Skip to content

Chapter 1

Article 40 — DOWNTOWN TORRANCE DISTRICT

Torrance Zoning Code · 2026-06 edition · updated 2026-07-07 · Torrance

91.40.010 CREATION OF DISTRICT.

A Downtown Torrance District is hereby established, the boundaries of which shall be as follows:

Commencing at the intersection of Cota Avenue and the first alley north of Torrance Boulevard, easterly along said alley to the alley between Cravens Avenue and Sartori Avenue, then south to Torrance Boulevard, easterly along Torrance Boulevard to Border Avenue, south along Border Avenue to the first alley south of Carson Street, westerly along said alley to Gramercy Avenue, north and east along Gramercy Avenue to the first alley southwest to Cravens Avenue, northwesterly along said alley to Portola Avenue to Torrance Boulevard west on Torrance Boulevard to Cota Avenue, north on Cota Avenue to the point of beginning.

91.40.020 DOWNTOWN TORRANCE DISTRICT, COMMERCIAL SECTOR PERMISSIBLE USES.

Downtown Torrance District Land Use Matrix

P – Permitted

C – Conditional Use Permit required

A – Administrative Planning Permit required

X – Not Permitted

If a proposed use is not listed in the following table, the Community Development Director shall make a determination of which listed use most closely corresponds, not permitted, or if a Conditional Use Permit or Administrative Permit is required.

Automotive Related Uses

Automotive Related Uses
Auto Parts Sales – No Installations P
Auto Parts and Car Stereo Sales – with Installations C
Automobile Repair C
Automobile Rentals X
Automobile Sales and Leasing,with repair/service X
Automobile Sales and Leasing, without repair/service X
Automobile Service Stations X
Car Wash,Full Service C
Car Wash, Mechanical Self Service X

Eating and Drinking Establishments

Automobile Service Stations
Car Wash,Full Service
Car Wash, Mechanical Self Service
Eating and Drinking Establishments
X
C
X
Alcohol Service in conjunction with restaurant C
Bars and Cocktail Lounges C
Breweries, wineries, taprooms C
Entertainment in conjunction with a bar or restaurant C
Outdoor Dining on private property in conjunction with
established restaurant
A
Restaurants, Class I (full-service) C
Restaurants,Class II(fast-food)no drive-through C
Restaurants, Class III (take-out) A
Restaurants, Class IV (limited service/snack shop, bakery, deli, ice
cream, yogurt)
A
Restaurants with drive-through sales X

Health Care Services

Restaurants, Class IV (limited service/snack shop, bakery, deli, ice
cream, yogurt)
Restaurants with drive-through sales
Health Care Services
A
X
Extended Care Facilities X
Surgery Clinics – Outpatient services only P
Offices- Medical, Dental, or licensed healing professional P
Residential Care Facilities X

Recreation, Community Services, Education, Public Assembly

Arcades, Virtual Reality Gaming C
Billiard Parlors C
Child or Adult DayCare C
Community Service Facilities, Clubs, Lodges and Meeting Halls C
Commercial Recreation C
Dance, Fitness, Gymnastic, Martial Arts Studios (under 2,000 SF
of assemblyarea)
P
Dance, Fitness, Gymnastic, Martial Arts Studios (2,000 SF and
over of assembly area)
C
Educational Institutions C
Escape Rooms C
Religious Facilities C
Schools –business or trade schools C
Theaters, Cinemas C

Residential

Religious Facilities
Schools –business or trade schools
Theaters, Cinemas
Residential
C
C
C
Affordable Housing C
Mixed-Use Development, including both residential and
commercial components (Residential may include Senior Citizen
Housing)
C
Multi-Family Residential, stand-alone C
Senior Citizen Housing, stand-alone C

