Caruso Affiliated’s Palisades Village Project cleared another major milestone on June 7 when the City Council’s Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) committee approved the project.
This left one final step in the approval process: a vote on June 14 by the L.A. City Council, which was expected to endorse the project.
At the PLUM meeting, which was recorded, Councilman Mike Bonin spoke first. “In all my years in government, I have never seen support this lopsided and this wide-spread,” said Bonin, who noted there wasn’t 100 percent agreement because hundreds of Alphabet Street neighbors opposed Caruso’s request to convert Swarthmore to one-way.
Bonin said he had asked Caruso for one additional condition: an operation management plan that will specify how the project will be operated.
To listen to the meeting recording, visit: lacity.org/city-government/elected-offi- cials-offices/city-council/council-and- committee-meetings. The Caruso hearing starts nine minutes and 54 seconds into the tape and lasts about 26 minutes.
Prior to the PLUM meeting, the Palisades Preservation Association (represented by Jack Allen) and Caruso reached agreement on several key issues.
1. Retail businesses on the Project Site that have a front on Monument or Albright may not have entrances (other than emergency exits) that open directly from Monument or Albright, nor may such businesses have display windows or commercial signage facing residences on the east side of Monument or Albright.
2. If after one year after the issuance of a permanent certificate of occupancy for the Project, PPA determines that the conversion of Swarthmore Avenue between Sunset and Monument to a one-way street is causing safety problems, the discussion may be re-opened.
3. Caruso will not configure the intersection of Monument and Swarthmore so that vehicles exiting onto Monument from Swarthmore are required to only make a right turn (i.e., allowing drivers the option of turning left), subject to final approval by LADOT.
4. Caruso will install signage at Swarthmore and Monument directing people to the underground parking structure.
5. If the movie theater on Swarthmore ceases to be used for that purpose, Caruso will remove the marquee
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