Cleanup Underway at Highlands Trailhead Restroom

By LILY TINOCO and SARAH SHMERLING

Work is underway to repair and clean a restroom designed to serve as the Temescal Ridge Trailhead in the Highlands.

“The trash is now gone, as well as the graffiti, and I’ve been assured that they will soon fix the toilets and sinks on the inside,” Highlands resident and PPCC Area 2 Representative Steve Cron wrote to the Palisadian-Post. “We’re not done yet, but it’s a great start.”

The property, located at 16701 Via La Costa, has been a topic of discussion—and concern—in the Palisades for years.

“In light of the trash and cigarette butts strewn throughout the property, the graffiti on the bathroom walls, the unsanitary condition of the bathrooms, and the proximity of the trailhead to dry, highly flammable native vegetation, we believe that in its present condition the bathroom and parking lot present a health and safety issue to our community,” the Pacific Palisades Community Council wrote to the California Coastal Commission in 2018.

The Coastal Commission unanimously passed a cease-and-desist order and administrative penalty to development company Headland Property Associates in regard to the property during a meeting in May 2022.

Site developer Headland was cited for failure to maintain the public parking lot and public restroom on the trailhead property—as required by a Coastal Development Permit condition—failure to transfer the property to the city of Los Angeles, and failure to pay taxes on the property.

While Headland no longer owns the property, the company still needed to comply, according to staff.

The property became subject to sale for nonpayment of taxes, and available for purchase at a public auction in 2012 and 2013. The property was sold to Henri Levy in 2013 for $350,000. In 2014, Levy deeded the trailhead property to 1205-1207 Wooster Street, a California Limited Liability Company owned by Levy.

While the property was ordered to be returned to the ownership of the city, the city did not accept it, according to Cron, so the Enclave HOA, which abuts the property, has agreed to maintain it and keep it open for public use.

The recent work was done by Wooster, as they are responsible for getting it in working order before turning it over to Enclave HOA.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect information about Enclave HOA.