5A
Date: April 14, 2025
To: Members of the Community Planning and Design Committee From: Michelle Ramirez, Community Development Director
Aram Chaparyan, City Manager
By: Kevin Joe, Planning Associate
Oscar Martinez, Planning Manager
Subject: City Manager and Community Development - Accept and File Update on Religious Institution Housing Overlay Zone Ordinance (LUS24-00006). Expenditure: None.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation of the City Manager and Community Development Director that the Community Planning and Design Committee accept and file an update regarding the draft Religious Institution Housing Overlay Zone Ordinance.
FUNDING
There is no funding required for this action.
BACKGROUND
In 2020, the State Legislature passed AB 1851, which facilities the construction of housing on religious institution properties. Under AB 1851, a local agency is prohibited from requiring the replacement of the religious use parking spaces that are displaced by the proposed housing development project as long as it does not reduce more than 50% of the available parking of the religious use. In 2023, the State Legislature passed SB 4, which requires housing development project be a use by right on land owned by an independent institution for higher education or religious institution on or before January 1, 2024, provided that the development is not adjoined to any site where more than one-third of square footage on the site is dedicated to industrial use. SB 4 requires that 100% of the units, exclusive of the manager’s unit in the housing project be affordable to lower income households, except that 20% of the units may be for moderate income households, and 5% of the units may be staff of the independent institution for higher education or religious institution that owns the land. This bill would allow a local government to review the project for compliance with objective planning standards and evaluate potential environmentally impacts under CEQA, however the project cannot be subject to discretionary review.
On June 14, 2022, the City Council adopted the Housing Element Update for the 6th RHNA Cycle for the 2021 to 2029 planning period, which was deemed compliant with State housing law by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). During the Housing Element Update stakeholder interview with service providers and affordable housing developers, partnering with religious institutions for developing affordable housing was cited as effective way of providing affordable housing.
As a result, a Housing Element program was incorporated that called for revising the Zoning Code and Zone Map to establish a Religious Institution Housing Overlay Zone. RIH-OZ would apply to properties 1 City Council Community Planning and Design Committee
April 14, 2025
owned by and operated by religious institutions but would not apply to properties leased for a religious institution. To qualify for the RIH-OZ, the units must be affordable to low income (80% area median income) households.
DISCUSSION
The draft Ordinance (Attachment 1) will amend the Zoning Map to create RIH-OZ for the properties designated in the Housing Element Sites Inventory and add a new Section 91.52 entitled “Religious Institution Housing Overlay Zone” to the Torrance Municipal code to establish RIH-OZ objective development standards. The RIH-OZ is voluntary in that the owner can elect to develop housing pursuant to the development standards. The underlying permissible uses and development standards of the base zone will apply for owners that chooses not to pursue housing under the RIH-OZ.
RIH-OZ will allow single-family, two-family, multiple-family residential, and senior citizen housing uses by right without discretionary review. Development projects would still be subject to CEQA review to evaluate potential environmental impacts, such as traffic, noise, hydrology, and air quality.
The maximum density will be limited to 31 dwelling units per acre excluding units allowed under State Density Bonus law. The proposed development standards will include building stepbacks for building height over 30 feet, lower height limits and wider setbacks for buildings that are adjacent to properties in the R-1 Zone and compatibility standards to help protect impacts to neighboring uses. Existing standards applicable to all zoning districts will still apply to properties utilizing the RIH-OZ unless specifically addressed in the RIH-OZ. The table below summarizes the proposed development standards:
Sub-Group 1 Sub-Group 2
Maximum Density 31 du/ac 31 du/ac
Building Height 35 feet
27 feet if building is within 20
feet of abutting R-1 District
50 feet
35 feet if building is within 20
feet of abutting R-1 District
Building Stepbacks Building on lots adjacent to R-1 shall provide 5-foot setback for every additional 10 feet in height for building above 30 feet Front Yard Setback 10 feet
15 feet if front yard faces a
major arterial or higher street
classification
10 feet
15 feet if front yard faces a
major arterial or higher street
classification
Side Yard Setback 5 feet
10 feet if side yar is adjacent
to R-1 or faces major arterial
or higher street classification
10 feet
15 feet if side yard is adjacent
to R-1
Rear Yard Setback 5 feet
10 feet if rear yard is adjacent
to R-1
10 feet
20 feet if rear yard is adjacent
to R-1
Parking 0.5 space per dwelling 1 space per dwelling
2 City Council Community Planning and Design Committee
April 14, 2025
These development standards were created with the assistance of a consultant to implement a Housing Element program and crafted to be able to accommodate a portion of the City’s RHNA obligation.
