Newsletter No. 65

Touch-and-go’s are returning to Torrance Airport.

Last January the Council, acceding to residents’ fury, banned them. And residents enjoyed a return to quieter skies.

The pilots, however, were unhappy and formed a 501(c)3 called Zamperini Airfield Preservation Society. Such nonprofits can raise money, and donors can claim tax deductions. The pilots then used the money to hire an attorney to sue the City in U.S. District Court.

Judge Consuelo B. Marshall ordered both sides to try mediation with a court date of May 23 to report that they had either settled or would proceed with a trial. She wanted a heads-up on the status by May 15.

So, on May 13 the Council met in closed session to decide whether to accept the proposal before them. Evidently, the City’s outside lawyers – hired for their expertise with FAA cases – had advised the City it would lose a court case. 

From what I was told, initially the only person in the room who favored acceptance, and actually advocated for the pilots’ side, was Mayor George Chen. The other council members eventually agreed.

In mediation, the pilots started with wanting all regulations on T&Gs lifted. They ended up agreeing to a ban on weekends and holidays and a curfew between 6 p.m. and 10 a.m.

Could this end up as a pyrrhic victory for the pilots?

When District 1’s Jon Kaji raised the possibility of shutting down the airport and using its vast real estate for other purposes, I argued in defense of the airport, as did others.

My tone may change . . . wonder about the others.

Mark your calendars:

Entertainment on three stages. Activities for children, such as a petting zoo of L.A. Philharmonic instruments. Juried art and photo show. Vendors selling handmade items. Food trucks. Wine and beer.

And it’s all free.

TOCApalooza, the South Bay Festival of the Arts, is the Torrance Cultural Arts Foundation’s gift to the community. For more information, go to https://www.torrancearts.org/shows/tocapalooza.

If you have never been, click on the video to see what to expect. Although we can’t guarantee that former Council member Mike Griffiths will again be dancing in the aisles.

June 21. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Torrance Cultural Arts Center, 3330 Civic Center Dr.

Before I go:

The City’s deadline for correspondence to be included in the Council’s pre-meeting public supplemental is 5:30 p.m. the Monday before the meeting. The Council will receive anything that comes in later before the meeting, but it won’t be posted until Wednesday. It will be at the top of the agenda. You can also leave voicemails to be included as Oral Communications in the supplemental. Call 310-618-2404 to leave up to a two-minute recording that will be transcribed. Voicemails have the same deadlines as the emails.

Want to tell the City Council your opinion on an agenda item or address any concerns? Send it to CityCouncil@torranceca.gov; in the subject line put the agenda item or the topic. The City has changed how to have your comments appear in an agenda item’s Staff Report.

You should use the OneMeeting Public Portal at https://torranceca.primegov.com/public/portal?fromiframe=true.

Jean Adelsman

Feel free to share this email -- or tell friends about www.TakeBackTorrance.com. And if you email a response to jeanadelsman@yahoo.com, please indicate whether you are expressing a thought for my eyes only or whether I may share your comments with the whole audience.