The Selection Process and Story Were Postponed Following the Palisades Fire

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

The first baby born to a Palisadian family in 2025 is Violet Chapman Robinson, who arrived the morning of January 10 to parents Lizzy and Brian Robinson at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica.

The family, which includes Violet’s older sister, Clara Chapman Robinson, 2, resides in the Highlands in a town home they purchased in 2020. While their home is still standing, they have been displaced since the Palisades fire began on January 7.

“It’s been a really bittersweet time,” Lizzy said to the Palisadian-Post of having Violet just three days after the fire started. “Also very confusing and hard to navigate, but Violet has brought us so much joy.”

She said that watching her older daughter become a big sister has been “such a joyful time,” but that “it’s really hard to believe that something so sad can coexist with something so happy as well.” Lizzy described having “so many plans” of taking Violet back home with them, with a nursery “all set up.”

“We were so excited,” Lizzy said, “and I was so excited for this maternity leave with both of my girls.”

Lizzy—who grew up in the Palisades after moving to the area at the age of 6 from New York—described their experience since Violet’s arrival as “nomadic,” but they are currently living in Manhattan Beach after spending time in places like Palm Desert. Her parents reside in the Highlands in the house where Lizzy grew up, which had “substantial damage” to the side, but is still standing. Brian grew up in Brentwood.

“We had a tough experience actually getting out of the Highlands,” Lizzy said. “We unfortunately couldn’t get out when we tried to evacuate. I think just going through something so frightening—having my 2-year-old in the back of the car, realizing that we couldn’t get out—and then realizing, once we did get out, how bad the fire actually was.”

Lizzy said her parents came to visit Violet while they were in the hospital—not knowing at the time if their houses had made it through the fire. Her dad was tracking through an AirTag that kept going off, which they took to mean the home was still standing.

“That’s how chaotic and confusing it was at the time,” Lizzy described. “We were celebrating this beautiful little baby’s birth and then we were also trying to figure out if our home had burned down.”

Lizzy said the news of having the first baby of the year was “very exciting” after “so much uncertainty and fear and sadness” surrounding the fire and its aftermath.

“It was nice, too, to be connected back to the Palisadian-Post, even though so many Palisadians are all over LA [and] outside of LA,” Lizzy said. “It was nice to have that connection back to my home.”

With her parents in Marina Del Rey, Lizzy said one of the things she is missing the most is being five minutes from family members. She said she “really can’t wait” until they are in “super close proximity again.”

“There’s so many wonderful things about the community of the Palisades,” Lizzy said. “I’m really just looking forward to bringing them back there and hopefully raising them there too for a long time.”

The tradition of honoring the baby born closest to 12 a.m. on January 1 began in the paper in 1954 and has been published since. In past years, entries have been sought in January, with the story published at the end of January or early February. This year’s selection process and story were postponed following the Palisades fire.

The family received a basket of prizes from contest sponsors, including a handmade quilt from Pacific Palisades Woman’s Club, a gift certificate to Sanctuary Spa at the Palisades (temporarily closed but still standing with plans to reopen), items and a gift card from The Pump Station & Nurtury in Santa Monica, and products from Busy Benny—which were delivered before Founder Laura Gowing lost her inventory and home in the fire.

Other contest sponsors are Above Bar, The Gray Dragon and tawnya, who lost their business spaces, inventories and homes in the fire. The Post wanted to acknowledge and thank them for their willingness to sponsor the contest.

PPCC Board Votes to Support Project Chimney

By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor

Pacific Palisades Community Council met on Thursday, May 22, for its most recent board meeting, which featured guest speakers Rick Caruso and Nick Geller of Steadfast LA who provided updates and insights on local development and community recovery following the Palisades fire.

Steadfast LA—led by Caruso—launched in February to assemble the “expertise, influence and power” of the private sector to expedite the rebuilding of the communities destroyed by the January fires. Doing so would reportedly cut through delays and develop solutions with real estate, finance and construction departments, and others.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced on April 10 the launch of a public-private partnership that will fund, redesign and rebuild Palisades Recreation Center following damage sustained in the January fire—alongside Steadfast LA and other groups.

“It’s just really exciting to have you here because Steadfast has been so proactive and so supportive,” PPCC President Sue Kohl said during the meeting. “I think we just all want to hear what you might be thinking about … what’s happening at the Rec Center, what other ideas you have, what other projects you might be working on.”

Caruso reported he and his team are “moving the needle” forward everyday, “all day long.” Caruso said designs for the Rec Center are underway, as well as fundraising. Through Steadfast LA, private funding is being raised to revitalize public spaces that are central to the community, including the Rec Center.

“The goal is that we want to get the Rec Center under construction in about a year, and that’s what we’re going to be pushing for,” Caruso explained.

Caruso also said he has also been working with Los Angeles Unified School District, as he said it is a priority to reopen the public schools in the Palisades.