Retail Trade

Housing)
Multi-Family Residential, stand-alone
Senior Citizen Housing, stand-alone
Retail Trade
C
C
Accessory sales of non-cannabis sourced CBD products as defined
in Section 413.010, accounting for no more than ten percent (10%)
of total floor area of primary use
P
Animal Sales andgrooming, pet store – no overnight boarding P
Antique Store/Vintage P
Appliance store P
Artisans Studios P
Art Supplystore P
Bakery P
Bicycle (sales, rental, repair, service) P
Bookstore P
Building Materials Sales, indoor P
Butcher Shop, retail P
Candy/confectionerysales,retail P
Cigar, hookah lounge C
Clothing sales P
Coffee,tea store P
Collectible, coin, hobby store P
Consignment store P
Convenience or Liquor store P
Delicatessen P
Drive-in and drive-through sales X
Electronics sales (consumer) P
Flooring, carpet sales P
Florist shop P
Furniture store P
Glass studio P
Gift store P
Grocerystore P
Gun/Firearms store X
Hardware supply store P
Health food,supplystore P
Jewelry, watch sales/repair P
Music store P
Paint,wallpaper sales P
Paper product sales, stationery store P
Party supplies store P
Pawn Shop (withoutgun/firearms sales) C
Pharmacy P
Photofinishing, retail P
Plant Nurseries, garden supply store P
Retail Stores, general merchandise(withoutgun/firearms sales) P
Shoe sales/repair P
Sign store P
Sporting goods store(withoutgun/firearms sales) P
Thrift/Secondhand store A
Tile sales P
Tobacco,smoke,vape shops C
Toy stores P
Wine shop P
Window coveringsales P

Service Uses

Toy stores
Wine shop
Window coveringsales
Service Uses
P
P
P
Banks,Credit Unions,and Financial Services P
Barber, beauty, hair, nail salons, cosmetologists, skin care P
Body Art Establishments (subject to separation requirements) P
Check Cashing X
Dressmaker,tailor shop P
Drive-in and Drive-through Services X
Dry Cleaner P
Funeral Parlors and Mortuaries P
Hotel and Motels C
Interior decorator P
Laundromat P
Locksmith P
Metal engraving, trophy shop P
Offices, governmental P
Offices, professional P
Personal Improvement Services, 1,200 SF or less in area and with
six or fewer students on-site for instruction at one-time
P
Personal Improvement Services, more 1,200 SF in area and with
more than six students on-site for instruction at one-time
A
Photographystudio P
Print, publishing shop (blueprinting, photocopying) P
Public Safety Facilities P
Public Utilities(excludingoffices) P
Real estate office P
Repair and Maintenance Services, Consumer Products (Indoors) P
Taxidermist P
Upholstery shop P
Veterinary Clinics and Animal Hospitals P
Other Uses
Art Gallery, Museums (under 2,000 SF) P
Art Gallery,Museums(2,000 SF and over) C
Parking facilities (private, stand-alone) P
Recording studio P

91.40.030 DOWNTOWN TORRANCE DISTRICT, COMMERCIAL SECTOR PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.

a) Exterior colors shall be consistent with the Downtown Color Palette.

b) Business operations shall comply with Municipal Code Noise Standards.

c) There shall be no outdoor storage or display of products or merchandise. All storage and display of merchandise or products shall be within the building.

d) The business operator or property owner shall maintain the premise clear of weeds, debris and trash.

e) The business operator or property owner shall on a regular basis clean the sidewalk in front of the building and keep the storefront free of debris.

f) Employees of the business shall be prohibited from parking in on-street parking spaces.

g) Trash generated by the business shall not be disposed of in public trash receptacles.

h) The business shall comply with Fire Department and Building Code requirements for building occupancy.

i) The storefront windows shall remain clear of signs, posts and materials that give it an unsightly appearance.

91.40.040 MAINTENANCE OF PROPERTY; NUISANCES.

It is hereby declared a public nuisance for any person owning, leasing, occupying or having charge of any premises in the Downtown Torrance District to maintain such premises in such manner that any of the following conditions are found to exist thereon:

a) Buildings which are abandoned, partially destroyed, or left in a state of partial construction for prolonged periods, and as a result thereof are unmaintained and deteriorating;

b) Attractive nuisances in the form of abandoned and broken equipment dangerous to children;

c) Maintenance of premises in such conditions as to be detrimental to the public health, safety, morals or general welfare;

d) Property maintained in such condition of deterioration or disrepair that the same causes appreciable diminution of the property values of surrounding properties or is materially detrimental to proximal properties and improvements;

e) Property maintained by itself or in conjunction with others so as to establish a prevalence of depreciated values, impaired investments, and social and economic maladjustments to such an extent that the capacity to pay taxes is reduced and tax receipts from such particular area are inadequate for the cost of public services rendered therein;

f) For the purposes of this Section, abandonment shall mean unoccupied, unmaintained for a period of two (2) years.

91.40.050 ABATEMENT BY REPAIR, REHABILITATION, DEMOLITION OR REMOVAL.

All or any part of premises found as provided herein, to constitute a public nuisance, may be abated by rehabilitation, demolition or repair pursuant to the procedures set forth herein. The procedures set forth herein shall not in any manner limit or restrict the City from enforcing the City ordinances or abating public nuisances in any other civil proceeding provided by law.

