Residents are still grappling with the effects of the Palisades Fire on January 7 and the spot fires on January 8 and 9. There were no fire engines to fight the embers or spot fires.
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass continues to hold bi-weekly Zoom meetings at 5 p.m. and invites all residents to register. Here are the highlights of the March 11 meeting, which can be found in its entirety on click here. In addition to city/county presentations, people can pose questions in the query box. Some are answered, some are not.
PALISADES RIGHT OF ENTRY:
Generally, Bass does a brief update, as she did today asking how many Right of Entry had been processed by L.A. County today and learned that Eaton had 135 processed and that the Palisades had 88. She said she had spoken to the County and that “we need to process more.”
(Editor’s note: CTN had put in a public records request with the county to see when the first property was cleared in Pacific Palisades, the weekly rate and how many have been cleared. The County dashboard displays all properties but does not segregate the two communities. CTN has heard repeatedly from the Army Corps of Engineers that they could work on 50 properties per day in the Palisades but have not had that opportunity yet.)
A resident said, “Phase 2 debris removal needs to be a 24/7 operation. Heavy equipment crews should be actively clearing lots 24/7. The City and ACE should ensure this is the case. There should be no barriers to 24/7. Why is this not happening?”
Corps Public Information Officer Travis England said, “USACE crews are working extended hours, including some nighttime operations, to remove debris as quickly as possible. However, full 24/7 operations aren’t always possible due to safety concerns, noise restrictions, and logistical constraints such as landfills and disposal sites that have operating hours that would impact hauling schedules.”
PCH CLOSURE:
Caltrans’ Lauren Wonder said that in anticipation of the rainstorm predicted for Wednesday into Thursday, there would be a hard closure on Pacific Coast Highway starting at noon, March 12. The closure will be from Chautauqua Boulevard to Carbon Beach Terrace. Only emergency vehicles will be allowed through.
The anticipated rainfall of an inch per hour staring tomorrow evening, could cause mudslides in the burn scar areas. The reopening, possibly on Friday, will depend on the weather and its impact on the road.
PALISADES RESIDENT CURFEW:
A Palisades resident wanted to know if they had to observe the initial curfew that was put into place. Los Angeles Police Department Commander Ryan Whiteman said, “Palisades residents can visit at any time.” He said there would still be check points in place and identification would need to be shown.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING AT THE PALISADES BOWL:
A resident wrote that I’m seeing all other questions being answered. — Palisades Bowl Mobile Home Park was one of the last remaining affordable housing communities on the California coast, and the fire has put that at serious risk. What specific steps is the city taking to ensure we don’t lose this vital rent-controlled, low- and moderate-income housing? How will the city protect displaced residents from being permanently pushed out and prevent this from becoming an opportunity for land speculation and redevelopment?
The answer came from Anna Ortega and the Los Angeles Housing Department:
The mobile home parks continue to be mobile home parks and any change in use needs to go through a thorough review and approval process through the City’s Planning Department, including protections for existing homeowners.
Ortega’s answer failed to include a reference to the Mello Act: “In 1982, the State of California adopted the Mello Act to preserve and increase the supply of affordable housing in the State’s Coastal Zone. Among other measures that protect housing, it requires, wherever feasible, that affordable dwelling units be replaced and that projects incorporate new affordable housing units.”
In 2015, City Council instructed LA City Planning to prepare an ordinance establishing permanent procedures for implementing the Mello Act. City Planning’s proposed ordinance would require all affordable housing to be replaced onsite, where feasible, and require units to be replaced on a one-for-one basis, at like-for-like affordability.
One of the key facts of the Mello Act Ordinance is that “Location of Replacement – The proposed ordinance requires replacement units to be located onsite.” click here.
Great info as usual. What is a good resource for community air quality data for those of us pushing hard to move back into our homes.