The Housing Element Sites Inventory identified 25 RIH-OZ sites (Attachment 2) that could potentially accommodate 267 units, assuming development meeting the target density of 23.25 dwelling per acre, towards the City’s low income RHNA of 2,844 units. The RIH-OZ ordinance as currently drafted will apply to the 25 church sites identified in the Housing Element Sites Inventory. Staff will be revising ordinance so the RIH-OZ will apply to all parcels City wide that are owned on or before January 1, 2024 by an independent institution of higher education or religious institution and meet the eligibility requirements of SB 4 to ensure that the proposed housing developments on these sites will be uniformly regulated.
Planning Commission Hearing
On March 19, 2025, the Planning Commission conducted a public hearing and took public testimony and correspondence on the draft Ordinance. Various members of the community spoke and raised concerns regarding the draft Ordinance as it reduces parking requirements, could negatively impact light and views, and would allow residential development on parcels without a hearing process. Many of the speakers understood that the State has put certain requirements for housing on the City and praised staff’s efforts to come up with objective standards. Commissioners commented on adding notification requirements to inform surrounding neighbors, reducing allowable heights and not allow architectural elements to exceed allowable heights.
Staff recommends that the Community Planning and Design Committee accept and file the update on the draft Ordinance. Staff intends to forward the revised draft Ordinance to the Planning Commission on May 7, 2025 for public hearing and recommendations to the City Council at a future date.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Draft Ordinance
2. RIH-OZ Sites
3 ORDINANCE NO.___________
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
TORRANCE, CALIFRORNIA, AMENDING SECTION 91.3.2
REGARDING DISTRICTS ESTABLISHED OF THE TORRANCE
MUNICIPAL CODE AND ADDING CHAPTER 1, ARTICLE 52 OF
DIVISION 9 SECTION 91.52 REGARDING RELIGIOUS
INSTITUTION HOUSING OVERLAY ZONE.
LUS24-00006 CITY OF TORRANCE
WHEREAS, City Council adopted a Housing Element Update on June 14, 2022, which has been deemed compliant with state housing law by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD); and
WHEREAS, Program 1, Objective 7 of the Housing Element mandated an ordinance to revise the Zoning Code and Zoning Map to create a Religious Institution Housing Overlay Zone on properties designated in the Sites Inventory to allow for new low income and mixed-use housing; and
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Torrance hereby finds that the proposed amendment to the Torrance Municipal Code is consistent with the City’s General Plan Housing Element; and WHEREAS, the City Council adopted an Initial Study and Negative Declaration (ND) that were prepared in conjunction with the Housing Element Update; and WHEREAS, no substantial changes are proposed under the project (an Ordinance to establish Religious Institution Housing Overlay Zone) and there are no substantial changes in the circumstances under which the project will be undertaken that will require major revisions to the previously approved Negative Declaration (ND) due to the involvement of new significant environmental effects, or a substantial increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects. There is no “new information of substantial importance” as that term is used in CEQA Guidelines Section 15162 (a)(3). Therefore, the previously adopted ND adequately discusses the potential impacts of the project; and
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Torrance hereby finds that the proposed amendment to the Torrance Municipal Code is consistent with the City’s General Plan Housing Element pursuant to §65860 of the State Government Code.
