Artesia Boulevard Hotel Rejected

The Torrance City Council voted 6 to 1 Tuesday to reject a proposal for a 102-room hotel on Artesia Boulevard because the project would have been too dense for the area.

The proposal also called for the subdivision of the 2.3-acre property, which lies between Western and Van Ness avenues, into one commercial and six residential parcels.

The project required a zone change from light manufacturing to general commercial and an amendment to the city’s General Plan.

The proposed three-story hotel was to be built over a one-level underground parking structure. Council members who voted against the project said they were concerned about the hotel’s density and the inclusion of the underground parking structure.

“It appears you are trying to squeeze something into a small space and therefore have subterranean parking when most hotels have surface parking,” Councilman George Nakano told the property owner, Ben Agarwal.

Nakano also said the hotel was too isolated and questioned whether it would attract customers.

“The hotel is in a convenient and visible location and will surely attract business travelers from the highway,” Agarwal said.

Councilman Dan Walker voted for the hotel because there are no other hotels in the area.