Special Meeting Recap
The following was written and distributed by Pacific Palisades Community Council following the special meeting it hosted on the evening of October 1 with Councilmember Traci Park speaking on the Tramonto slide and related residential development project. It has been printed here with permission.
PPCC was pleased to welcome Councilwoman Traci Park, who had requested this special meeting to update the community on the slide and development project, and to hear the concerns and comments of community members. She was accompanied by CD 11 Senior Planning Deputy Jeff Khau; District Director Juan Fregoso; and Palisades Field Deputy Michael Amster.
The meeting was well attended, with many interested community members present, including Castellammare area residents who conveyed concerns about potential negative impacts of the development, the unstable geologic conditions, ongoing slide activity, impediments to ingress and egress, as well as their position that a full and independent EIR is needed for the project.
The councilwoman explained the ongoing process: The residents’ current appeals of the city’s issuance of a Mitigated Negative Declaration, rather than a full EIR for the project, will be heard in the City Council Planning & Land Use Management Committee (date TBA).
She noted three possible outcomes: 1. denial of the project; 2. granting the appeals (although not denying the project) and requiring a full EIR to replace the MND; 3. denying the appeals and approving the MND.
In the latter two cases, if approved at the city stage, the project would still be required to go before the California Coastal Commission for final approval. Park noted that residents in that case would have an opportunity to present their concerns and arguments to the CCC, who are experts in coastal matters.
The councilwoman also stressed that Caltrans has made clear that the upper portion of the Tramonto slide must first be stabilized before Caltrans (which has jurisdiction over PCH and the bottom, or “toe,” of the slide) can work on remediating the lower portion (so-called “top-down stabilization”). But, as she explained, the upper portion consists of privately owned properties, which the city itself cannot enter to remediate (nor will the city bring an eminent domain proceeding to acquire these properties).
In the case of the proposed residential project (single-family homes on Tramonto and Revello Drives, above the slide), the City Planning Department has imposed conditions of approval, and required certain public benefits and infrastructure improvements, some of which are intended to stabilize that portion of land above the slide.
However, as explained by another meeting attendee (Joon Kang, assistant district director, Caltrans District 7), Caltrans believes that stabilizing only one property is insufficient, that the entire top portion (which includes several privately owned properties) must be stabilized, and that an updated study is needed to determine what can be done to achieve the required remediation under the circumstances. It was indicated that this will be brought to the attention of the PLUM Committee.
He also stressed that Caltrans is very concerned about the possibility of additional slide activity onto PCH, which may result in closure of the entire highway at that point. Attendees discussed the fact that this would have major regional impacts due to the number of vehicles that travel on PCH not only from the Palisades but from other, farther away destinations.
Park acknowledged that “doing nothing” is probably not a good option in this case, and that all of these relevant factors and concerns must be taken into account. She advised that she would relate the concerns expressed at the meeting to the PLUM Committee (she is not a member).
We thank the councilwoman for initiating this important informational meeting, listening to the community and providing these updates.
Hey, neighbors: Resilient Palisades is thrilled to announce two events happening soon in our community.
