Torrance council, Oct. 6: holiday-light traffic plan for Seaside Ranchos, 20 senior apartments approved, coyote contract ends

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Civic center building and trees in Torrance

A HUD performance report also showed no HOME funds went to an affordable-housing project in the 2025-26 program year.

By Alberto Zamudio | The Southbound 105 | Oct. 15, 2026

Torrance's City Council covered a lot of local ground at its Oct. 6 meeting, from how police will manage crowds at one of the South Bay's best-known holiday-light displays to a new senior housing project.

The account below is based on a summary of the meeting transcript published by Govly. It has not been checked against official minutes, which were not available for review.

Seaside Ranchos holiday lights

The council unanimously selected a "status quo" option for the Seaside Ranchos holiday lights: police traffic deployment with graduated ingress control, the summary says. Staff cited approximately $176,960 in anticipated labor resources for the 2025 season. The council also asked staff to return with a way to waive park rental fees for up to four homeowners association events and to waive Cultural Arts Center rental fees for the holiday toy drive, with future budget accommodation to be considered.

Senior apartments over a split vote

The council approved resolutions 2026-91 through 2026-94 denying an appeal and authorizing entitlements for a mixed-use development of 20 senior apartments and 1,608 square feet of commercial space. Two council members voted no and one recused, according to the summary. It did not state the project's location or cost, and it did not name the members who voted no or recused.

Housing and sidewalks: the HUD report

The council received and filed the city's fiscal year 2025-26 performance report to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The summary says Community Development Block Grant money supported 13,300 feet of sidewalk improvements and 21 ADA-compliant curb ramps. It also says no HOME funds were spent on an affordable-housing project that year.

Other actions

  • Investment policy: the council unanimously adopted Resolution 2026-90, establishing the city's 2026 investment policy, and approved an acknowledgement letter extending services with Bank of America. Staff confirmed an RFP had previously been conducted; no contract value was stated.
  • Cottage food: the council approved Ordinance 3970, amending cottage-food rules for December activities. The mayor voted no.
  • Coyotes: the city's existing coyote-trapping contract ended Oct. 6, and a standby trapping contract will be maintained for as-needed situations.

What the summary leaves out

The Govly summary is built from the meeting transcript, and it repeatedly notes what the transcript did not say: no value for the Bank of America extension, no dollar figure for the approved development, and no names for the members who voted no or recused. Those gaps matter for a story about public money and land use, and this report does not guess at them. The official agenda packet and the minutes posted by the city clerk are the place to find them.

What to make of it

Three items touch everyday life directly. The holiday lights decision means residents and visitors should expect the same kind of police-directed traffic management as in the past, with the cost to the city measured in staff time. The senior apartments move forward after an appeal was denied. And the HUD report shows where federal block-grant money went: sidewalks and curb ramps rather than a new affordable-housing project funded through HOME.

The summary does not say whether the HOME funds remain available for future years or why none were used, a question for the city.

Why it matters

Torrance residents get a look at how a mid-size South Bay city divides limited federal housing and infrastructure dollars. The split votes on the housing project and the cottage-food ordinance also show where the council was not unanimous.

What's next

  • Staff return items: staff are to come back with a method to waive some park and Cultural Arts Center rental fees; watch upcoming agendas.
  • Holiday lights season: the traffic plan will be in effect for the Seaside Ranchos display this holiday season.
  • Official record: Torrance posts agendas, staff reports and minutes on its city clerk page; they hold the roll calls and amounts.
  • Coyote concerns: residents can ask the city about the standby trapping contract.

Want more local news? Read more at The Southbound 105.

Cover photo: Thurifer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

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