“We’re glad that they’re going to be getting [Palisades Charter High School] open,” he said. “Marquez [Charter Elementary School] is going to open up for next season, which is great.”

For Palisades Charter Elementary School, Caruso said there are discussions about advancing and shortening the timeframe down to get the school open “as quickly as possible,” with a goal of reopening within a year and a half to two years.

“We think that can happen,” he said. “It will be a heavy lift, but we’re going to dedicate a lot of our resources to supporting the school system.”

After providing a number of updates, Caruso and Geller answered questions from attendees.

One attendee asked the team if they would consider installing a solar canopy for the Rec Center’s parking lot—which would utilize solar panels on a supportive frame to provide shade for vehicles and simultaneously generate electricity.

“We always look at doing solar and, unfortunately, it never pencils out,” Caruso said. “But my team here is looking at it again. They have it at the Grove, so yes, we will take a look at that … It’s a good idea.”

Following the presentation, the PPCC Board continued its agenda, which included unanimously passing a motion, sponsored by the Executive Committee, to support Project Chimney. House Museum Director Evan Hall presented on the project during the Thursday, May 8, PPCC board meeting.

Project Chimney emerged as an initiative to “catalogue, relocate and memorialize a selection of historically significant chimneys in the Pacific Palisades burn zone,” according to a statement. Over 55 historically significant chimneys have been identified, dating back to Palisades’ founding in 1922.

“Designed by master architects Frank Lloyd Wright Jr., Paul R. Williams and Richard Neutra, surviving chimneys capture a glimpse of the architectural DNA of Los Angeles.”

House Museum is working with community members to salvage and preserve select chimneys, a project that will culminate in a permanent installation known as the Palisades Fire Memorial, situated ideally “somewhere in the Santa Monica Mountains.”

When it comes to PPCC officers, there were no additional officer nominations from board members, meaning the nominating committee’s candidates—and current PPCC officers—will be re-elected during PPCC’s June 12 meeting, including Kohl, Vice-President Quentin Fleming, Treasurer Jenny Li and Secretary Beth Holden-Garland.

“We thank all the officers for their willingness to continue serving the board and community,” PPCC said in a follow-up to the meeting.

By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor

The Planning and Land Use Management Committee considered a report at a May 27 hearing from West Los Angeles Area Planning Commission and an appeal filed by the Castellammare Mesa Homeowners Association, which challenged the approval of the environment clearance and a Mitigated Negative Declaration for the “large-scale development” of four homes in Castellammare, recommending to grant the appeal and remand the environmental analysis to WLAAPC.

The project would take the space of 12 existing lots along the 17500 blocks of Tramonto and Revello drives at the top of the Tramonto landslide, ranging from 2,619 square feet to 7,695 square feet (each with 2,428 to 6,292 square feet of basement space), as well as a 200-foot extension of Revello Drive. It has been the subject of several community meetings, including Pacific Palisades Community Council.

“Local residents, many of whom lost their homes in the January 7 fire, and [the] Homeowners Association, have long opposed the development on safety grounds,” Castellammare Mesa Homeowners Association said in a statement. “Last year the Los Angeles Westside Planning Commission approved the project, despite the fire code waiver, but as Kimberly Feder, president of the Homeowner’s Association, said, ‘Circumstances have changed and we hope the City Council will correct course.’”

Castellammare Mesa Homeowners Association voiced its concerns, explaining that the project—if approved—would exempt the developer from complying with the Los Angeles Municipal Fire Code and could hinder first responders’ access to a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone.

“As proposed, the only way in and out of the development will be a winding road that narrows to 12 [feet] four [inches], not enough to allow two small cars to pass each other, let alone fire trucks,” the statement continued. “This sets a dangerous precedent for future development in Pacific Palisades by waiving fire safety code for new developments.”

Castellammare Mesa Homeowners Association also expressed concern over the sites of the proposed development project being built within the Tramonto landslide.

During the May 27 meeting, Councilmember Traci Park provided an overview of the Palisades as it stands, as well as comments in support of granting the appeal.  Park explained to the PLUM Committee that in the aftermath of the January 7 Palisades fire, the Castellammare neighborhood lost 48% of its homes, and is home to the Tramonto landslide, “the city’s most active and well-documented.” A landslide occurred in February 2024, which blocked the right lane of Pacific Coast Highway.

“Over the last several months, we saw major flooding and mud and debris flow, as well as active landslide activity,” Park said. “We’re continuing to struggle to move heavy trucks and equipment on very tiny, narrow, windy roads … The fire’s destruction did not spare infrastructure. We have damaged roads, bulkheads, water lines and drainage systems. I believe a Mitigated Negative Declaration is inadequate for this proposed development, and that a site-specific Environmental Impact Report is needed to study the unique or particular conditions to this site on a very active landslide area, being located in the Pacific Palisades burn area. I believe that the appeal should be granted and the matter should be remanded back to the West LA Area Planning Commission.”

