www.palisadesnews.com
February 2026 September 2025
Palisades Recovery Reports Show in Evacuation Data Shows Rebuilding Progress PostDeficiencies, Urge $650M Power Line Burial Fire Palisades The numbers indicate and Major Infrastructure Hardening a surge in permitting AECOM’s longactivity, particularly awaited in recent analyses months find streets New narrow data from Pali Builds, a community platform tracking recovery violate fire code from the January wildfires, shows significant rebuilding in key areas momentum like in Pacific Palisades, with 179 new home permits approved since the fires and 160 Alphabet Streets lots sold generating nearly $478 million and Rustica Canyon, in sales, highlighting robust but uneven housing market. note evacuation The numbers indicate a surge in permitting activity, particularly in recent warning fatigue months. From potential January to August 2025, Los and Angeles approved 179 new homes in bottlenecks, the 90272 zip code, with approvals accelerating over time: only two in March and urge but jumping to 76 brush in August, according clearance.
to Pali Builds’ September 1 analysis. Processing times for new building permits averaged around 63-77 days in summer months,toupsupporting from 31 reaffirmed commitment days community in March,while suggesting the noting growing ongoing administrative demands as applications advocacy for insurance accountability, increase. Pali Builds, founded and by locals mortgage relief extensions, state to fill gaps in official data,gaps. continues funding to bridge rebuilding tracking until the LA Mayor’s Office The three February 2026 documents — provides public comprehensive figures. covering infrastructure restoration, Home resilience, sales data and through August 1 wildfire logistics/traffic reveals 160 lots sold since the $1 January 7 management — outline nearly billion fires, totaling $477.7 million. in proposed infrastructure projects The market showsinclude stark more disparities through 2033. These than by area: Area 8across led with sales at an $664 million six11 projects to average $10.6electrical million and median $10.2 underground lines, following million, contributing million the destruction of nearly$116.4 57% of electric in volume, while 2 had 16 sales service points (fromArea distribution poles to averaging $1.7 million. 5 saw the transmission lines) in theArea fire. The public most activity with sales averaging infrastructure report48 allocates $150 $2.1 million. Buyer composition from million for “wet” infrastructure repairs, January to July included 85 individuals focusing on replacing aging and leaky (53%),main 64 pipelines. entities (40%), and 11 water unknown (7%),resilience pointingreport to substantial The wildfire identifies institutional investment in the critical gaps: “almost all” localrecovery. streets in areas like the Alphabet Streets, Rustic Canyon, and Castellammare are narrower than permitted by city fire code. A “majority” of long dead-end streets fail to meet code requirements for fire engine turnaround space. These deficiencies “directly impact the ability to fight fires and civilians to safely alongforwith city leaders andevacuate,” officials, the report states,theechoing concerns rallied against bill. “SB 79 in is a100 December lawsuit alleging citylaws,” nontimes worse than existing compliance with state regulations in very Pacific Palisades Residents Association high fire hazard zones. President Jessica Rogers said, warning analysisareas alsolike found of The risksresilience in wildfire-prone the Palisades, citing inadequate evacuation routes and infrastructure strain. In August, the Los Angeles City Council voted 8–5 in opposition to SB 79, led by Councilwoman Traci Park and Councilmember John Lee. Park, whose district includes the Palisades, called it a “Sacramento attempt to hijack local planning,” silencing residents. The Pacific Palisades Community Council also urged Newsom to veto the bill, Californiahisofficials areorder advancing referencing emergency limiting proposals to expand relief for dense housing in fire mortgage zones. homeowners last year’s Los “This billaffected opens by the floodgates Angeles-area wildfires, as some residents for developers, displacement, and gentrification, with no regard for our report difficulties obtaining forbearance neighborhoods,” Park said in a Sept. from lenders. 13Los statement, notingKaren that Bass Los Angeles Angeles Mayor said this has thousands of a housing units under week that she led delegation of Pacific construction. SB 79,and sheCouncilmember argued, would Palisades residents undermine of planning to place Traci Park years to Sacramento to press for housing along transit corridors. extended mortgage forbearance and Days afterreforms. its passage, Parksaid introduced insurance Bass some a motionsurvivors directinghave city been departments wildfire denied to conductforbearance, a comprehensive additional directed 90-day toward
