ORDINANCE NO. 3969
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING A FIRST
AMENDMENT TO A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT
BETWEEN THE CITY OF TORRANCE AND GABLE
HOUSE DEVELOPMENT LLC RELATED TO A
DEVELOPMENT AT 22501 HAWTHORNE BOULEVARD,
TORRANCE, CALTFORNTA (ASSESSOR'S PARCEL
NUMBER 7368-001-0r5)
RECITALS
WHEREAS, the City of Torrance (City) is a charter city under California law with a recognized mandate to preserve, protect, and enhance the general health and welfare of its residents; and WHEREAS, Section 65864 et seq. of the California Government Code authorizes cities to enter into Development Agreements with any person having a legal or equitable interest in real property for the development of such property; and
WHEREAS, Gable House Development LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the Applicant), has applied to the City to enter into a Development Agreement, in conjunction with a Modification (MOD) 24-0004 of a previously approved Conditional Use Permit (CUP22-00001) to add a condition of approval related to the Development Agreement, pertaining to a previously approved mixed-use development with density bonus comprised of 218 apartment units and 12,000 square feet of commercial floor area, on property located in the H-DA2 Zone at22501 Hawthorne Boulevard, Torrance, California herein referred to as the "Project"; and WHEREAS, the Applicant is the owner oI 22501 Hawthorne Boulevard, Torrance, California; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission, at a duly noticed public hearing, on June 15, 2022, approved CUP22-00001 and a Development Permit (DVP) 22-00001 in conjunction with the Project (Res. Nos. 22-046,22-047) (the "Project"); and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission, as part of the approval of CUP22-00001 and DVP22- 00001 determined the Project was Categorically Exempt from CEQA per Guidelines Section 15332 - lnfill Development; and
WHEREAS, the Development Agreement will not result in any impacts on the environment other than the impacts that would already result from the 2022 approval of the Project; and WHEREAS, the Planning Commission, at a duly noticed public hearing, on July 24, 2024, recommended that the City Council approve the Development Agreement by and between the City and the Developer; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission has transmitted its findings and recommendations to the City Council; and
1 WHEREAS, the City Council, at a duly noticed public hearing on August 13,2024, has reviewed and considered the Development Agreement and the findings and recommendations of the Planning Commission; and
WHEREAS, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 3934 on August 20,2026: and WHEREAS, on May 1, 2026, the Applicant submitted a request to City to amend the Development Agreement to allow an additional 120-day deferral of DIF payment following the occurrence of one of the specified triggering events; and WHEREAS, as part of the request, Owner offered to withdraw any pending Public Records Act ("PRq'¡ requests that have been submitted to the City and waive and release any existing or potential claims (i) against the City, (ii) relating and/or pertaining to the Gable House Apartments development ("Project'), (ii¡) based upon actions or omissions of the City, and (iv) occurring prior to the date of the final building inspection for the Project, as set forth below; and WHEREAS, the City and Applicant have agreed to amend the Development Agreement as described in the First Amendment to Development Agreement, which is attached hereto as "Exhibit A."
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Torrance does hereby ordain as follows
SECTION I
The City Councilfinds, with respect to the Development Agreement, that:
1. The findings from Ordinance No. 3934 are incorporated into these findings by this reference.
2. The recitals are incorporated into these findings by this reference
3. State Government Code Section 65864 et seq. authorizes cities to enter into Development Agreements with any person having a legal or equitable interest in real property for the development of such property.
4. Applicant has requested that the City consider entering into a First Amendment to the Development Agreement. The Applicant initiated the development agreement process, and all proceedings have been taken in accordance with the City and State' s adopted procedures.
5. The proposed First Amendment to the Development Agreement complies with all applicable City and State regulations governing Development Agreements.
6. Pursuant to Section 65867.5 of the Government Code, the proposed First Amendment to the Development Agreement is consistent with the objectives, policies and programs specified in the General Plan, the related Existing Entitlements, applicable zoning, and all other applicable plans, rules, regulations and official policies of City.
7. The proposed First Amendment to the Development Agreement encourages investment in and commitment to comprehensive planning, efficiently utilizing resources at the least economic cost to the public.
2 8. The proposed First Amendment to the Development Agreement provides public benefits beyond those necessary to mitigate Prolect development, such as a. additional revenues to the City, through the generation of additional property tax revenue and processing fees to fund public schools and City infrastructures; b. assistance in undergrounding of utilities along the 226tn Street frontage of the Project;
c. the redevelopment of an aging commercial property with a mixture of new commercialand residential uses, wrapped around a seven-level parking structure, in a site plan and design that promotes, encourages and attracts new consumers, including those from outside the City; and
d. continuing the redevelopment of uses along the Hawthorne Boulevard Corridor that promote the viability of commercial and residential uses along the most prominent arterial in the City consistent with the goals and objectives of the Hawthrone Boulevard Corridor Specific Plan.
L The proposed First Amendment to the Development Agreement will not be detrimentalto the public health, safety and general welfare, or adversely affect the surrounding properties.
10. The proposed First Amendment to the Development Agreement strengthens the public planning process, encourages private participation in comprehensive planning, and reduces costs of development and government.
11. The proposed First Amendment to the Development Agreement is consistent with the conditions of previous and concurrent discretionary approvals for the subject development, including but not limited to the existing entitlements.
12.The proposed First Amendment to the Development Agreement contains all of the provisions, terms and conditions, which, in addition to those required by Government Code Section 65865.2, are deemed to be necessary and/or desirable to implement the City's General Plan.
13. The terms and conditions of the First Amendment to the Development Agreement have undergone extensive review by the City and the City Council and have been found to be fair, just and reasonable.