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TORRANCE DOES HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1
That Section 91.3.2 entitled “District Established” shall be amended as follows:
“91.3.2 DISTRICTS ESTABLISHED.
In order to classify, regulate, construct and segregate the use of land and buildings, to regulate and restrict the height and bulk of buildings, and to regulate the area of yards and other open spaces about buildings, the following classes of districts are hereby established, which said several classes of districts are shown and delineated on that certain series of maps entitled “City of Torrance – Official Land Use Plan” which are hereby adopted and made a part of this Chapter by this reference:
Attachment 1
ATTACHMENT 1
4 R-1 Single family residence district
R-2 Two family residence district
R-3 Limited multiple family residence district
R-R-3 Restricted multiple family residence district
R-4 Unlimited multiple family residence district
R-5 Highrise residential district
L-P Limited professional office district
R-3-3 Three-unit multiple-family residential district
A-1 Light agricultural district
C-1 Retail commercial district
C-2 General commercial district
C-3 Solely commercial district
C-4 Shopping center district
C-5 Conditional commercial district
C-R Restricted commercial district
Civic Center district
M-1 Light manufacturing district
M-2 Heavy manufacturing district
M-L Limited manufacturing district
P-1 Open area – planting – parking
P-U Public use district
HMD Hospital-medical-dental district
RTH Residential townhouse district
Downtown Torrance district
R-H Hillside and local coastal overlay zone
P-D Planned development district
Madrona Marsh district
Small lot, low-medium overlay zone
HBCSP Hawthorne Boulevard Corridor Specific Plan Zone
ROO Residential office overlay district
5 C/RTO Commercial/residential transition overlay district Downtown residential multiple-family residential district Torrance Tract overlay zone
HCO Housing Corridor Overlay Zone
RIH-OZ Religious institution housing overlay zone
SECTION 2
That Article 52 entitled “RIH-OZ Religious Institution Housing Overlay Zone” shall be added and to Chapter 1, Division 9 of the Torrance Municipal Code:
“ARTICLE 52 – RIH-OZ RELIGIOUS INSTITUTION HOUSING OVERLAY ZONE
91.52.010 PURPOSE
The Religious Institution Housing Overlay Zone creates opportunities for future affordable housing development on existing religious institutional land within the City of Torrance. The RIH-OZ was established as part of the implementation of the General Plan Housing Element and meeting the City’s Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) allocation. In addition to the General Plan Housing Element update, the Religious Institution Housing Overlay seeks to utilize State of California Senate Bill 4, signed into law on October 11, 2023, which permits housing as a use by right on lands owned by an independent institution of higher education or religious institution.
91.52.020 APPLICABILITY
The Religious Institution Housing Overlay Zone is applicable to geographic areas shown on the Torrance Zoning Map.
91.52.030 RELATIONSHIP TO BASE ZONING DISTRICTS
a) The Religious Institution Housing Overlay Zone is applied over base zoning districts and is elective, rather than mandatory. New housing development projects would be permitted uses by right on religious institutional land and properties where the RIH-OZ is applied are required to either comply with the requirements of the base zoning district, or elect to comply with the requirements of the RIH-OZ. Existing standards applicable to all zoning districts (e.g. sign standards, fence/wall standards, parking design standards) will still apply to properties utilizing the RIH-OZ, unless specifically established by the RIH-OZ. b) When RIH-OZ regulations conflict with the standards of the base district, the less restrictive standards will prevail.
91.52.040 PERMISSIBLE USES
In the Religious Institution Housing Overlay Zone, the uses permitted in the base district are permitted. Additionally, the following uses are permitted:
a) Single-family residence
b) Multi-family residence
c) Two-family residence
6 d) Flat building, apartment house, bachelor apartment e) Bungalow court
f) Multiple-family residence
g) Multiple owner-occupied residential structures
h) Senior citizen housing
91.52.050 DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS
The development standards of the Religious Institution Housing Overlay Zone are established with two different Sub-Groups.
Sub-Group 1 is comprised of sites under 2 acres.
