could provoke traffic problems. “You’re expecting someone to be driving down one of the busiest streets in the city and be reading your sign at the same time,” said City Councilman Bill Applegate.

Attorney Milan D. Smith Jr., representing Del Amo, said mall officials still hope to erect new signs. “We’ll sit down with (city) staff and with council and see if we can reach a meeting of the minds,” he said.