The City of Torrance Planning Commission will meet
tomorrow night, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19,
2018
at 7 pm in the Torrance City Council
Chambers, 3031 Torrance Blvd, Torrance CA to consider a proposal
for
a Wendy’s drive-thru restaurant and adjoining
commercial building on the old El Paso Cantina site
at
3404 Sepulveda Blvd in Southeast
Torrance.
There are several other items on the agenda before
the Wendy’s project so it will take some time
for the two
previous proceedings to be completed before this
agenda is considered.
The El Paso Cantina property has been vacant for two years. The offer for
a Wendy’s franchisee is more desirable than another car wash, liquor
store, hotel, or a gasoline station. The unoccupied site has been
vandalized, burglarized and one RV owner even decided to park his vehicle
in
the lot without permission.
Traffic is now the number one issue for this project. The
City of Torrance mandated traffic study indicates that the following
intersections are
currently operating at unacceptable levels of service during the peak
hours:
Crenshaw Blvd/ Sepulveda Blvd Pennsylvania Ave/Sepulveda
Blvd Vine Avenue/Sepulveda Blvd Arlington Ave/Sepulveda
Blvd
City Staff has recommended that a traffic signal be installed
at Sepulveda Blvd and Pennsylvania Avenue.
The SETHA Board of Directors is opposed to the installation of the traffic
signal at Pennsylvania Ave and Sepulveda Blvd.
The Board of Directors does not concur with the recommendation, in the
Mitigated Negative Declaration, that a traffic signal be installed
at Sepulveda Blvd and Pennsylvania Avenue. A traffic signal would
interrupt through traffic flow on Sepulveda Blvd and increase traffic
in the residential area of Southeast Torrance along Pennsylvania Avenue and
adjoining streets.
In lieu of installing a traffic signal, as proposed in the traffic study,
signage could be provided that prohibits left turn movements from Pennsylvania
Avenue on to Sepulveda Blvd during the morning, mid-day, and evening peak
hours. This improvement measure allows motorists to turn left onto Sepulveda
Blvd during periods when traffic gaps are available (non-peak hours) and
does not interrupt through traffic flow on Sepulveda Blvd. during peak
hours. It meets all California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
requirements according to Scott Sato, P.E.., Vice President, Trames Solutions,
the preparer of the mandated traffic study.
In reviewing the traffic study on Pennsylvania Avenue, it appears the only
concern was for traffic from Sepulveda Blvd to 227th Street.
Data is not available to show the impact on Pennsylvania Avenue south of
227th Street. Pennsylvania Ave is not a collector street or an arterial street.
The installation of the proposed traffic signal will create the new
Crenshaw Blvd East Freeway.
It will provide west bound traffic on Sepulveda Blvd a cut-thru the
Southeast Torrance residential area along
Pennsylvania Avenue to avoid the intersections of Crenshaw Blvd and
Sepulveda Blvd along with Crenshaw Blvd and 235th Street/237th Street.
Pennsylvania Avenue is a local street with pedestrian traffic forced to
walk in the street because of the lack of curbs and sidewalks along the entire
length from Sepulveda Blvd to the Lomita city limits. The new Picerene
Apartments at Lomita Blvd and Crenshaw Blvd are projected to have in excess of
100 school age children. John Adams Elementary School, Howard Wood Elementary
School and Hull Middle School all have declining enrollment and students living
in the apartment complex would be eligible to be accepted as students in those
facilities. They would have to cross Pennsylvania Avenue to get to those three
schools.
What can you do about the proposed traffic signal? You can send an email
to Danny Santana, Secretary, Torrance Planning Commission with your
comments.
His email address is DSantana@TorranceCA.gov
You can attend the Planning Commission and speak during the public hearing
on the agenda item. You will be allotted 3 minutes to speak. Be sure to fill
out a speaker’s card which are available in the read of the Council
Chambers.
If you have any comments or suggestions, please email them to SoutheastTorranceHOA@yahoo.com.
John Bailey, President
Southeast Torrance Homeowner’s Association, Inc. (SETHA)
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