8C
Date: September 23, 2025
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Rebecca Poirier, City Clerk
By: Robert Williams, Deputy City Clerk I | [email protected] Subject: SECOND AND FINAL READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 3955
RECOMMENDATION
Second and Final Reading of ORDINANCE NO. 3955 amending Chapter 1, Article 3 of Division 9 of the Torrance Municipal Code by adding a new Section 91.3.4 pertaining to target residential density and approval of the Ordinance Summary for publication. This item is for consideration of adoption of the ordinance only. The item was previously discussed, and action was taken at a prior council meeting.
FUNDING
None required.
DISCUSSION
At the regular meeting of the City Council held on September 9, 2025, this Ordinance was discussed, introduced, and approved for its first reading by the following roll call vote:
AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS Gerson, Kaji, Kalani, Lewis, Mattucci, Sheikh, and Mayor Chen.
NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS None.
ABSTAIN: COUNCILMEMBERS None.
RECUSED: COUNCILMEMBERS None.
ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS None.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Ordinance No. 3955
2. Ordinance Summary
1 1
ORDINANCE NO. 3955
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING CHAPTER 1,
ARTICLE 3 OF DIVISION 9 OF THE TORRANCE
MUNICIPAL CODE BY ADDING A NEW SECTION 91.3.4
PERTAINING TO TARGET RESIDENTIAL DENSITY
LUS24-00005: CITY OF TORRANCE
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Torrance adopted a Housing Element Update for the 6th Cycle 2021 to 2029 Planning Period 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 4 of the Housing Element mandated an ordinance regarding the production of housing at or above the expected densities identified in the Land Use 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 target residential density) 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 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.
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.
NOW, THEREFORE the City Council of the City of Torrance does hereby ordain as follows:
SECTION 1
That a new Section 91.3.4 entitled “TARGET RESIDENTIAL DENSITY” shall be added to Article 3 of Chapter 1, of Division 9 of the Torrance Municipal Code to read in its entirety as follows:
“The Housing Element of the General Plan establishes expected density for residential development in Table C -1: Sites Inventory. These expected densities will act as the target residential density for the buildout of proposed residential development. The target residential density is the minimum density which should be considered for all residential, mixed -use, commercial, and public zones that implement the following General Plan Land Use Designations:
Low Density Residential (R -LO), Low -Medium Density Residential (R -LM), Medium Density Residential (R-MD), Medium-High Density Residential (R-MH), High Density Residential (R-HI), 2 ATTACHMENT 1
2 Residential Office (R -OF), General Commercial (C -GEN), Downtown Mixed -Use (DMU), Commercial Center (C-CTR), and Public/Quasi-Public/Open Space (PUB).”
SECTION 2
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 3
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 4
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 9th day of September 2025.
ADOPTED and PASSED this 23rd day of September 2025.
Mayor George K. Chen
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
PATRICK Q. SULLIVAN, City Attorney
by:
Tatia Y. Strader, Assistant City Attorney
ATTEST:
Rebecca Poirier, MMC, City Clerk
3 ORDINANCE NO. 3955 SUMMARY
On September 23, 2025, the City Council of the City of Torrance adopted Ordinance No. 3955 which adopts amendments to the Torrance Municipal Code (Division 9, Planning and Land Use Code) pertaining to Target Density. This ordinance updates the City of Torrance’s rules to make sure that new housing developments meet minimum density targets set in the city’s Housing Element, which is part of the General Plan. By adding a new section to the city’s municipal code, it requires that all future residential, mixed-use, commercial, and certain public projects are built at or above the expected number of homes per acre for each area, as listed in the city’s official plans. This change helps Torrance meet state housing requirements and encourages the construction of more homes, supporting the city’s goals for growth and affordability. 4 ATTACHMENT 2