residents experienced “evacuation warning fatigue” from frequent false alarms, leading to hesitation during actual threats. Traffic pattern modeling showed many intersections could become severe bottlenecks, causing significant delays in mass evacuations. Vegetation management under current rules — including upcoming Zone Zero regulations — is insufficient for the area’s steep topography and dense fuels; recommendations include collaborating with state and county land managers to create vegetation gaps for firefighter access, maintain defensible space around community infrastructure, and restore native plants. Water system vulnerabilities during the fire — when hillside tanks emptied and many higher-elevation hydrants lost pressure or ran dry — prompted calls for upgrades: larger pipelines and additional tanks for greater storage and movement of water; improved interconnections between local systems; and exploration of alternative sources like stormwater, treated wastewater, or seawater. Additional measures include pressure monitoring systems to stream live data to fire crews and prevent dry hydrants, plus remote-controlled valves to maintain pressure during emergencies. The city’s Department of Water and Power is already evaluating options for the Santa Ynez Reservoir, which was empty
awaiting repairs when the fire started. The public infrastructure report organizes recovery into tiers: Tier 1 emergency threat stabilization largely complete; Tier 2 essential services restoration ongoing; and Tier 3 long-term hardening with coordinated LADWP and city projects to avoid conflicts with private rebuilding. The logistics and traffic management plan anticipates major disruptions from concurrent construction, including heavy truck traffic, material deliveries, parking constraints, and congestion on routes like Sunset Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway — particularly during school hours — and proposes builder scheduling coordination, materials handling strategies, and improved communication to reduce community impacts over the multi-year timeline.
Lawmakers Pass SB 79, Sparking Outcry Over Local Control Loss
Engineering reports commissioned by the City of Los Angeles from AECOM for $5 million reveal that much of Pacific Palisades remains out of compliance with modern disaster evacuation standards more than a year after the 2025 wildfires. Mayor Karen Bass, in a newsletter linking to the reports, called recovery “a long-term, multi-year effort that requires sustained coordination — and it must continue to be community-led.” She
Some decried the bill, now on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk, for ignoring traffic, infrastructure, environmental, and public safety concerns
State Officials Push Array of Mortgage Relief Proposals for Wildfire Victims By Zach Armstrong Bass said some attempting to California lawmakers approved recover from losses. wildfire survivors Senate Bill 79, a controversial housing mandate some have decried for ignoring have been denied infrastructure and public safety concerns, in mid-September, prompting fierce additional opposition from Los Angeles leaders. forbearance, The legislation, authored by Sen. Scott Wiener (D–San Francisco), allows for directed more multi-familytoward housing development near transit stops, permitting taller and lump-sum denser buildings closer to major transit hubs and allowing transit repayments oragencies to build on their own land. The bill also requires a share of housing reported toaffordable credit units in new projects. In late August, while a crowd of Palisadians, bureaus
lump-sum repayments or reported to credit bureaus while attempting to recover from losses. State law currently provides up to one year of mortgage forbearance for certain disaster-impacted homeowners. In November, Bass called on banks and mortgage servicers to extend relief by three additional years for those affected by the January 2025 wildfires. On Wednesday, Assemblymember John Harabedian, D-Pasadena, announced legislation that would provide assessment of with SB 79. The motion wildfire victims an additional two instructs the Departments City years of mortgage forbearanceofbeyond Planning, state Transportation, Housing, existing protections.and Harabedian along with the City Attorney, to also introduced Assembly Billanalyze 1842, the bill’s effects. TheContinue report will oninclude page 7
maps of areas within a quarter-mile and half-mile of transit stops subject to SB 79, impacts on rent-stabilized housing, historic districts, coastal zones, and high-risk fire and tsunami areas.