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ORDINANCE NO. 3931
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING SECTION
91.37 .3(A) OF CHAPTER 1 OF ARTICLE 37 OF DIVISION
9 OF THE TORRANCE MUNICIPAL CODE TO REGULAT'E
THE APPROVAL PROCESS AND PLACEMENT OF
PICKLEBALL COURTS IN THE P-U (PUBLIC USE) ZONE
RECITALS
WHEREAS, the City of Torrance is a charter city under California law with a recognized mandate to preserve, protect, and enhance the general health and welfare of its residents; and WHEREAS, on October 10, 2023, the City Council directed staff to draft an ordinance that would establish a minimum distance between pickleball court placements in City parks and surrounding residential uses; and
WHEREAS, based on data collected, staff would propose Torrance Municipal Code 91.37.3(a) be amended to regulate the approval process and placement of pickleball courts in City parks; and WHEREAS, on February 7, 2024, the Planning Commission held a duly noticed public hearing regarding the proposed amendment to Torrance Municipal Code 91.37.3(a) and, at the conclusion of the public hearing, voted to recommend approval of Land Use Study 24-00001 to the City Council; and
WHEREAS, on March 12, 2024, the City Council conducted a duly noticed public hearing and considered adoption of an amendment to the Torrance Municipal Code pertaining to the approval process and placement of pickleball courts in the P-U (Public Use) Zone; and WHEREAS, the City Council finds that this Ordinance is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act pursuant to Sections 15378 and 15061(b)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA, DOES RESOLVE, DECLARE, DETERMINE AND ORDER AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1
Chapter 1 of Article 37 of Division 9, Section 91.37.3(a) of the Torrance Municipal Code is amended in its entirety to read as follows:
1 "91.37.3 CONDITIONAL USES.
a) Property located in the P-U zone may be used for such quasi-public purposes as privately owned or operated educational institutions including grades 1 through 12, community colleges, colleges, churches and other eleemosynary uses when a Conditional Use Permit has been granted in accordance with the provisions of Chapter
5. Regarding the placement of a pickleball court in the P-U Zone, there shall be a minimum of 250 feet measured from the center of each court to any property developed with a residential use, as measured by a parcel line. Any pickleball court placed in a P-U Zone prior to the adoption of Ordinance No. 3931, will not be subject to the 250 feet requirement and will be allowed to remain in place, as installed .
SECTION 2
If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase or portion of this ordinance is for any reason deemed or held to be invalid or unconstitutional by the decision of any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision will not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Ordinance . The City Council of the City of Torrance hereby declares that it would have adopted this Ordinance and each section, subsection, sentence, clause phrase or portion thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, sentences, clauses, phrases or other port ions might subsequently be declared invalid or unconstitutional.
SECTION 3
Any inconsistent provIsIons of the Torrance Municipal Code, or any other inconsistent ordinances of the City, are repealed, to the extent of the inconsistencies.
SECTION 4
This ordinance was reviewed pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (Public Resources Code§§ 21000, et seq ., "CEQA") and the regulations promulgated thereunder (14 Cal. Code of Regulations §§15000 , et seq., the "CEQA Guidelines"). This ordinance is exempt pursuant to CEQA Guidelines 15378 , because the activity undertaken involves general text amendments that would not cause either a direct physical change in the environment or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment and does not meet the definition of a "Project" under CEQA. The proposed Ordinance is also exempt from CEQA Guidelines under Section 15061 (b)(3) because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the Ordinance may have a significant effect on the environment. The ordinance consists only of bolstering public nuisance regulations. Adoption of this ordinance will not have the effect of deleting or substantially changing any regulatory standards or required findings. 2