An L.A. City Planning and Land Use (PLUM) Committee meeting will be held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, December 3, at the John Ferraro Council Chamber Room 340 City Hall, 200 North Spring Street, (entrance on Main Street) to discuss the four large residences that are proposed to be built on the Tramonto Landslide, an active landslide.
Caltrans told the City, at an October 1 meeting they might sue if the hillside is not fixed. The toe of the Tramonto slide has already impacted Pacific Coast Highway last spring, closing a lane of traffic. Caltrans did not remove the dirt off the road because they said it could further destabilize the slide. The highway had to be modified.
Why would a Palisades resident who lives in the Alphabet Streets, for example, care? A biker was awarded $9.1 million settlement from the City, for a prior slide on PCH that was not remediated.
A September 21 L.A. Times story, (“Jury Awards $9.1 Million to Man Left Brain-damaged after Bicycle Crash on PCH”) A jury Thursday ordered Caltrans and the city of Los Angeles to pay $9.1 million to a man who suffered brain damage after he swerved to avoid debris and lost control of his bicycle on Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades [by the Tramonto slide].
“Robert Jeffrey Watts was seriously injured in July 2014 as he rode toward his home in Topanga Canyon, following signs that instructed cyclists to ride on the shoulder of the highway between the travel lanes and the cliff.
“Watts came across a pile of sand and rocks on the pavement, and steered into the travel lane to avoid the debris. He was struck by a truck’s side mirror and lost control of his bicycle, resulting in a crash that left him with a ‘significant amount of brain damage,’ according to a complaint filed in 2015 in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
“Watts was an experienced bicyclist who rode to his office in Culver City for years to keep fit, said his attorney, Boris Treyzon. The $9.1-million judgment is one of the largest bicycle-related jury awards in Los Angeles history.”
The story pointed out that sand and debris frequently rolled down the cliff and onto the pavement in the Tramonto slide area. Jurors learned that state and local officials had been aware for years that the debris could create a dangerous condition. Caltrans had hired the City to sweep the pavement at least once a month and keep it free of debris.
“During the trial, two city street sweepers testified that at the Tramonto slide, ‘they would simply swing around … and ignore it,’ rather than remove the sand, gravel and rocks from the roadway.”
The jury found the city 60% liable and Caltrans 40% liable. Caltrans settled before the trial with the bicyclist for $999,999. The City decided not to settle and now were responsible for the $9.1 million.
“In the courtroom, “the city blamed everyone but themselves,” the lawyer said. “Until the very end, they refused to take responsibility.”
Caltrans and the geological experts hired by the Castellammare Homeowners Association have alerted the City that the top of the slide needs to be fixed. The proposed residences would only fix a portion of the active landslide.
Time is of the essence for residents to alert Councilmember Traci Park and to send a letter to the Plum Committee. Phone calls and emails need to be completed by December 1. Written comments may be addressed to City Clerk, Room 395, City Hall, 200 North Spring Street, L.A. Ca. 90012.
Send emails to Park’s office to Field Deputy Michael Amster (michael.amster@lacity.org and to Planning Deputy Jeff Khau (jeff.khau@lacity.org), urging them to oppose a Housing Element EIR and construction on an active landslide, until the Tramonto hillside is stabilized.
to make it very easy to send a letter to all the city officials please go to the following
link:
https://actionnetwork.org/letters/stop-the-pacific-palisades-tramonto-landslide?source=direct_link&