Sub-Group 2 is comprised of sites 2 acres or larger.
Existing structures shall not be deemed nonconforming for not meeting the standards of the Religious Institution Housing Overlay Zone.
91.52.060 DENSITY
a) The goal of the Religious Institution Housing Overlay Zone is to add very low-income and low-income housing in the City of Torrance on religious institutional grounds. The individual sites are listed by Appendix C: Sites Inventory, Table C-1. b) The maximum density shall be 31 dwelling units per acre.
91.52.070 BUILDING HEIGHT
a) Sub-Group 1: The maximum building height shall be 35 feet; buildings within 20 feet of an abutting R-1 District are limited to 27 feet.
b) Sub-Group 2: The maximum building height shall be 50 feet; buildings within 50 feet of an abutting R-1 District are limited to 35 feet.
c) Buildings on lots adjacent to the R-1 District shall provide additional stepbacks for building height above 30 feet. Above 30 feet, the building shall provide a 5-foot stepback in the depth of the façade for every additional 10 feet of height, or fractional portion thereof. d) The following structures are allowed to exceed the established building height limit:
skylights, chimneys, flagpoles, rooftop open space features (such as trellises and sun shades), elevator and stair towers, decorative features (such as spires, bell towers, cupolas, obelisks, and monuments), fire escapes and catwalks required by law, solar panels, building-mounted antennas and tele-communication facilities, ordinary plumbing or heater vents, and utilities.
91.52.080 SETBACKS
Encroachments such as decks, porches, and eave overhangs shall comply with the provisions of Division 9, Article 5 (Yards).
a) Front Yard.
1) Sub-Group 1: The front yard shall be 10 feet, unless the front yard faces a street identified as a major arterial or higher street classification in the Circulation Element, in which case the front yard shall be 15 feet. 7 2) Sub-Group 2: The front yard shall be 10 feet, unless the front yard faces a street identified as a major arterial or higher street classification in the Circulation Element, in which case the front yard shall be 15 feet. b) Side Yard
1) Sub-Group 1: The side yard shall be 5 feet; or 10 feet where the side yard property line is adjacent to a property in the R-1 District, unless the side yard faces a street identified as a major arterial or higher street classification in the Circulation Element, in which case the side yard shall be 10 feet.
2) Sub-Group 2: The side yard shall be 10 feet; or 15 feet where the side yard property line is adjacent to a property in the R-1 District, or faces a street identified as a major arterial or higher street classification in the Circulation Element, in which case the side yard shall be 10 feet.
c) Rear Yard
1) Sub-Group 1: The rear yard shall be 5 feet; or 10 feet where the rear yard property line is adjacent to a property in the R-1 District.
2) Sub-Group 2: The rear yard shall be 10 feet; or 20 feet where the rear yard property line is adjacent to a property in the R-1 District.
d) Yard Adjacent to Internal Drive Aisle. The yard adjacent to internal drive aisles shall be 5 feet.
91.52.090 USEABLE OPEN SPACE
Useable open space is not required on parcels within the Religious Institutional Housing Overlay Zone.
91.52.100 PARKING
a) Existing Parking. Up to 50% of existing off-street parking required for the religious institution may be removed in order to construct new housing in place of the existing parking.
b) Minimum Parking Spaces Required. These minimum requirements replace the numerical provisions of Division 9, Chapter 3, Article 2 (Use and Parking Spaces Required). The remaining parking design standards of Division 9, Chapter 3 (Off-Street Parking) shall apply to all projects.
1) Sub-Group 1: A minimum of 0.5 parking spaces per dwelling unit shall be provided. 2) Sub-Group 2: A minimum of 1 parking space per dwelling unit shall be provided. c) Tandem parking will be allowed.
91.52.110 RESIDENTIAL UNIT SIZES:
The Housing Corridor Overlay establishes the following minimum unit sizes for residential units.
