College Sues Over Redevelopment

The El Camino Community College District is suing the city of Torrance, saying that it may be entitled to money from the city’s amended industrial redevelopment project.

The suit was filed this week in Torrance Superior Court to preserve the college’s options, said Donald Wickert, a consultant on redevelopment issues.

Wickert said college officials had asked him to analyze recent changes in the redevelopment project, which went into effect in late November, in order to determine how they would affect the college. But the city was not forthcoming, he said.

“I called the city at least five times, and basically, they didn’t return my calls,” Wickert said. The college decided that under the circumstances, it wanted to “hold open all the options,” so it filed the lawsuit before a 60-day deadline passed Wednesday, he said.

The redevelopment changes could ultimately affect the college by producing a larger population and more students, Wickert said. The college may attempt to negotiate with the city for payments to mitigate the effects of redevelopment, he said.

City Atty. Kenneth L. Nelson said that city officials are puzzled by the lawsuit. The college was notified of all meetings about the redevelopment changes, but college representatives did not speak at either of two public hearings, he said.

“We went ahead with our project thinking they’re happy, and then this happens,” Nelson said, adding that the city is “having a very hard time figuring out how (the college is) adversely affected.”

The city doubled the spending limits for the $90-million redevelopment project last fall, a move that has sparked two lawsuits from Los Angeles County, which is attempting to recoup a greater share of property taxes from the project.