Much of the Palisades was destroyed in the January 7, 2025 Fire.
Photo: STEVE PESCE
The Palisades 2025 Fire took place on January 7, 8 and 9, almost 15 months ago. Residents are now asking the City for specific help, “could you fix a pothole, put up a streetlight,” but officials appear to be tone deaf, lost in the theoretical of how to rebuild a town.
This was the third AECOM Zoom meeting for residents. Two prior meetings were held, one on February 26 and a second on March 2, which gave an overview of the nearly thousand-page AECOM document compiled about rebuilding needs.
This March 23 meeting was to be different, it was advertised as held by L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, and the topic “Rebuild – Long Term Recovery Webinar and a Q & A.”
There was no Mayor Bass, instead her deputy mayor of infrastructure Randall Winston gave the welcome.
Then, the AECOM team were introduced and at least two member once again reiterated what was most desperately needed for the rebuild was “A single source of truth.”
Instead of concrete answers and timelines of rebuilding infrastructure, residents saw photos of the AECOM team with their headsets and microphones, turning words over in their mouths as if they were jewels.
Then, people were allowed to ask questions. The first caller said, “the roads are terrible, I’ve had three flat tires. There are no trash cans at the parks on the bluffs.”
That resident was told by AECOM that streets will not be fixed until rebuilding is done and if they encountered a pothole “call 311.” CTN wondered when AECOM/City would consider rebuilding done (three houses, 10, a block?) for street repair.
Obviously, AECOM has never called 311 or they would realize at time it is impossible to get through. (Editor’s note: Go to the PIPSC center on Marquez and asking for their help to get through to 311.)
A follow up question was “How long before the next steps are taken?”
Then, residents were “told that Long-term recovery identifies and informs.”
Residents were next told that the city is revamping its website, so it can provide status updates and were also told that if a resident saw something in the AECOM plan, “it doesn’t mean it will be funded.”
Residents were told they needed to take a survey (this editor has lost track of how many survey’s she’s taken) and once residents complete the survey it will be incorporated into the report.
A resident pointed out that it has already been 14 months since the fire “How can we make this more expeditious?”
AECOM’s Susan Ambrosini assured everyone that “there has been a lot of activity in the background.” And said that a 30/60/90-day recovery plan had been developed. CTN received a copy of the report. To summarize, hold more meetings, publish a recovery website, and work on parking and traffic. City of LA Palisades Fire 30-60-90 Day Actions
One resident said, “we don’t have grocery stores, there’s no trash removal. The Palisades looks like a dump.”
Ambrosini said, “We’ll give that feedback to the mayor.”
Another resident who had just moved back to the Palisades said, “It is pitch black at night, there are no streetlights. A police response takes 45 minutes. Is it possible to get a substation?” There were several questions about the lack of street lighting, one pointed out that without porch lights of neighbors and streetlights, the town was very dark.
Ambrosini said, “There has been progress on the lights, but I don’t know if a substation is possible.”
“Can you give an update when Temescal Park will open,” another asked.
Ambrosini said, “I’ll get back to you on that.”
Another resident said, “streets are unsafe, there are potholes, there is trash, nails and dead trees. Why isn’t anyone doing something? Where is Mayor Bass?”
Others asked for a schedule and one resident wanted to know about density rebuilding, given the evacuation issues. Ambrosini said density was a state-mandated, but “I’ll get back to you on that.”
Another spoke of the dumping that is happening on vacant lots. Ambrosini said, “I will raise that issue with the mayor, I hadn’t heard that one.”
“What is the time frame for these plans, aside from the ‘five years’ the AECOM representative referred to?” one asked.
A resident, who was also not called on at the meeting contacted CTN and said, “We echo the calls for immediate fixes to bring street lighting, pothole repair, garbage service and police to the Palisades. The elephant in the room is the Santa Ynez reservoir. Fix it.
“What can you do to get the current U.S. President to sign the papers sitting on his desk to authorize the $37-$40 billion in federal funds needed for this area?” a resident asked.
Another resident wanted the stoplight at PCH/Chautauqua/Entrada fixed. “For years it is clear that people heading down Chautauqua turn left on PCH (from the wrong lane) and purposefully break the law.” The resident also suggested having cameras placed in the park and rec center to stop teenagers from nefarious activities and adding a police substation and a third fire station in the Highlands.
Today the Mayor’s office sent out the following email message “Following last night’s webinar in partnership with AECOM, we recognize that many residents have urgent questions and concerns, particularly around essential issues like street lighting and roadway repairs. Please know that we hear you, and these immediate needs are a top priority. Our teams are actively working to address these issues and accelerate repairs. We understand how critical these improvements are to daily life, and we are committed to keeping you informed as progress continues. Our new Recovery Updates are designed to do just that. We will also follow up with answers from the Q&A session.
“A key component of the Long Term Recovery Plan (LTRP) is community input, and we encourage all residents to participate in the survey introduced during the webinar,” Bass wrote. You can watch a replay of the webinar click here.
People wonder what will happen with the remains of the Business Block Building.
