Caruso Offers New Project Details at Community Council Meeting

By FRANCES SHARPE | Editor-in-Chief

Developer Rick Caruso delivered some new nuggets of information about his proposed Palisades Village project at a special Pacific Palisades Community Council (PPCC) meeting with more than 350 residents on Wednesday, Nov. 18 in the big gym at the Palisades Recreation Center.

The meeting’s intended focus centered on the [Village Project Land Use Committee] (VPLUC), which presented a preliminary report on the project to the Pacific Palisades Community Council (PPCC) board.

The real highlights, however, came from Caruso, who offered the following new insights into the project that is slated to open in time for the holidays in 2017.

Special deals for existing Swarthmore stores: Caruso announced that he is offering existing retailers on Swarthmore the same deal they had before he bought the property in addition to loans to build out their new spaces if they choose to stay.

The news met with applause as the developer added, “We’re going to begin talking to them soon.”

Parking Options: After several people asked about parking during a Q&A session, Caruso said he wanted to put to rest “a really bad rumor that we don’t have adequate parking. We have adequate parking,” he emphasized.

The Palisades Village project will provide 470 stalls in two levels of underground parking plus 29 stalls on Swarthmore, which is more parking than required by the existing code of the City of Los Angeles.

When asked about parking for employees, Caruso said, “We’re in talks with areas outside the property, such as Palisades High School, as possible sites for employee parking.”

During peak shopping periods, employees would park off-site and be bused to the property, leaving more on-site parking for guests.

Priority for residents: Caruso announced that he is considering a system that would give residents in the 90272 zip code priority when reserving seats at the new Bay Theater, which will include five screens and a total of 300 seats.

Bay Theater marquee reduced in size: After listening to community input, Caruso has reduced the size of the proposed Bay Theater marquee to 32 feet in height. (Note: Caruso said 30 feet at the meeting, but during the fact- checking process, he corrected it to 32 feet.)

Security on the property: When one resident expressed concern that the project might lead to an increase in crime in the surrounding Alphabet Streets, Caruso pointed to LAPD statistics showing that crime in the neighborhood around The Grove is down 42 percent.

Caruso also revealed he has agreed with LAPD to have a dedicated foot patrol at The Grove in addition to the firm’s 24-hour private security detail.

“We’d like to do that here too, and we’ve started the process with LAPD,” he said.

On-site property management: Caruso assured residents that after construction on the Palisades Village project has been completed, there will be on-site property management.

“We have to be responsive to the community,” he said, adding that he is willing to make tweaks after the project is built. “We’re flexible as we have been with all our projects.”

Working with Alphabet Streets neighbors: Caruso vowed to continue working with residents in the surrounding neighborhood on issues such as traffic flow.

The developer has proposed making Swarthmore a one-way street with drivers required to make a right turn onto Monument as a way to avoid traffic heading into the residential neighborhood.

Sue Kohl, who is the PPCC board representative for the Alphabet Streets, suggested, “Maybe there could be more discussion of letting people turn left” as a convenience for residents trying to get home.

In a phrase the developer would repeat many times throughout the evening, Caruso said, “It’s your neighborhood and that’s up to you. We want to do what’s best for the neighborhood.”

VPLUC REPORT

The meeting kicked off with David Kaplan, Chair of VPLUC, providing an overview of the project, a review of what Caruso is allowed to build according to the Specific Plan and existing zoning, plus an overview of areas where the project varies from the Specific Plan.

Kaplan reported that the 116,215 square feet Caruso Affiliated is proposing to build is “less than the maximum allowed by right for a mixed-use commercial/residential project.”

Regarding Caruso’s plans that vary from the Specific Plan, Kaplan said, “The fundamental purpose for the applicant’s proposed amendments to the Specific Plan is to allow the project to spread out the proposed square footage over the entire property and therefore significantly lower its density.”

The VPLUC Chair added, “Community opinion expressed to date in a variety of forums generally has been supportive of this project.”

Areas of concern among some residents include traffic, parking, location and height of buildings and mix of uses, according to VPLUC’s findings.

Kaplan concluded that the PPCC should continue with ongoing discussions before making any kind of final report or recommendations regarding the project.

(To view VPLUC’s full report, visit pp90272.org/VPLUC.pdf.)

Following Kaplan’s report, PPCC board members and residents in attendance took the microphone to voice comments ranging from enthusiastic support for the plans to a variety of suggestions for the project.

Some residents expressed concerns about traffic despite an independent study that concluded the project will not cause a significant impact on traffic.

The study should be made available within a few weeks after it is reviewed by the city, according to Caruso.

Board members Kaplan and Susan Payne both had a more optimistic take on the project’s possible effects on traffic.

“We’re going to end up with a wonderful grouping of merchants so we won’t have to drive to Santa Monica or Beverly Hills or Brentwood,” Payne said.

“We’ll get to stay here in this lovely town.”

Speaking as a resident and not in his official capacity as VPLUC Chair, Kaplan added, “We can leave the cars at home. This will eliminate some traffic.”

One realtor said she has noticed overwhelming enthusiasm for the project among families moving into the Palisades.

“They are excited about the project and it is one of the things attracting them to buy in the Palisades and especially within walking distance of it,” she said.

Rod Aragon, who lives on Swarthmore, spoke of a vocal minority and “a silent majority that overwhelmingly supports the project that isn’t here tonight. It’s important you know that people on the street are really pulling for you.”

PPCC board member Reza Akef added to that sentiment.

“There are so many young families who could not be here tonight because they have kids,” Akef said. “There is a huge majority of this community that wants you to exist.”

While some longtime residents expressed a nostalgic yearning for the Palisades of yesteryear and worried about the overall size of the project, others said they are eagerly looking forward to a revitalized commercial area.

Flo Elfant, who has lived in the Palisades since 1958 told Caruso, “This is my dream come true. I hope I live long enough to walk down that street.”