Apartment complex approved by Planning Commission in Torrance – The Daily Breeze

A mixed-use development on Hawthorne Boulevard in Walteria that will include nine apartment units and almost 3,800-square-feet of office space has won the unanimous approval of the Torrance Planning Commission.

The three-story apartment complex is the first since May 2019 to win approval in the community, where residents who live in single family homes largely oppose high-density housing proposals, monthly municipal permit records show. Torrance officials approved a trio of apartments that month, but none since, despite the states on-going housing crisis.

The development will rise on the former site of the now-closed ABC Pool & Patio at 24449 Hawthorne Blvd., just south of Pacific Coast Highway before the commuter thoroughfare begins its climb up the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

The area is one of six designated districts along Hawthorne Boulevard in a planning document first adopted in 1996 that envisions an urban village atmosphere providing a rich mixture of retail shops, restaurants and offices.

Future development is envisioned to retain the unique characteristics of the area with new buildings placed behind the sidewalk with little or no setback, fostering a pedestrian orientation, the staff report to the commission said. Mixed use development is encouraged with residential units located above retail or office space.

The report said the project will bring a vibrant element to the Walteria District.

The project provides for apartment housing and promotes housing near to employment and commercial centers while providing 25% of the gross floor area for commercial purposes, the report said. The proposed mixed-used development is in close proximity to businesses, commercial services, restaurants, a public park, library and other amenities that will serve the commercial tenants and residents and will complement the pedestrian character of the Walteria sub-district.

The planning commission approved the project at its Wednesday meeting.

Mike Griffiths, who this year founded a group called California Cities for Local Control to fight state bills that could make it easier to build more high-density housing, said the apartment complex complements the neighborhood.

That type of density makes sense in that particular area, he said. I wouldnt want it to go up next to my house.

The city is definitely in a slow-growth mode, Griffiths added.

Apartment construction has been in short supply in Torrance in recent years, after a political backlash in response to criticism surrounding a series of dense condominium developments, including those near Wilson Park several years ago.

A mixed-use building that includes almost 40 apartments is currently under construction on Carson Street in Old Torrance. Residents successfully fought a gas station and convenience store initially proposed for the site.

Last year the city rejected a proposed 46-unit apartment complex in North Torrance.

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Apartment complex approved by Planning Commission in Torrance - The Daily Breeze