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North Torrance Homeowners Association |
Sometime in the spring of 1989, I became aware that Home Club wanted to developed the Mazda
property near 190th Street and Hawthorne Boulevard and build one of their mega-stores. I was
concerned that such a project would cause traffic problems and surely bring transient people into
our neighborhood, as happened at their Gardena store on Vermont Avenue. I printed a few
hundred handbills and a petition asking the City not to approve the project. While going door to
door, I met Beverly Bunker and Jim Beazhold also going door to door asking neighbors to protest
the Home Club project.
Ella Angell was Beverlyıs neighbor and Barbara Harris was my neighbor. We enlisted these
concerned citizens into our group and met at my home in May. Our first general meeting was on
June 14, 1989 in the cafeteria at North High School where the developer presented his Home Club
plans.
Shortly after the meeting we went to the City Council asking the project be denied. The City Council denied the project and we were on our way . . . . to power! We selected Northwest Torrance instead of all of North Torrance because it just looked too big. I was the first president, appointed, not elected! Joe Martinez served as president, Hope Witkowski served as president, Arnold Woo served as president and Patrick Furey is now serving as president. Each of us has served two terms or more. Other projects the organization has undertaken: Stopped construction of Home Club at the Mazda dealership property. Reduced the number of dwellings at the housing project at 182nd & Yukon. First to respond to problems at Columbia Park. Represented NWTHA on Mobil Refineryıs Citizen Advisory Council. Helped residents with the Prairie Avenue Resurfacing project. Asked Mobil Refinery to landscape the south-east corner of 190th St. and Hawthorne Blvd. Helped support Torrance citizens in opposing the Mills Corp. project at Del Amo Mall. Helped citizens opposing the selling of liquor at the service station at 190th St. and Praire Ave. A little humor aside . . . We have received calls from neighbors wanting us to help resolve disputes or property lines, trees hanging over property, etc. At one time we were soliciting members by going door to door. A woman told me that she didnıt want to join a homeowners association because she already had homeowners insurance! Fred Casstevens Vice President NTHA |
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