Letter: Residents Need to Ask City for Full EIR for Tramonto Project

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The Tramonto Landslide was documented in 1958 in local papers and has never been remediated.
Los Angeles Examiner Negatives Collection, 1950-1961

(Editor’s note: The following letter was sent to CTN)

Thank you for previously publishing informative articles in Circling the News about the Development.  I am hoping that you can publish another for us urgently.

There is a PLUM hearing on Tuesday Dec. 3.  The City of LA will either approve a Housing Element EIR [Environmental Impact Review] or require a Site-specific EIR.  CMHO has recently partnered with PPRA [Pacific Palisades Residents Association] in order to fight the City of LA challenging them to comply with CEQA law and mandate that a Site-specific EIR be conducted.  Through our partnership with PPRA we are being represented by Victor De la Cruz, a partner in Land Use at Manatt, Phelps and Phillips.  It appears that the City of LA is on track to approve the development with only a Housing Element EIR.

If the Housing Element is approved on Tuesday this sets a dangerous precedent.  It has never been used before for a project like this and then could be used repeatedly on developments proposed on landslides and in wildfire areas. There are two types of EIR’s for housing development:

This decision on Tuesday, December 3, could be a precedent setting.  This would be a first that a Housing Element EIR would be used for a project of this type, scope and location.

CEQA law requires that a Site-Specific EIR be conducted for this type of project, scope and location.  Approval of a Housing Element EIR,  fast tracks this development without any appeal possibility.  For us our only appeal option is through the Coastal Commission as we are in a dual approval zone.  However, if communities are not in a dual approval zone, they are not able to appeal.  Setting a precedent of using a Housing Element EIR for development across LA County will disrupt the safety of communities, especially in Very High Severity wildfire areas and active landslide areas.

If the City of LA approves a housing Element EIR on Tuesday, this case gets harder to win but we are confident that we will prevail.  The developers have been communicating with CD11 and the City of LA regularly.  The developers currently have an advantage over our Community and our objections.

Let’s get back to Dec. 3 and the urgency with which I am writing to you.  This is an issue larger than Castellammare.  These same developers have more lots in Castellammare, in Paseo Miramar and Mt. Holyoke.  Our whole community has a stake in what occurs Tuesday, Dec. 3, and we need community action NOW!  There are three actions we request:

1. Write letters to governmental officials – We have an easy way to achieve this.  Jessica Rogers launched an ActionNetwork site Sunday.  A person just has to click on the link , write their own letter or use the text already in place.  They input their name, email and zip code. Sixteen official recipients are listed.  Our resident hits submit and 16 letters have just been sent.  It takes less than 3 minutes.  Here is the link:  https://actionnetwork.org/letters/stop-the-pacific-palisades-tramonto-landslide
2. Call Traci Park at her offices:  Leave her a message of one’s concerns.
   1. 1. LA office:  213-473-7011.
      2. Westchester office: 310-568-8772
3. Show Up at the scheduled PLUM hearing on Tuesday, December 3 ,at 2 pm!!!  We need a crowd!
   1. 1. The hearing is located in the John Ferraro Council Chamber, Room340 City Hall, 200 North Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 (entrance on Main St.)
      2. Please allow time to park and be cleared through Security.  Leave Pacific Palisades between 12:00 and 12:30 pm
      3. The closest car park to City Hall is the garage at 130 South Broadway. You can reserve parking here: https://www.way.com/parking/34.0529071/-118.2436392/City-Hall-Park-Center/All

Kim Feder

Castellammare Homeowners Board President

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