Local News in Brief : Building Limits Studied

Three months after tightening controls on apartment and condominium projects, the Torrance City Council has asked city planners to study ways to limit construction of large single-family homes that change the character of residential neighborhoods.

The study, sought by Councilwoman Dee Hardison, will identify elements of the city’s zoning laws that may need to be updated to control “tear-downs,” where developers buy older homes and replace them with much larger dwellings.

Hardison said speculators have been buying lots, tearing down buildings and constructing three-story homes in southeast Torrance that “are totally inappropriate.”

She suggested, and four of her colleagues agreed, that the city’s 35-foot height limit on single-family lots should be reviewed. Hardison also suggested that a special use permit should be required for taller buildings.

In tightening controls on apartment and condominium projects, the council agreed to require a special permit for buildings more than 27 feet tall.

Councilman Bill Applegate warned that too many restrictions could “strike at the basics of your city growing” and modernizing.

Before any action is taken, Councilman Dan Walker insisted that homeowners be notified.