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), 1 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.
SECTION4
This ordinance shall take effect thirty (30) days after the a ate 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 23 rd day of September 2025.
eo rge K. Chen
APPROVED AS TO FORM :
PATRI CK . SULLI V , City Attorney ATTEST : -E
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2 TORRANCE CITY COUNCIL ORDINANCE NO. 3955
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
CITY OF TORRANCE
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I, Rebecca Poirier, City Clerk of the City of Torrance, California, do hereby certify that the foregoing Ordinance was duly introduced and approved by the City Council of the City of Torrance at a regular meeting held on the 9th day of September 2025 and adopted and passed by said Council at a regular meeting held on the 23 rd day of September 2025 by the following roll call vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSTAIN:
RECUSED :
ABSENT:
COUNCILMEMBERS
COUNCILMEMBERS
COUNCILMEMBERS
COUNCILMEMBERS
COUNCILMEMBERS
Date:_~_/fJ/_f/ gG_
Gerson, Kaji,
Mayor Chen.
None.
None.
None.
None.
3 Kalani, Lewis, Mattucci, Sheikh, and
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Reb cca Poirier, MM C
City Clerk of the City of Torrance