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Community Information and 8/24 PPCC Meeting Recap
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Pacific Palisades Community Council
Updates and Meeting Recap
PRE-DAWN ACCIDENT, TRAFFIC SNARL AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
A predawn accident on Tuesday, Aug. 29, on PCH near Chautauqua, resulted in an hourslong traffic snarl that presented almost the entirety of Pacific Palisades with gridlock - from our major roadways to our residential streets.
PPCC received many inquiries about the state of gridlock and the inability to move. Students were late to schools, people missed appointments, some resorted to walking while others found their way though residential streets that may normally have provided short cuts, but were snarled all the same. Narrow hillside streets were encumbered by cars jostling for space between parked cars and city sanitation trucks, which were out on their usual collection day.
The collective experience led to many cries of alarm as related to our community public safety in the event of an emergency evacuation.
This comes on the heels of a
presentation made by the CA Department of Insurance
at our most recent PPCC meeting, and a discussion with State Park Superintendent, Richard Fink as well as LA City Brush Captain, Bryan Nassour, about the very real threat of fire this season, as we grapple with overgrown brush acrid the Palisades. (see brush clearance presentation,
here
.)
Now more than ever, we call on our local lawmakers, elected officials and policy makers to pay substantive attention to our Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (VHFHSZ) community (designated such on
Zimas
), and to ensure that all roadways are at peak working order, with no impediments or lane closures, and that all communication cables and traffic light timing technology are in good working order.
Recent natural disasters have demonstrated how perilous evacuation can be for coastal communities that are lodged between and ocean and a mountain range. Pacific Palisades is acutely aware of its challenging topography and has had ample experience with fires and evacuation scenarios to know we must press our lawmakers, elected officials, and public safety agencies to ensure proper plans and resources in place for emergency preparedness and mobilization.
LETTERS WRITTEN SINCE THE AUGUST 27TH MEETING:
Metro TCN
- oppose and request more time for review
Temescal Canyon Road
- re-stripe and repair
Bulgari Hotel project
-- Benedict Canyon development in the VHFSZ, oppose
Aug. 24 PPCC Meeting Recap: Fire Hazard Insurance, Brush Clearance, Temescal Canyon Road Restriping & More
At our Thursday, Aug. 24 meeting,
we heard from Armine Sargasyan, outreach analyst for the CA Department of Insurance. Her presentation outlined the "Safer from Wildfires" campaign and detailed regulations to lower costs and increase transparency in the insurance industry. Notably, consumers will be provided with the "wildfire risk score" assigned to their property and will have the right to appeal their risk determination. Homeowners may also receive discounts for hardening their structures against wildfires. Questions about getting coverage in a high fire area and the Fair Plan were also answered.
State Park Superintendent Richard Fink was on hand to address questions about the role of State brush clearance in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (VHFHSZ) communities. Specifically, who is responsible for clearing state land when an adjacent home is not able to achieve the recommended defensible space? While homeowners are not required to clear beyond their property lines, if they want to achieve the required clearance, which is defined as 100 feet by the state and 200 feet by LA County, they must obtain a permit to go on state land and clear it themselves. Despite concerns over fires, State parks are prohibited from modifying protected natural habitats. Additional questions from concerned residents and LAFD Inspector Warren Sutton were answered.
Questions? Reach out to State Park Superintendent Richard Fink
here
.
The LADWP will be conducting in-depth visual inspections of power poles
in Pacific Palisades from Aug. 28 through October. Andrew Christopher, electrical craft helper at the LADWP, shared this
presentation
with details of the inspections, which occur once every three years and include checking pole ID tags, electrical and communication equipment/conductors, transformers, cross-arms, insulators and wires.
Osmose Utilities will carry out the inspections and employees should always have high-visibility vests, a hat with the Osmose logo, and an ID badge. Some inspections will need to take place on private property. Inspectors will notify homeowners if this is the case.
Please note an inspector is never allowed to enter a home and will not request to do so.
See the presentation for more information
.
SLO Officer, Brian Espin, shared the Pacific Palisade's crime update. The majority of crime remains on the PCH, at PCH and Sunset, PCH and Temescal and up Los Liones. There has been an uptick in summertime crime with more through/foot traffic. Thieves are breaking into cars at trailheads and by the beach so don't leave valuables in your vehicle!
See the report from SLO Espin, here
.
Temescal Canyon Road Update
"The PPCC has profound concerns with the way TCR has been re-striped, and in light of recent natural disasters (storms close to home and fires in Hawaii) as well as the start of school, we believe the current striping of TCR compromises public safety – with drivers now attempting to skip lanes and drive along the yellow median or make unsafe U-turns in the middle of this fast-paced road, creating perilous traffic conditions for all, and CD11 informs us that there is enough space along the road to create interim lanes that would provide for two lanes of traffic in both directions."
Therefore, we encourage LADOT to collaborate with CD11 on a better re-striping scheme that would save two lanes of traffic in each direction.
We urge any lane restriping change to incorporate one bicycle lane in each direction on Temescal Canyon Road.
Further, Temescal Canyon Road (TCR) is an Avenue I “Significant Road” for which both LA City Municipal Code and LADOT guidelines support the implementation of a short-term Transportation Control Management Plan during prolonged, disruptive events. TCR is a major feeder to and from Pacific Coast Highway for which signal timing at the intersection is limited to a 67 second green phase to limit overflow congestion on PCH. Therefore, PPCC urges Caltrans to consider allowing a temporary (or permanent) increase in signal timing at PCH during peak periods, as well as incorporation of the #3 lane to accommodate a safe left turn onto S/B PCH.
The motion above was passed and a
letter
reflecting it was sent to LADOT.
On Friday, Aug. 25, Councilwoman Traci Park passed a
Motion
at City Council that instructs the City Administrative Officer (CAO) "to identify $800,000 to implement the Bureau of Engineering’s mitigation plan for Temescal Canyon Road" * to address water seepage and roadway damage along its southbound lane between Pacific Coast Highway and West Bowdoin Street.
*Mitigation plan suggested by BOE:
Even though the street has been resurfaced twice, there are underlying water issues which is the cause of the recurring challenges on this section of Temescal Canyon Road. The Bureau of Engineering (BOE) has developed a mitigation plan to address the seepage. It will involve some trench work and the installation of an underground pipe that will prevent the water from continuing to damage the surface of the roadway. Once the trench is dug and the pipe is installed, asphalt will be laid on top, once again making the street whole.  It is unlikely to be a major job in terms of duration, but the funding availability -- as well as a decision on who does the job, whether it's City forces or an outside contractor -- must first be determined.
PPCC President, Maryam Zar, attended the City Council session to speak in favor of the repairs.
Councilmember Park
was sure to see the motion pass, but the challenge now is for the CAO to identify the funding source, and quickly, so repairs can be made by BOE, without delay.
We ask that the community write a short email (something that fits within a minute of comment time) to the
Council Offic
e
urging that the funding be identified and allocated swiftly, in the interest of public safety.
(See
Patch
article quoting PPCC Pres. at LA City Council, commenting on
Council File 23-0839
)
PPCC's next scheduled meeting will be  Thursday, Sept. 14 at 6 p.m.
2023/23 PPCC ZOOM LINK:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85486610425?pwd=aGNFdVVkY1VKN09rUURPUm5zd2JXdz09
Meeting ID: 854 8661 0425
Passcode: 592034
I look forward to seeing you all.
Best, Maryam Zar
Link to our website with all info posted
PPCC Community Calendar