10D
Date: May 6, 2025
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Traffic Commission and
Craig Bilezerian, Public Works Director
By: Helen Shi, Engineering Manager | [email protected] Subject: Traffic Commission and Public Works – Adopt ORDINANCE Amending the Torrance Municipal Code (TMC) Modifying Parking Restrictions on the North Side of Maricopa Street. Expenditure: None.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation of the Traffic Commission and Public Works Director that City Council:
1. Adopt an ORDINANCE amending the Torrance Municipal Code (TMC) Division 6 Traffic, Chapter 1 Traffic, Article 6 Stopping, Standing, and Parking - Section 61.6.33 modifying parking restrictions on the north side of Maricopa Street in the City of Torrance; and
2. Adopt an Ordinance Summary for publication.
FUNDING
None required.
DISCUSSION
In 1996, the City Council approved Ordinance No. 3420, which prohibited parking on the north side of Maricopa Street between Crenshaw Boulevard and Hawaii Avenue and established a permit parking district in the Torrance Gardens area bounded by Maricopa Street, Torrance Boulevard, Maple Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard.
The Ordinance added Sections 61.6.32 and 61.6.33 to the Torrance Municipal Code (TMC) to address parking challenges caused by overflow parking from the Torrance Courthouse west of Maple Avenue and large businesses on the north side of Maricopa Street that existed at that time.
In 2005, the most significant business, Magnavox, was replaced by the Belmar Townhome complex (Belmar) at the northeast corner of Maricopa Street and Hawaii Avenue.
In October 2017, two residents of the Torrance Gardens area reported that Belmar residents and visitors were parking in their neighborhood, reducing available parking and violating existing permit parking restrictions outlined in the TMC. To provide a lega l and more convenient parking alternative, residents suggested allowing parking along the north side of Maricopa Street in front of Belmar. This change would also enhance safety by eliminating pedestrian crossings of Maricopa Street by Belmar residents.
1 City Council
May 6, 2025
In November 2017, staff removed parking restriction signs along the frontage of Belmar on the north side of Maricopa Street from Hawaii Avenue to Hickory Ave, or approximately 970 feet west of Alaska Avenue (see Attachment 1 – Location Map). Observations m ade by staff since the change indicate the additional parking has effectively served the community by providing needed parking for the Belmar residents, reducing parking overflow into the Torrance Gardens neighborhood to the south, and improving pedestrian safety, with no apparent negative impact.
On April 2, 2018, the Traffic Commission reviewed the matter and concurred with staff’s recommendation to allow parking along the north side of Maricopa Street from Hawaii Avenue to Hickory Ave.
The proposed Ordinance (Attachment 2) will remove, from the TMC, the parking restriction along the north side of Maricopa Street in front of Belmar, thereby making the TMC consistent with the current parking conditions. As with any public street in Torran ce, the California Vehicle Code’s 72-hour maximum parking rule will still apply. Additionally, parking on the north side of Maricopa Street from Hawaii Avenue to Hickory Ave will continue to be prohibited on Tuesdays from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. for street sweeping. The permit parking restrictions in the Torrance Gardens area will remain unchanged.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Location Map
2. Ordinance
3. Ordinance Redline
4. Ordinance Summary
2 CRENSHA
W
BLVD
MARICOPA ST
ELM AVE
SIERRA ST
MAPLE AVE
LESSERMANS T
FELBAR A VEFONTHILL AVE
KO
RNB
LUM AVE
TERI AVE
CRANBROOK
AV E
HICKORY
AVE
PAT R O N EL L A AV E
CE
RISE AVE
CALIFORNIA S T
FAY SM ITH AVE
ALASKA AVE
HAWAII AVE
CRENSHA
W
BLVD
MARICOPA ST
ELM AVE
SIERRA ST
MAPLE AVE
LESSERMANS T
FELBAR A VEFONTHILL AVE
KO
RNB
LUM AVE
TERI AVE
CRANBROOK
AV E
HICKORY
AVE
PAT R O N EL L A AV E
CERISE AVE
CALIFORNIA ST
FAY SM ITH AVE
ALASKA AVE
HAWAII AVE
Belmar
To w n ho m e
Community
Belmar
To w n ho m e
Community
Location Map
Maricopa Street Parking
MaricopaStreetParking(20180802).mxd
Area of Current NSAT Restriction
Per Municipal Code
NSAT = No Stopping Any Time
Area of Proposed NSAT Restriction
970'
ATTACHMENT 1
Area of Proposed Parking
NSAT = No Stopping Any Time
PROPOSED
EXISTING
3 ORDINANCE NO. ___
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
TORRANCE AMENDING SECTION 61.6.33 OF THE TORRANCE
MUNICIPAL CODE RELATED TO NO STOPPING–MARICOPA
STREET
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY TORRANCE ORDAINS AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1
Section 61.6.33 of the Torrance Municipal Code is amended in its entirety to read as follows:
“61.6.33 NO STOPPING–MARICOPA STREET.
