Torrance City Council
December 3, 2024

ARTESIA BLVD PARKWAYMAINTENANCE RELINQUISHMENT PUBLIC WORKS | STREETSCAPE DIVISIONDecember 3, 20248E BACKGROUND•In 2003, City Council approved the following landscape improvements on Artesia Blvd., from Hawthorne Blvd. to Western Ave. (approximately 2.5 miles) •Installation of recycled water irrigation in parkways and center medians •Planting of trees and sod in parkways•Planting of trees and vegetation in center medians 2 BACKGROUND The City Currently Provides :•Parkway water for irrigation•Parkway maintenance of irrigation system•Parkway turf mowing•Parkway tree maintenance 3 ANALYSIS•Property owners or their landscapers have “cross-connected” their private potable water irrigation system with the City recycled water irrigation system in the parkways•Cross connection mixes recycled water with potable drinking water, which is not allowed and is a health concern 4 ANALYSIS•The County of Los Angeles Public Health has suspended the use of recycled water irrigation multiple times due to cross connection issues. Irrigation has been off for over two years•County of Los Angeles Public Health has recommended permanently disconnecting recycled water (to the parkways)•Recycled water will resume in the center medians 5 CONTINEOUS CITY MAINTENANCE•City recently planted 110 new trees located in vacant parkways and center medians. There are now 512 street trees on Artesia•The City will continue to maintain the trees in the parkways•The City will continue to maintain the trees, vegetation, and irrigation in the center medians6 RECOMMENDATION•Permanently discontinue recycled water to parkways•Return parkway maintenance responsibility of irrigating and mowing to the property owners consistent with Torrance Municipal Code 75.1.13, which states that it shall be the duty of property owners to provide for maintenance of grass and landscaping in public parkways abutting their property•Inform 192 property owners that are adjacent to the grass parkways of the transition. Issue 60 and 30-day written notice of letters and door hangers7 Questions?
8