City Approves Apartment Complex, Pali Council Supports Appeal

The Pacific Palisades Community Council on Oct. 27 voted not to proceed with its own appeal of a proposed apartment complex overlooking the ocean. Citing concerns over the importance of remaining objective with regard to land development projects as well as the financial costs of hiring experts and time consumption, members chose instead to support appeals put forth by Palisades residents.

The proposed 84,500 square-foot apartment development would be located at 17030 Sunset Blvd. between Marquez Avenue and the . The city has already given the Palisades-based developer, Stefano Coaloa, the green light.

"There are questions about ... Mr. Coaloa's geology report ... how thorough it is and if it's actually covering enough of the dangerous aspects of this particular project," PPCC Chairwoman Janet Turner said in reference to environmental impact studies that Coaloa and his firm, called Sunset Creations, commissioned as part of Los Angeles' project approval process.

"The project's geotechnical engineer and the city's engineer have studied this property, taken many soil tests and even dug a trench before agreeing on what was required and would be done for the project to be stable," Coaloa's attorney Earl Ellis told Patch Tuesday. "The project, when built, will weigh one tenth of the dirt that will be removed. Weight is a factor in earth slides."

PPCC members and local homeowner groups want the city to do an environmental impact report in addition to the assessment done by Coaloa's hired experts.

"The city believes an EIR is unnecessary," Ellis said. "Building and Safety refused to do it. Mr. Coaloa has done [a study] focused on geology and traffic."

The motion drafted by PPCC member Jack Allen states "geologists for the adjacent Edgewater Towers reviewed the geology reports submitted by Sunset Creations to the city and raised significant concerns about the accuracy of the reports, the designs of the retaining walls and the proposed routes for the sewer and storm water pipelines."

Coaloa attended the PPCC meeting and noted his experts have gathered seven year's worth of research on the building site's geology and stabilization of the area.

"The design of the retaining walls and the proposed routes for the sewer and storm water pipelines will be designed by professional engineers and reviewed by city officials and engineers, not by lay people like us," he told community council members.

Haul routes for moving soil out of the development site was another issue raised in Allen's motion.

"[Coaloa's study] does not set forth the haul routes, the staging areas, or the hours that hauling will be conducted nor does it state how ingress and egress from the property will occur so that it can be determined what, if any impacts will result, and whether or not the boilerplate mitigation measures will mitigate the specific impacts," according to the motion.

Coaloa responded his environmental study "is a fact finding document, not a building permit in itself. It does not have the authority to set forth the haul routes."

Prior to receiving a city-issued building permit, Coaloa "must apply for a haul route approval with the grading department," he said. "The board of Building and Safety will conduct a public hearing at the time the haul route is requested."

The PPCC motion also described potential traffic problems that could arise when the apartment complex is completed.

"The proposed egress for the property is hazardous in that drivers will be required to make sharp right turns to exit the property which will expose them and oncoming drivers from the west on Sunset to possible collisions," according to the motion.

Coaloa referred to Los Angeles Planning Department guidelines that require him to submit a parking and driveway plan for approval by the city's Department of Transportation.

"Over the last two years, I have provided the community with enough studies, public presentations and support from members like the Malibu HOA and many others," Coaloa said. "There are members of the community, adjacent neighbors to the future project, and board members who support the neutrality of the PPCC on this appeal. Let individual members oppose the project. It is not the mandate of the PPCC to be a judge without the proper backing and analysis of experts."

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