Smaller Hotel Plan Sought by Council in Torrance : Development: The 79-room project was rejected because of its size in relation to the lot where it would be built.

The Torrance City Council Tuesday rejected a proposal for construction of a four-story hotel near the intersection of Lomita and Hawthorne boulevards, sending the developer back to design a smaller building for the site.

By a vote of 5 to 1, the council overturned the Planning Commission’s approval of the 79-unit hotel proposed by Rolling Hills Estates developer Francis R. J. Waung and his R. J. & Co. Inc.

“I just think the hotel needs a bigger piece of land to put it on,” said Councilwoman Dee Hardison. “I don’t know if the land is big enough to support a reasonably sized hotel that is economically feasible.”

The city Planning Commission had voted 5 to 1 to approve the Mediterranean-style hotel on Aug. 21. The Planning Department, however, consistently opposed it, and Hardison appealed the commission’s decision.

The principal concern cited by the Planning Department and council members was the high ratio of the building area to the lot size, a formula known as floor-area ratio.

The property, located on the south side of Lomita Boulevard about 255 feet east of Hawthorne Boulevard, has 32,209 square feet. The proposed hotel, excluding the underground parking lot, was to contain 33,590 square feet, for a floor-area ratio of 1.04.

Although she acknowledged that the city has permitted some hotels to have a floor-area ratio of 1.0 or greater, Hardison pointed out that three of the most recently constructed hotels in Torrance and a fourth that is under consideration all have a floor-area ratio under .70.

L. Douglas Broun, Waung’s attorney, tried unsuccessfully to counter the perception that the hotel would be too large for the site.

“We don’t believe that there is a consistent mathematical formula that can apply in all cases,” he said. “FAR (floor-area ratio) is a useful tool, but I don’t think it is a conclusive tool.”

Broun, a former Torrance councilman, argued that, compared with other possible retail, medical or office projects, a hotel would create less traffic and more revenue for the city.

But for the council majority, the issue was big buildings on small lots.

“This is, in my opinion, a very small piece of property to consider a hotel project on,” said Mayor Katy Geissert. “There is a density that I can’t encourage in this city involved here . . . FAR is a very legitimate way to measure concerns about density.”

Added Councilman Tim Mock: “There are certain red flags. One is the FAR over 1.0. The other red flag that this council is sensitive to is underground parking. This project has both red flags waving strongly. I would think that the developer would have to reduce the project by a significant amount to reduce those concerns.”

The developer offered to eliminate three rooms, reducing the hotel by about 1,000 feet, but the council insisted on more significant modifications and detailed plans.

Only Councilman Dan Walker voted to approve the project. Walker said that a hotel near Torrance Memorial Hospital would be a valuable addition to the community. But, he added, “perhaps this body simply wants in unison to say no to a hotel on that site.”

Broun was more optimistic. “We read into the decision that the council is not fundamentally opposed to a hotel use. It’s simply the size and scope of it. I’m sure that we’re going to reach a meeting of the minds with the council on this. I don’t think that there’s any vast gulf that we have to cross here.”

Broun said his client would submit a new design as soon as possible. “We’re disappointed, but we’re going to keep working on it,” he said.

The mayor, however, said it would not be enough to eliminate a few more rooms. “I’m not crazy about a hotel on Lomita Boulevard there. . . . But I’m not going to predetermine that. It’s a permitted use in that zone. But it’s kind of a small site for a hotel that would make economic sense.”

Councilman Bill Applegate excluded himself from the vote because he owns property near the site.