The Project Would Include Four Large Homes Along Tramonto Drive
By Zach Armstrong
Tramonto Drive Landslide, a slope adjacent to the Pacific Coast Highway in between Malibu and Pacific Palisades, is set to be the spot for a new housing development should it be approved by the Coastal Commission.
The project from Demos Development and Crest Real Estate would include four large homes along Tramonto Drive and an extension of Revello Drive; the largest of which would be a 9,051-square foot structure featuring a 5,887-square foot basement, two retaining walls and a spa. A portion of the landslide would remain untouched.
Councilmember Traci Park’s Planning and Transportation Deputy Jeff Khau told Palisades News her office was initially unsure of its support due to their large size, possibly making them unstable. However, experts assured the project would still stabilize the slope’s bedrock by using caissons; a concrete, wood or steel element in a structure’s deep foundation used for dewatering.
Khau says other concerns related to the project were sufficiently addressed, such as repaving sidewalks, improving railings and creating a roundabout, along with the developer providing regular updates to assure an expedient timeline for construction and assuring workers and equipment wouldn’t block local roadways.
Stabilization plans for the Tramonto Drive Landslide have popped up over the years, and there has been dispute over the most economical and safest ways to go about it. According to Khau, taking swift action is imperative.
“It would be a stretch to say these homes are consistent with [Tramonto Drive Landslide’s] development patterns, but that said, no project would be the worst outcome scenario for safety,” said Khau. “There’s a lot of landslide debris, the roads are narrow and it creates unsafe conditions … any project will help improve the status quo.”
Homes in the project include a 9,051 square-foot single family at 17538 – 17550 Tramonto Dr., a 4,160 square-foot single-family at 17532 – 17548 Revello Dr., a 2,619 square-foot single-family at 17523 – 17529 Revello Dr. and a 6,078 square-foot single-family at 17533 – 17547 Revello Dr., according to an agenda item from a recent West L.A. Planning Commission meeting. The project would also include a 200-foot extension of Revello Drive with required grading.
According to Khau, the project could break ground as early as next year.
