8B
Date: May 19, 2026
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. 3965
RECOMMENDATION
Second and Final Reading of ORDINANCE NO. 3965 providing for a zone change, pursuant to Division 9, Chapter 6, Article 1 of the Torrance Municipal Code, from the Hawthorne Boulevard / Pacific Coast Highway Intersection area sub-district (H-PCH) to the general commercial district (C-2), in conjunction with an amendment to the boundary of the Hawthorne Boulevard corridor specific plan (HBCSP), for properties located at 3800, 3801, 3810, 3825, 3830, 3855, 3860, 3880 Pacific Coast Highway and 24051, 24055 Neece Avenue 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 May 5, 2026, 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. 3965
2. Ordinance Summary
1 ORDINANCE NO. 3965
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA, PROVIDING FOR A ZONE
CHANGE, PURSUANT TO DIVISION 9, CHAPTER 6,
ARTICLE 1 OF THE TORRANCE MUNICIPAL CODE,
FROM THE HAWTHORNE BOULEVARD / PACIFIC
COAST HIGHWAY INTERSECTION AREA SUB -DISTRICT
(H-PCH) TO THE GENERAL COMMERCIAL DISTRICT
(C-2), IN CONJUNCTION WITH AN AMENDMENT TO THE
BOUNDARY OF THE HAWTHORNE BOULEVARD
CORRIDOR SPECIFIC PLAN (HBCSP), FOR
PROPERTIES LOCATED AT 3800, 3801, 3810, 3825, 3830,
3855, 3860, 3880 PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY AND 24051,
24055 NEECE AVENUE
ZON25-00001: DESIGN UA, INC. (MCDONALD’S USA, LLC)
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Torrance does ordain as follows:
SECTION 1
That the City Council of the City of Torrance does hereby find and determine that the Zone Change, as described in Section 3, Section 4, and Section 5 hereof, is in the public interest and will not be materially detrimental to the public welfare or to the property in the vicinity thereof, and that due and legal publication of notice was given to owners of property in the vicinity thereof and due and legal hearings have been held, all in accordance with the provisions of Division 9, Chapter 6, Article 1 of the Torrance Municipal Code (TMC).
SECTION 2
That said Zone Change is hereby approved, and the Official Zoning Map of the City of Torrance, which is incorporated by reference into Division 9 of the TMC and on file in the Community Development Department, is hereby amended to reflect the Zone Change for the properties described herein.
SECTION 3
That the properties subject to the Zone Change are in the City of Torrance, County of Los Angeles, State of California, and described as Assessor’s Parcel Numbers 7378-009-030, 7378-009-048, 7378-009-072, 7534-003-002, 7534-003-003, 7534-003-004, 7534-003-005, 7534-004-004, 7534-004-011, and 7534-004-012, as shown on the Assessor’s Parcel Maps of the County of Los Angeles. Said properties are commonly known as 3800, 3801, 3810, 3825, 3830, 3855, 3860, and 3880 Pacific Coast Highway, and 24051, 24055 Neece Avenue, and shown on the Official Zoning Map of the City of Torrance. The Zone Change applied by this Ordinance shall apply to the entirety of each property identified above, as such properties exist on the effective date of this Ordinance.
SECTION 4
That said properties described in Section 3 are hereby reclassified from the Hawthorne Boulevard / Pacific Coast Highway Intersection Area Sub -District (H -PCH) to the General Commercial District (C-2), subject to the provisions of Division 9 of the TMC. 2 ATTACHMENT 1
SECTION 5
That the boundary of the Hawthorne Boulevard Corridor Specific Plan (HBCSP) is hereby amended to remove said properties described in Section 3 from the Hawthorne Boulevard/Pacific Coast Highway Intersection Area Sub-District (H-PCH).
SECTION 6
That the Zone Change approved by this Ordinance is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), commonly known as the “common sense exemption,” in that it can be seen with certainty there is no possibility that the adoption of this Ordinance would have a significant effect on the environment. This finding is supported by the following facts:
1. That the Zone Change is a legislative action that does not, in and of itself, authorize physical development, intensify land use, or result in any direct or indirect physical change to the environment beyond what is contemplated by the General Plan; and
2. That the Zone Change is consistent with the existing General Plan land use designation of General Commercial (C-GEN), compatible with the surrounding land uses and established development pattern, and does not alter infrastructure planning assumptions; and
3. That no sensitive biological resources, prominent natural features, or unusual circumstances are known exist that would result in a significant environmental effect; and
4. That any future development or redevelopment of the subject properties would require separate approvals and compliance with CEQA, as appropriate.
Accordingly, no further environmental review is required for adoption of this Ordinance.
SECTION 7
That all Ordinances of the City of Torrance, inconsistent herewith to the extent of such inconsistency and no further, are hereby repealed.
SECTION 8
That this Ordinance shall take effect thirty (30) days after the date of its adoption, and prior to the expiration of fifteen (15) days from the passage thereof shall be published at least once in the Daily Breeze, a daily newspaper of general circulation in the City of Torrance.
INTRODUCED and APPROVED this 5th day of May 2026.
ADOPTED and PASSED this 19th day of May 2026.
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. 3965 SUMMARY
On May 19, 2026 , the City Council of the City of Torrance adopted an Ordinance approving a Zone Change (ZON25-00001) for properties located at 3800, 3801, 3810, 3825, 3830, 3855, 3860, 3880 Pacific Coast Highway and 24051, 24055 Neece Avenue (Assessor Parcel Numbers (APNs) 7378-009-030, -048, -072, and 7534-003-002, -003, -004, -005, and 7534-004-004, -011, -012), reclassifying the subject properties from the Hawthorne Boulevard / Pacific Coast Highway Intersection Area Sub -District (H-PCH) to the General Commercial District (C -2), in conjunction with an amendment to the boundary of the Hawthorne Boulevard Corridor Specific Plan (HBCSP) to remove the subject properties from the H-PCH sub-district.
The City Council found the Zone Change is consistent with the goals and policies of the General Plan and is compatible with surrounding land uses and zoning designations. The Zone Change will not result in adverse impacts to public health, safety, or welfare, and adequate public services and infrastructure exist or will be available to serve the properties. The Zone Change nor does approve any specific development project and will not result in a significant adverse environmental effect.
4 ATTACHMENT 2