14. Based upon the above findings, the proposed First Amendment to the Development Agreement is consistent with public necessity, convenience, general welfare and good zoning practice.
SECTION 2
The City Council hereby approves the First Amendment to the Development Agreement and authorizes and directs the Mayor to enter into the First Amendment to the Development Agreement in the name of the City of Torrance and, further directs the City Clerk to record the First Amendment to the Development Agreement and this ordinance with the County Recorder within ten (10) days of its effective date.
3 SECTION 3
lf 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
The City Council finds, in its independent judgement, that all impacts on the environment that may result from the approval of the First Amendment to the Development Agreement were already considered during the approval of the Project (which is not being modified by this Agreement), and thus the approval of the First Amendment to the Development Agreement is also exempt from CEQA review pursuant to the Class 32 categorical exemption (CEQA Guidelines S 15332) and no further CEQA review is required. The City Council further finds, in its independent judgement, that no unusual circumstances that create a reasonably possibility that the Project would result in a significant effect on the environment, and othenvise finds that no exceptions to the Class 32 exemption exist. No new or increased significant impacts would result from the approval of the First Amendment to the Development Agreement when compared to the 2022 project approval.
sEcTroN 5
This ordinance shall take effect 30 days after the date of its adoption. Within 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.
SECTION 6
lf a third party brings a claim, lawsuit, action, or any other proceeding (collectively, a "Claim") against the City attacking or otherwise challenging the approval of this ordinance, the Applicant shall, at its own expense, fully defend, indemnify, and hold harmless City, its agents, officers and employees from that Claim.
4 INTRODUCED and APPROVED this 9th day of June 2026.
ADOPTED and PASSED this 23'd day of June 2026.
APPROVED AS TO FORM
PATRICK Q. SULLIVAN, C
Mayo e K. Chen
ATTEST:
MC, City Clerk
Kalani, Lewis, Mattucci, Sheikh, and Mayor Chen.
None.
None.
None.
Gerson and Kaji
ity Attorney
by
Y. Strade Assistant Attorneyf,
Attachment:
Exhibit A - First Amendment Development Agreement
TORRANCE CITY COUNCIL ORDINANCE NO. 3969
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
crTY oF TORRATUCE
SS
l, 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 June 2026 and adopted and passed by said Council at a regular meeting held on the 23'd day of June 2026 by the following roll call vote:
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)
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AYES: COUNCILMEMBERSNOES: COUNCILMEMBERS
ABSTAIN: COUNCILMEMBERS
RECUSED: COUNCILMEMBERS
ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS
Date: 7 7v Ête Re
City
C
of City of Torrance
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FIRST AMENDMENT DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITYCITY OF
TORRANCE, A CALIFORNIA MUNICIPAL CORPORATION, AND GABLE HOUSE
DEVELOPMENT LLC, A DELAWARE LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY
This First Amendment to Development Agreement (the “First Amendment”) is made and entered into as of June 9, 2026, by and between the City of Torrance, a California municipal corporation (“City”), and Gable House Development, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Owner”).
A. On August 20, 2024, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 3934 approving a Development Agreement with Gable House Development LLC, a Delaware limited liability company.
B. Pursuant to the Development Agreement, a lump-sum DIF payment $1,065,036.04 would become due upon the earlier of final building inspection approval or issuance of a certificate of occupancy for the first dwelling unit within the development or applicable development phase.
C. On May 1, 2026, the Owner submitted a request to City to amend the Development Agreement to allow an additional 120-day deferral of DIF payment following the occurrence of one of the specified triggering events.
D. As part of the request, Owner offered to withdraw any pending Public Records Act (“PRA”) requests that have been submitted to the City and waive and release any existing or potential claims (i) against the City, (ii) relating and/or pertaining to the Gable House Apartments development (“Project”), (iii) based upon actions or omissions of the City, and (iv) occurring prior to the date of the final building inspection for the Project, as set forth below.
E. Owner and City agree to amend the Development Agreement as described in this Frist Amendment.
1. Paragraph 4.6, entitled “Timing of DIF Fee Payment”, is amended to read in its entirety as follows:
“4.6. Timing of DIF Fee Payment. All DIF Fee payments must be paid 120 days after the first dwelling unit within the development or applicable phase receives a temporary certificate of occupancy, a certificate of occupancy, or a final building inspection approval, whichever comes first.”
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2. Paragraph 10.12, entitled “Release, Waiver, and Discharge” is added to read in its entirety as follows:
10.12 Release, Waiver, and Discharge. In consideration of the deferment of fees owed to the City in Paragraph 4.6, Owner, on behalf of itself and its subsidiaries, agrees:
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a. Neither Party is making any admission or concession with respect to the Released Claims and nothing in this First Amendment shall constitute precedence or evidence in any other proceeding, except that this First Amendment shall be admissible evidence in any proceeding to enforce the terms of the First Amendment.
b. Each of the Parties (i) is relying on its own judgment and has taken the opportunity to seek the advice of its own legal counsel with respect to this First Amendment and (ii) assumes the risk of any mistake of fact(s) unknown to that Party relating in any way to this First Amendment.
c. This First Amendment contains the entire agreement between the Parties and that no statement, representation, promise, or inducement, implied or expressed, not contained within this First Amendment has influenced or induced either Party to execute this First Amendment.
In all other respects, except as modified by this First Amendment, the Development Agreement is ratified, reaffirmed, and remains in full force and effect.
City of Torrance,
a municipal corporation
_______________________________
George K. Chen, Mayor
Gable House Development, LLC.,
a Delaware limited liability company
By: ______________________
Name
Title
ATTEST:
_______________________________
Rebecca Poirier, MMC
City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
PATRICK Q. SULLIVAN
City Attorney
By: ____________________________