91.40.060 DECLARATION OF NUISANCE.

Whenever the Planning Commission finds that any premises within the Downtown Torrance District is maintained contrary to one (1) or more of the provisions of Section 91.40.040., the Planning Commission shall institute proceedings to declare such premises a public nuisance in accordance with the procedures established in Article 32 of Chapter 2 of Division 9 of this Code.

Get a plain-English answer with a citation back to this text.

Ask AI about this code
Contents — Torrance Zoning Code
Torrance Zoning Code
  1. Chapter 1
    Overview
    1. Article 1 — DECLARATION OF PURPOSE
    2. Article 2 — DEFINITIONS
    3. Article 3 — ESTABLISHMENT OF DISTRICTS Revised 10/25 Revised 1…
    4. Article 4 — R-1 SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT
    5. Article 6 — R-2 TWO FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT
    6. Article 7 — R-3 LIMITED MULTIPLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT
    7. Article 8 — R-R-3 RESTRICTED MULTIPLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DISTR…
    8. Article 9 — R-4 UNLIMITED MULTIPLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT
    9. Article 10 — R-P RESIDENTIAL PROFESSIONAL DISTRICT
    10. Article 11 — R-5 HIGH RISE RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT
    11. Article 12 — LP - LIMITED PROFESSIONAL OFFICE DISTRICT
    12. Article 13 — R-3-3 THREE-UNIT MULTIPLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DIST…
    13. Article 15 — A-1 LIGHT AGRICULTURAL DISTRICT
    14. Article 20 — C-1 RETAIL COMMERCIAL DISTRICT
    15. Article 21 — C-2 GENERAL COMMERCIAL DISTRICT
    16. Article 22 — C-3 SOLELY COMMERCIAL DISTRICT
    17. Article 23 — C-4 SHOPPING CENTER DISTRICT
    18. Article 24 — C-5 CONDITIONAL COMMERCIAL DISTRICT
    19. Article 25 — C-R RESTRICTED COMMERCIAL DISTRICT
    20. Article 26 — CIVIC CENTER DISTRICT
    21. Article 30 — M-1 LIGHT MANUFACTURING DISTRICT
    22. Article 31 — M-2 HEAVY MANUFACTURING DISTRICT
    23. Article 32 — M-L LIMITED MANUFACTURING DISTRICT
    24. Article 35 — P-1 OPEN AREA - PLANTING - PARKING
    25. Article 36 — MULTIPLE OWNER-OCCUPIED RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES
    26. Article 37 — P-U PUBLIC USE DISTRICT
    27. Article 38 — H-M-D HOSPITAL-MEDICAL-DENTAL DISTRICT
    28. Article 39 — R-TH RESIDENTIAL TOWNHOUSE DISTRICT
    29. Article 40 — DOWNTOWN TORRANCE DISTRICT
    30. Article 41 — R-H HILLSIDE AND LOCAL COASTAL OVERLAY ZONE
    31. Article 42 — P-D PLANNED DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT
    32. Article 43 — MADRONA MARSH DISTRICT
    33. Article 44 — SMALL LOT, LOW-MEDIUM OVERLAY ZONE
    34. Article 45 — HAWTHORNE BOULEVARD CORRIDOR SPECIFIC PLAN ZONE (…
    35. Article 46 — RESIDENTIAL OFFICE OVERLAY DISTRICT (ROO)
    36. Article 47 — COMMERCIAL/RESIDENTIAL TRANSITION OVERLAY DISTRIC…
    37. Article 48 — DOWNTOWN RESIDENTIAL MULTIPLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL …
    38. Article 49 — TORRANCE TRACT OVERLAY ZONE
    39. Article 50 — HISTORIC PRESERVATION ORDINANCE
    40. Article 51 — HCO HOUSING CORRIDOR OVERLAY ZONE
  2. Chapter 2
  3. Chapter 3 — OFF STREET PARKING
  4. Chapter 4 — VARIANCES - WAIVERS
  5. Chapter 5 — CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS
  6. Chapter 6 — REZONING - PRECISE PLAN.
  7. Chapter 7 — OIL.
  8. Chapter 8 — HELICOPTERS
  9. Chapter 9 — SCHEDULE OF FEES
  10. Chapter 10 — TRIP REDUCTION AND TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT
  11. Chapter 11 — SIGNS Revised 4/25

GoCodebook provides public access, search, citation, multilingual explanation, and practical interpretation of legally adopted building regulations. It is not a substitute for the official ICC or California code publications.