There shall be no stopping any time along the north side of Maricopa Street, between Crenshaw Boulevard and 970 feet west of Alaska Avenue.”
SECTION 2
Any provisions of the Municipal Code or its appendices, or any other ordinances of the City of Torrance inconsistent with this ordinance to the extent of the inconsistencies and no further, are repealed.
SECTION 3
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 portions might subsequently be declared invalid or unconstitutional.
SECTION 4
Any person violating any provision of this Ordinance will be guilty of an infraction and, upon conviction thereof, will be subject to a fine as provided in Section 36900 of the California Government Code.
SECTION 5
This ordinance will take effect thirty days after the date of its adoption. Within fifteen 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 of _______________, 2025.
ADOPTED and PASSED this _____day of _______________, 2025. _____________________________
Mayor George Chen
4 ATTACHMENT 2
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
PATRICK Q. SULLIVAN, City Attorney ATTEST:
By:________________________________ _____________________________ Tatia Y. Strader, Assistant City Attorney Rebecca Poirier, City Clerk 5 ORDINANCE NO.
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
TORRANCE AMENDING SECTION 61.6.33 OF THE TORRANCE
MUNICIPAL CODE RELATED TO NO STOPPING–MARICOPA
STREET
The City Council of the City Torrance ordains as follows:
SECTION 1
Section 61.6.33 of the Torrance Municipal Code is amended in its entirety to read as follows:
“61.6.33 NO STOPPING–MARICOPA STREET.
There shall be no stopping any time along the north side of Maricopa Street, for west bound traffic, between Crenshaw BoulevardBlvd. and 970 feet west of Alaska Avenue.Hawaii Ave.” SECTION 2
Any provisions of the Municipal Code or its appendices, or any other ordinances of the City of Torrance inconsistent with this ordinance to the extent of the inconsistencies and no further, are repealed.
SECTION 3
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 portions might subsequently be declared invalid or unconstitutional.
SECTION 4
Any person violating any provision of this Ordinance will be guilty of an infraction and, upon conviction thereof, will be subject to a fine as provided in Section 36900 of the California Government Code.
SECTION 5
This ordinance will take effect thirty days after the date of its adoption. Within fifteen 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 of _______________, 2025.
ADOPTED and PASSED this _____day of _______________, 2025. _____________________________
Mayor George Chen
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
PATRICK Q. SULLIVAN, City Attorney ATTEST:
6 ATTACHMENT 3
By:________________________________ _____________________________ Tatia Y. Strader, Assistant City Attorney Rebecca Poirier, City Clerk 7 ORDINANCE SUMMARY
On May 6, 2025, the City Council of the City of Torrance adopted Ordinance No. _____ amending Section 61.6.33 of the Torrance Municipal Code. The amended Section 61.6.33 revised the Code to indicate that there shall be no stopping any time between Crenshaw Boulevard and 970 feet West of Alaska Avenue. The prior language provided for no stopping any time between Crenshaw Boulevard and Hawaii Avenue.
Passed, Approved, and Adopted the 6th day of May, 2025, by the following vote:
Ayes:
Noes:
Absent:
Abstain:
The full text of Ordinance No. ______ is available for inspection during regular business hours at the City Clerk’s Office (3031 Torrance Boulevard, Torrance, California 90503) Monday through Friday with alternating closed Fridays from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. or at https://www.torranceca.gov/government/city-clerk.
DATED THIS ____ DAY OF MAY, 2025
Rebecca Poirier, City Clerk
City of Torrance
3031 Torrance Boulevard
Torrance, California 90503
8 ATTACHMENT 4