The Tramonto landslide closed one lane of traffic between Sunset Boulevard and Porto Marina.
Photo: Murray
Last year one of the northbound Pacific Coast Highway lanes was closed for several months after heavy rains caused the Tramonto landslide (just north of Porto Marino) to dump mud on the roadway.
Then Caltrans wrote, “since the slide is too unstable to clear the dirt from the northbound right lane, lanes were realigned lanes on PCH to create a second northbound lane. There was no additional space in the median to create another lane. All northbound and southbound lanes were shifted towards the shoreline”
That bluff in Castellammare had experienced slope failure in 1958, 1982, 1998, 2001 and 2005.
A Malibu radio station, KBUU, ran a March 20, 2025, story about that slide area, “Another House Collapses Above the Cliff That Is Threatening PCH Near Sunset Boulevard.”
The report said that a house near the Getty Villa Museum was damaged in the fire, but before that it had been damaged in the Tramonto landslide. And now it slid further down the hill, landing on top of a house that split in half earlier that year.
“Both houses have come to rest of Castellammare Drive … a small hillside street that’s been sliding towards Pacific Coast Highway for decades. . . .putting pressure on the cliff above PCH.”
“The city of Los Angeles and Caltrans have been grappling with this slow-moving disaster … which last year closed one of the two lanes heading towards Malibu for months.
“The 100-year-old concrete retaining walls just above the highway are buckling in several areas … between Sunset Boulevard and Porto Marina Way.”
Last year Caltrans told CTN that the landslide is on City property and the fix has to come from them.
Given that, one might expect the City to go out of its way to help a resident with dewatering that cliff.
On March 17, 2025, Bart Young of Falkenberg/Gilliam & Associates wrote: “I am concerned about the apparent water bleeding through the shotcrete at the base. If the bulkhead gives way at the base, the top will collapse. This what I believe needs to be tapped and relieved of the water trapped inside.”
If the Tramonto Bulkhead collapses, the one road in and out of Castellammare will be impacted.
Young told CTN that temporary power pole was needed to run some dewatering pumps on his property. One might imagine the city might step in to assist to ensure that streets and roads stay open.
No. To make matters worse, the steps for a private citizen are complicated and costly.
To install a temporary electric meter on the location where the permanent one was already located will require 13 steps and up to $7,000 to provide a $200 electric meter. And the electricity is an extra charge.
Here are the steps Young is required to do just to replace something that was in operation before the fire. Most of the money goes to DWP to approve the pole location and inspection.
- LADBS– Temporary Permit for a Spot Meter – Young went to LADBS in Person in West LA – $131 – Done. Took ½ day to get there and back. It took 15 minutes to complete form.
- ACO Temporary Power(company that provides onsite power) – Sign contract for $784.75, ACO to contact LADWP to pay the initial $370 DWP fee, and to complete a temporary utility account.
- ACOwill attain the contact information to your Electrical Service Representative (ESR) they share with the customer.
- Customerthen needs to contact the DWP ESR for an underground meter spot.
- ESRs are very difficult to reach. They don’t answer phone calls or emails. Customers are on their own tracking them down. This is why ACO does not handle this step.
- DWP ESRtells customers where the conduit is and where the pole can be placed. Young said, “it is going exactly where it was before.”
- DWP opens the Manhole:During the meter spot process, they will bill you the additional $3,000 -5,000 invoice for the underground work.
- Customer sends images:Once the Customer knows where the conduit is located they need to expose it and send images to ACO to confirm the connection point.
- ACO Confirmation:Once all onsite conditions are confirmed ACO will install the temporary power pole.
- LADBS Inspection:After it is installed, an inspection by LADBS is required.
- ESR Inspection:Once the inspection is complete it goes back to LAWDP for a second inspection with your ESR.
- ACO Installs:Once both inspections are approved LADWP and LADBS, ACO assigns your job for the meter installation to finalize the energization of your pole.
Once operational there is $54.75 per 28-day billing cycle for the use of the pole. Electricity is billed monthly at the regular rate based on usage.
Cost Summary
- $131 LADBS Permit
- $370 DWP permit fee
- $785 to ACO to install
- $3000 – $5000 to DWP to locate the underground conduit
- $713 / year to ACO for rental on the temp power pole
Total: $4,999 to $6,999 for the first year
The actual cost of the meter is $200 plus the wooden pole.
Young, who finally hired an expeditor, said that person reached someone high up at DWP who asked someone to contact them …which they did.
That person said they would be able to request step 7 if we had already completed sets 1 through 6 — which we had not. Step 1, visiting LADBS’ West Division to request a permit for temporary power, took an entire day of travel because our temporary living situation is in South Orange County now.
“The process is complicated with many inefficient and redundant steps proposed by DWP and LADBS,” Young said. “Look carefully at the steps listed and you’ll see how it considers the homeowner’s or contractor’s time as being worthless. During Step 2, after hearing my confusion about how much it takes to install temporary power, the nice lady at ACO Temporary Power outlined the steps for me.”
If more of the Tramonto Landslide tumbles onto PCH, possibly closing additional lanes, don’t blame Young, he’s trying.
The Tramonto Bulkhead was damaged in the fire. Young’s property is left of the bulkhead.