A number of Castellammare residents followed Park, echoing her concerns to the PLUM Committee, expressing an urgency for a site-specific EIR to protect the future of the neighborhood.

“I am very moved by the concerns about the NMD being done prior to the fire and the landslide issues … are very serious,” a board member said after listening to public comments.

The PLUM Committee then recommended to grant the appeal and remand the environmental analysis to the WLAAPC.

The applicant, Demos Development, was called during the meeting. Neither the applicant nor their representatives, Greg Demos and Tony Russo (Crest Real Estate), stepped forward to speak.

The matter was then submitted to the Los Angeles City Council for consideration, and the City Clerk scheduled the item to be discussed on June 4. LA City Council voted to adopt the PLUM Committee’s report. As directed by the City Council, the applicant will need to file a new application for environmental review.

Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, Senator Ben Allen and Supervisor Lindsey Horvath are partnering to host a virtual Wildfire Preparedness meeting on Thursday, June 12, at 5:30 p.m.

The meeting will be focused on Zone 0, newly released fire hazard severity maps and home hardening.

“The presentation will feature California State Fire Marshall Daniel Berlant, as well as representatives from CAL FIRE, both Los Angeles County and City Fire Departments, and the California Department of Insurance,” according to a statement. “This is an opportunity for residents to achieve an understanding of newly formed regulations and fire severity maps, as well as how to keep their homes, businesses and families safe during a wildfire event.”

The seminar can be viewed at a42.asmdc.org/events. If the Zoom reaches capacity, it can be viewed at a42.asmdc.org. Questions can be submitted at a42.asmdc.org/wildfire-preparedness-webinar-submit-question.

—SARAH SHMERLING

Mastro’s Ocean Club Malibu has reopened its Pacific Coast Highway restaurant following a five-month closure after the Palisades fire.

“Experience exceptional service, nightly live entertainment along with the finest prime steak, the freshest seafood, and an award-winning wine and spirits program,” according to a statement from the restaurant. “Mastro’s Ocean Club menu favorites include the majestic seafood tower of chilled crab legs, shrimp and oysters served over a cloud of dry-ice, decadent lobster mashed potatoes, and Mastro’s famed butter cake.”

The restaurant’s current hours are Sunday through Thursday from 4 to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 4 to 10 p.m. Summer holiday hours include Sunday, June 15, from 12 to 9 p.m. and Friday, July 4, from 2 to 9 p.m.

—SARAH SHMERLING

Pacific Palisades Community Council is seeking applications to become the Area Three 2nd alternate representative on its board.

Area Three, according to the PPCC website, encompasses “Marquez Knolls and both sides of Sunset Boulevard from Palisades Drive to Bienveneda Avenue, Saint Matthew’s School and the Bel-Air Bay Club.”

“For this purpose, persons whose principal residence address was in Area Three prior to the Palisades fire and have either returned to live at that address, or have moved away temporarily and intend to return to live at their principal Area Three address, will be considered Area Three residents,” according to PPCC.

Those interested in becoming the Area Three 2nd alternate representative on the board must apply by submitting a statement.

“All interested persons must submit a statement of any length, which shall include the number of years residing in Pacific Palisades; the number of years as a resident of Area Three; and the number of years at the applicant’s principal residence and that address,” according to PPCC. “The statement must include the applicant’s position on issues they believe are of importance to the community, and may also include a few biographical facts, including any skills that the applicant would bring to PPCC.”

Candidates will then be reviewed and nominated by the PPCC Three Chairs Committee and elected by the board to serve the same term as primary Area Three Representative Julia Nilsen, which ends on September 30, 2026.

Applications are due by email to info@pacpalicc.org by Saturday, July 6, at 5 p.m. For more information, visit pacpalicc.org.

—SARAH SHMERLING

Chamber Music Palisades will present a free community afternoon concert on Saturday, June 14, from 4 to 5 p.m. at Brentwood Presbyterian Church, located at 12000 San Vicente Boulevard.

The program will feature a “unique combination of duets and trios for clarinet, violin, flute and piano,” according to CMP, with “longtime Los Angeles Philharmonic principal clarinetist Michele Zukovsky, multi-genre violin virtuoso Stephanie Yu, Santa Monica Symphony principal flutist and former flutist with Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra Susan Greenberg, along with Pierre Long-Tao Tang, pianist-conductor from Hong Kong and lecturer of music at University of San Diego.”

Works are set to include Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Violin Sonata No. 7,” Johannes Brahms’ “Violin Sonata No. 2” and trio arrangements of Georges Bizet’s “Carmen.”

The concert is sponsored by the city of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs. Donations, which allow CMP to “continue providing these wonderful family-friendly concerts,” will be taken in person or at cmpalisades.org.        

—SARAH SHMERLING