On Tuesday, June 2nd, the Palisades Recovery Coalition (PRC) hosted a robust community meeting focused on rebuilding efforts in Pacific Palisades. The discussion brought together builders, architects, nonprofit leaders, and long-time residents to address critical issues such as free architectural support, construction logistics, and coordinated recovery strategies.
🏗️ Coordinating the Rebuild
PRC founder Maryam Zar convened the meeting to break down barriers in the rebuilding process and encourage collaboration across sectors. Attendees included representatives from Thomas James Homes, Homebound, Crest Real Estate, and local developers Ceci Clark and Reza Akef.
Pooja Bhagat, President of Architecture for Communities Los Angeles (ACLA), presented the “Ask an Architect”program, connecting homeowners with volunteer architects for free design consultations. She proposed a town hall event where residents could meet design professionals in a supportive setting.
👉 Sign Up for Ask an Architect
🔨 Builder Highlights
- Ian Bishop (Homebound) shared lessons from post-disaster projects and highlighted their shift to semi-custom homebuilding suited for Palisades’ uniform lot sizes.
- Reza Akef outlined plans to begin construction on 3–4 homes by September, with more in 2026. His team is using standardized plans and tiered pricing, maintaining flexibility while reducing costs.
- Both Reza and Ian emphasized early coordination between architects and builders to avoid expensive design mistakes.
Maryam reminded homeowners to review applicable CC&Rs, and Ian explained how Homebound includes these reviews in their planning.
🏡 Design Diversity & Fire Resilience
- Kim Diamond (Thomas James Homes) and Ian Bishop reiterated their commitment to architectural diversity while delivering fire-safe, code-compliant homes.
- Steven Sommers (Crest Real Estate) introduced Case Study 2.0—featuring 53 customizable home designs by 40 architecture firms. The initiative reduces costs via discounted services, supplier partnerships, and scalable construction.
đź’ˇ Addressing Key Challenges
Maryam identified three core rebuilding challenges:
- Limited construction resources
- Funding gaps
- Terrain-based logistical constraints
To address funding, Larry Kosmont presented the concept of a Climate Resilience District, using tax increment financing (TIF) to reinvest property tax increases into infrastructure and home hardening.
đź“Ł đź’° Funding Recovery Through Climate Resilience Districts
Maryam introduced Larry Kosmont, an expert in municipal finance, who discussed creating a Climate Resilience District in Pacific Palisades. This would allow the community to reinvest increased property tax revenues from recovery-related improvements into infrastructure, fire hardening, and emergency preparedness projects using Tax Increment Financing (TIF).
Larry suggested that such a district could qualify for early funding from California’s proposed Prop 4 climate bond, and Maryam noted that ongoing advocacy efforts are working to expand eligible uses of TIF to include private rebuilding measures and community wildfire resilience.
🔌 Undergrounding Utilities & Infrastructure Planning
Justin Skaggs, a dry utility consultant, shared that around 30 dedicated construction crews would be needed to execute undergrounding efficiently in Palisades. He advocated for granting the proposed Climate Resilience District authority to negotiate directly with contractors, which would require state-level approval but could reduce project timelines and costs.
May Sung provided updates on LADWP’s undergrounding efforts, emphasizing the importance of block-by-block coordination and collaboration with telecom providers. Residents noted the growing risk of landslides and erosion, and several referenced the newly released geohazard risk maps.
🔥 Fire Safety, Inspections & Brush Clearance
Maryam shared that LAFD Brush Clearance Inspectors expect to complete all delayed inspections in Pacific Palisades and Brentwood by late July or early August. A long-time resident raised concerns about unmanaged vegetation on state-owned land, and Maryam noted that state fire mitigation budgets have declined, highlighting the need for stronger advocacy.
She also introduced the idea of reimagining fire station infrastructure—with smaller, more mobile stations and vehicles designed for hillside terrain—and better monitoring of burn scars and risk zones post-fire.
🏗️ Potential Local Concrete Plant
The group discussed the idea proposed by the PRC to establish a temporary local concrete batch plant to reduce material transport delays and cut rebuilding costs. Maryam made it clear that no specific location is being proposed at this time and that any such effort would involve significant community input and regulatory review.
đź“ş Full Meeting Recording Available
You can view a full recording of the meeting here:
▶️ Watch the PRC Community Meeting
🚜 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Debris Removal Update
We also toured USACE operations at Will Rogers Park, now the central sorting location as Temescal Canyon Road cleanup wraps up.
Debris Removal Stats:
- Over 3,400Â properties cleared
- 1+ million tons of debris removed
- Multifamily properties currently underway
- Temescal Canyon operations are complete, with road restoration beginning (estimated to take a few months)
Neighborhood Progress:
- Alphabet Streets: 88% complete
- Marquez: 74%
- Highlands: 51%
- El Medio/Via Bluffs: 74%
- Tahitian Terrace: 100% expected by next week
đź‘® Public Safety Update
During this week’s Community Advisory Group call with LAPD and other law enforcement, we discussed traffic management, patrolling, checkpoint enforcement, and security around construction staging areas. A detailed readout is attached.
Thank you to everyone who participated and continues to support the rebuilding of our community. We are stronger when we rebuild together. Please stay engaged, spread the word, and let us know where you get your community updates—we want to ensure everyone stays informed.
Warm regards,
Maryam Zar & The Palisades Recovery Coalition (PRC)
