Construction to remove dirt from the 1965 Revello landslide on the Tramonto hillside in Castellammare, secure the ground and replace it with compacted dirt could begin as early as this month, according to Greg Smith, vice president of development with GH Palmer Associates.
The 1.06-acre property at 17325 Tramonto and the 3.98-acre property at 17331-17333 Tramonto have remained vacant since the slide. Both are located above the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Sunset Boulevard, providing scenic ocean views of Santa Monica Bay.
Owner GH Palmer is planning to build a 30-unit condominium project at 17325 Tramonto—the southernmost location (shown in the adjoining photograph).
On the adjoining property, the Tramonto Landmark project initially gained Los Angeles Planning Commission approval for an 82-unit condominium-townhouse development after a 2003 EIR, but was downgraded to 61 units after it went through a 2006 Coastal Commission review. David Schwartzman of Harridge Development, which now owns the 17331-17333 Tramonto property, was contacted about future plans, but has not yet responded.
“It goes without saying that construction on such a narrow street, to say nothing of the added traffic, would add a great amount of headaches to our beautiful neighborhood,” said Castellammare resident Berton Averre, who attended the City’s initial haul-route hearing on May 28. “But if annoyance were the only reason to oppose this construction plan, I for one would swallow hard and try to bear up.”
Averre also attended a hearing on May 11, when developers were given the go-ahead to haul dirt.
“The Department of Building and Safety determined that [GH Palmer’s] plans to excavate/shore up the slide area is an overall plus for the neighborhood in environmental terms, which is true if everything goes to form,” Averre said. “I still don’t get what would be hurt by an up-to-date EIR, but they [the City] voted unanimously to accept the recommendation for the re-adoption of the MND (Mitigated Negative Declaration).”
When Building and Safety approved the haul permit on June 11 that allows the exportation of 60,000 cubic yards of earth from that landslide, it was noted that an MND was prepared for this project by the Department of City Planning and “there is no substantial evidence that the proposed project will have a significant effect on the environment.”
The permit specified the following conditions: hauling hours are from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; haul vehicles may not arrive onsite before the designated start time; two flag persons (minimum) are required at the job site during staging and hauling; “No Parking” signs will be posted along streets on the haul route; and workers will be shuttled from an offsite location.
Truck hauling will start at the job site, turn south onto Castellammare Drive (above the Spectrum Club) before turning onto Sunset, then continue to PCH and ultimately the landfill off the 134 Freeway.
Developers are required to secure truckloads—by trimming, watering or covering—to prevent blowing material, and streets are to be cleaned of spilled materials during grading and hauling.
Smith explained that GH Palmer is working in connection with Harridge Development.
“We have separate permits, but the plans were submitted together,” Smith said, noting that dirt will be removed, the ground secured with tiebacks (tension anchors that go into the bedrock) and new dirt brought in and compacted. “Once we’re finished, the landslide will be stable.”
According to Smith, the hillside remediation will take about a year, and after it is completed, condominiums will be developed at the Revello site.
On June 10, 1965, the Palisadian-Post reported “Landslide Claims Three Homes, 10 Apartments” and explained that the Revello Drive homes of Fisherman, Braverman and Donohue, and 16 of the 32 Ocean Woods apartments were either destroyed or compromised. Other Castellammare Drive apartments were evacuated and the 17321 Castellammare apartment complex was pushed off its foundation.
The reporter wrote “Last weekend’s disaster actually was forecast June 2 when Revello’s north curb dropped three inches. Just before Saturday’s massive movement a wide 200-foot crack appeared from Revello to the Los Liones driveway.
“Revello had been closed to vehicles since Friday when curb-to-curb cracks developed. As the ground began moving at an estimated rate of five feet per hour, city disaster crews moved in to seal off the areas.
“Hundreds of spectators began to gather on Will Rogers State Beach. . . Traffic congestion on Pacific Coast Highway became severe as thousands of mobile gawkers inched along looking up at the oozing earth and twisted debris.”
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