Building Ban Imposed in Old Torrance

Under pressure from residents who want to preserve the 1920s-vintage homes in their neighborhood, the Torrance City Council has imposed a 45-day moratorium on new development in a 20-block area of Old Torrance.

The council acted Tuesday night in response to petitions signed by 135 residents who warned that real estate speculation is resulting in the destruction of “many fine old homes” to make way for condominiums and apartments.

Councilman Tim Mock said that the area is unique and that demolishing the older homes would mean “a drastic change in the character of the neighborhood.”

The moratorium, approved unanimously, will allow city planners time to determine what is happening in the area roughly bounded by Maricopa Place and Dominguez Street on the north, Amapola Avenue on the west, Arlington Avenue on the east and Torrance Boulevard on the south.

Several Complaints

The building restrictions provoked immediate complaints from a real estate agent and several property owners who want to build multifamily units.

The moratorium movement appears to have been sparked by plans to demolish a vintage home in the 1000 block of Amapola Avenue and replace it with two-story condominiums. That block is one of the few left in the area that still consists only of single-family homes.

Resident Mike Wheeler said he and his neighbors fear that “real estate speculation will destroy all of Old Torrance. . . . We fear a domino effect is taking place in our neighborhood.”

Wheeler said the quality of life in the residential area will be “greatly diminished by overdevelopment.”

That sentiment was shared by other residents.

‘Motive Is Greed’

“The motive, plain and simple, is greed,” said Ed Aronson. “The developers want every square inch of property.”

Marilyn Rogers said: “Old Torrance is Old Torrance. It is a unique neighborhood.”

Her neighbor, Judy Weber, called on the council to protect the area from apartment and condominium projects that would “stick out like a sore, ugly thumb.”

But other residents objected to a moratorium, noting that the entire area had already been rezoned for multifamily units when the older homes were bought for development.

Jerry Musick said he had “paid very dearly” to buy a property zoned R-3 so that he could build multifamily units.

Contradicting others who spoke, Musick said: “This is definitely not the average, normal residential area.”

He said it is surrounded by businesses, apartments, condominiums and new office complexes in Torrance’s east-side redevelopment area. “People are going to need residential places to live,” he concluded.

Musick’s wife, Wanita, objected to a moratorium to protect Amapola Avenue. “How can we discriminate on the basis of one street?” she asked.