PPCC advocates for bus turnaround at Gladstones parking lot
By Chole Marie Rivera
The Palisades City Community Council (PPCC) met this month to discuss the development of the bus turnaround, anticipated to be built in the lot adjacent to Gladstones. Both the parking lot and the restaurant are owned by the County of Los Angeles. The restaurant–itself– is losing its lease.
The county is currently negotiating an agreement with a prospective lessee, or “concessionaire,” to redevelop the site, according to PPCH’s Transportation Advisor
The concessionaire, PCH Beach Associates, LLC (PCH Beach), has had “preliminary discussions” with the Coastal Commission but the process may take up to three years–including additional regulatory and environmental approvals. Gladstones will continue to operate during this process.
PCH Beach is set to redevelop the site at 17300 Pacific Coast Highway, north of Sunset Boulevard into a destination restaurant with famed chef Wolfgang Puck and designed by acclaimed architect, Frank Gehry. The county is a co-signer for the coastal permits but the concessionaire must apply for them.
In 2018, the PPCC requested that L.A. County Supervisor Kuehl’s office require all bids for space include a bus turnaround. “Supervisor Kuehl was very clear about wanting the bus turnaround,” according to the PPCC. The development would allow for more the two bus services that serve the Palisades, the LA Metro and Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus, to offer more “effective transit options.”
The PPCC will continue to monitor the process to ensure the commitment to the bus turnaround is honored.
