Highlands Falsehoods
Some Palisadians and Angelenos apparently do not appreciate the truly unique environment of The Highlands—its mountains, canyons, trails, rock outcroppings, wildlife and serenity.
Preservation of that environment is the main reason a vast majority of our residents so ardently oppose the proposed eldercare project.
Here’s a brief summary for those whose minds are not made up already:
The proposed site is not in a “highly urbanized” area, as the developer falsely claims. It is an environmentally sensitive hillside lot sitting on a bluff surrounded by the city’s Santa Ynez Park and Topanga State Park.
The dense project will tower over four stories high above the scenic-designated Palisades Drive and excavate two floors of underground parking.
It will create an eyesore, ruining protected views for residents and visitors. Its 24/7/365 intensive operations will dramatically increase noise and light pollution.
It will cause soul-crushing traffic congestion, add to parking nightmares and require new traffic lights to slow drivers coming up and down Palisades Drive.
In spite of the obvious impacts, the preliminary city approval of the project does not require any environmental review. In fact, the project violates numerous key provisions of state environmental law, including the Coastal Act mandate that new developments be “designed to protect views to and along the ocean and scenic coastal areas, to minimize the alteration of natural land forms, and to be visually compatible with the character of surrounding area.”
No Highlands building is remotely this massive or tall.
The site is a state-designated “Very High Severity Fire Hazard Zone,” posing extreme risk to its residents and employees. The facility can easily be cut off from the rest of the city by an earthquake, mud or rock slide, or wildfire.
Placing the facility on this remote site ignores the city’s own planning guidelines for the Palisades that require eldercare facilities to be in close proximity to vital services, doctors, hospitals and public transport—none of which the Highlands offers.
In short, the facility will isolate seniors and pose extraordinary, avoidable risks to its vulnerable residents.
It is truly unimaginable that, after any objective review of the evidence, anyone would consider this ill-conceived project to be “appropriate.”
We are confident that when you know all the facts and come up to visit the site, you will join in opposing this project.
Veronique Jackson | Highlands resident and volunteer for HUGpali.org
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