These minimum unit sizes supersede the standards established by Division 9, Article 20 (Living Areas).
a) Studio Unit. The minimum unit size shall be 450 square feet. b) One-Bedroom Unit. The minimum unit size shall be 600 square feet. c) Two-Bedroom Unit. The minimum unit size shall be 800 square feet. d) Three-Bedroom Unit or Greater. The minimum unit size shall be 1,000 square feet. 8 91.52.120 COMPATIBILITY STANDARDS
a) Upper floor windows that are oriented towards existing residential land uses shall incorporate obscured glass and/or a minimum five-foot sill height when allowed by the Building Code.
b) Balconies and upper floor decks that are oriented towards existing residential land uses shall incorporate a minimum five-foot tall privacy walls that are constructed of a solid or opaque material.
c) Where parcels share a property line with single-family residential uses, a fence or wall constructed of solid and opaque material shall be erected not to exceed 8 feet in height.” SECTION 3
Any provisions of the Torrance Municipal Code or its appendices, or any other ordinances of the City inconsistent with this ordinance to the extent of the inconsistencies and no further, are repealed.
SECTION 4
If any section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase of this ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by the decision of any court of competent jurisdiction, the decision will not affect the validity of the remaining portions of the ordinance. The City Council declares that it would have passed this ordinance and each section, subsection, sentence, clause and phrase irrespective of the fact that anyone or more sections, subsections, sentences, clauses or phrases are declared invalid or unconstitutional.
SECTION 5
This ordinance shall take effect thirty (30) days after the date of its adoption. Within fifteen (15) days following adoption, this ordinance or a summary of this ordinance if authorized by the City Council, will be published at least once in the Daily Breeze, a newspaper of general circulation, published and circulated in the City of Torrance.
INTRODUCED and APPROVED this ____________ day _________ 2025.
ADOPTED and PASSED this ____________ day ____________ 2025. __________________________
Mayor George Chen
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
PATRICK Q. SULLIVAN, City Attorney ATTEST:
By: _______________________
Rebecca Poirer, City Clerk
_______________________________
Tatia Y . Strader, Assistant City Attorney
9 Religious Institution Housing Overlay Zone
Housing Element Sites Inventory
Site
Number APN Address Base Zoning
Zoning
Overlay
Net Realistic
Capacity
33 7519-025-049
21100 Victor St
R-3
14 63
7370-002-002
2300 Sepulveda Blvd
C-3/P1
2 88
7357-010-012
1900 Crenshaw Blvd
M-2
16 94
7514-023-030
330 Palos Verdes Blvd
R-3
Hillside
10 106
7371-020-016
2051 236th St
R-1
2 131
4087-016-033
16831 Ainsworth Ave
R-3/C-2
25 146
7370-010-009
2150 Sepulva Blvd
C-3
5 177
7524-015-104
3611 Torrance Blvd
H-DA2
9 193
7547-003-015
3646 Newton St
R-3
5 216
7528-005-009
22605 Kent Ave
R-3
18 231
7371-020-032
2059 236th St
R-1
0 241
7534-006-012
4000 Pacific Coast Hwy
C-2
15 254
7511-021-004
375 Palos Verdes Blvd
R-3
Hillside
9 311
4088-006-027
17910 Prairie Ave
R-3
21 314
4085-032-008
18015 Prairie Ave
A-1
4 332
7359-023-038
2900 Carson St
R-2
19 353
7524-006-001
4527 Spencer St
R-3
2 361
4096-009-067
2115 182nd St
C-3/P1
7 366
7519-026-040
4915 Emerald St/20730 Victor St
R-1
9 369
7524-007-035
4345 Emerald St
ML (M-1PP)
25 391
7514-005-005
6122 Pacific Coast Hwy
R-3
4 400
7362-014-011
2930 El Dorado St
R-1
9 420
7371-020-041
2077 236th St
R-1
4 493
7527-021-006
4565 Sharynne Ln
A-1
8 495
7377-013-001
2701 237th St
M-1PP
25 267
Attachment 2
ATTACHMENT 2
10