An important, long-sought breakthrough has been reached in the quest to finance completion of the 20-year infill project in Potrero Canyon, and to create a public park stretching from the Palisades Recreation Center down to Pacific Coast Highway. The funds to get the project restarted will come when the City of Los Angeles holds a public auction for canyon-rim houses it owns at 615 and 623 Alma Real Dr. on Monday, November 17 at 2 p.m. in City Hall. Before that happens, four open houses will be held at both locations, starting this Saturday, October 25, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The city acquired the houses in 1981, as well as homes on Friends and DePauw streets, because of litigation due to drainage problems, landslides and slope instability along the rim of Potrero. During the 1990s, the upper canyon was filled in and the soil compacted, allowing for new lots to be created while shoring up hillsides below city-owned properties. Last year, the two houses on Alma Real were deemed saleable, and the Coastal Commission approved their sale, once it had been assured that the proceeds will be deposited into the Potrero Canyon Trust Fund to be used solely to complete the 30-acre park. ‘They’re in an extremely desirable location’in the Huntington and on the rim,’ said Prudential Westside Regional Manager John Closson about the homes coming up for auction. ‘The greatest concern is what kind of information is available and the investigation that a buyer will need to do.’ Closson added, ‘The auction process is not familiar to the brokerage community in the Palisades. The challenge and responsibility of the city is to market these properties. We’re four weeks away and there’s little knowledge of the auction.’ The one-story, three-bedroom, 2,492-sq.-ft. residence at 615 Alma Real, located on a 16,988-sq. ft. lot, is listed for $2.3 million as a minimum bid. The listing price is $2.2 million for the one-story home at 623 Alma Real, which has 2,096 sq. ft., three bedrooms and three bathrooms on a 15,560-sq.-ft. lot.   Additional open houses are scheduled for October 29 and November 5 (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and November 8 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Any person wishing to bid on these city properties must pre-register. Same-day registration is available beginning at noon. Advance registration is possible on November 10, 12, 13 and 14 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Room 201 City Hall South. Each bidder must make a $10,000 deposit, which will be applied to the purchase price, or returned after the auction. A separate deposit must be made for each property. Only cash, cashier’s check or certified check made payable to the City of Los Angeles will be accepted. The city will not offer any financing and the properties will be sold ‘as is.’   The bidder must pay for a property survey and all inspections. Additionally, all escrow and incidental expenses, various fees and taxes associated with the sale are the responsibility of the auction winner. Proceeds from the sales will be used for geologic investigations (by drilling holes in the canyon floor) and for creation of final grading plans and final park plans. Grading is expected to resume in 2009. According to Councilman Bill Rosendahl’s Senior Counsel Norm Kulla, architects from the Bureau of Engineering and Department of Recreation and Parks are collaborating to present renderings of the proposed passive park that will be presented at a future public meeting. ‘After more than three years of public meetings and extensive community input, Councilman Rosendahl remains committed to transforming the vision of the Potrero Canyon Citizen Advisory Committee into a stable and beautiful passive park for our community,’ Kulla said in an e-mail.   The auction will be held in room 350 at City Hall, 200 N. Spring St. For more information about the auction, visit: www.lacity.org/GSD/asset/surplus.htm. For general information, call (213) 922-8500 or (213) 922-8552 and (213) 922-8542.

The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy plans to convert the Palisades-Malibu YMCA pool in Temescal Canyon into a public picnic area unless the Y is willing to accept legal liability for the pool, according to Conservancy Executive Director Joe Edmiston. Recognizing the Conservancy’s liability, engineering consultants Penfield & Smith Engineering recommended the Conservancy fill in the pool with 650 cubic yards of fill material. ‘The pool can’t sit empty for an extended period of time,’ said Lisa Soghor, deputy executive officer of the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority. In August, the Y handed over the keys to the pool, which had to be closed in February due to a recirculation leak. With rainy season approaching, the empty pool could fill with rainwater and be attractive to rodents, Soghor said. In addition, the drainage pipes are leaking and the pooling of water could destabilize the slope. Dudek, an environmental and engineering consulting firm, submitted a letter on October 15 to the California Coastal Commission on behalf of the Conservancy requesting a coastal development permit waiver to convert the pool into a picnic area.   The Conservancy board approved filling in the pool at Monday’s meeting in Franklin Canyon Park in Beverly Hills. The following day, in a letter to the Y, Edmiston said if the Palisades-Malibu YMCA or its parent organization, the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, is prepared to assume legal liability for the pool, ‘then I am prepared to recommend that the Conservancy reconvene in emergency session and withdraw the application to decommission the pool, and then the pool would once again be yours.’ In response, Y Executive Director Carol Pfannkuche encouraged Edmiston to withdraw the application to the Coastal Commission, so the Conservancy and Y can negotiate a contract before he fills in the pool.   ’The Palisades-Malibu YMCA would be pleased to continue the community legacy of operating a pool in Temescal Canyon on the Conservancy’s land,’ Pfannkuche said. ‘As we have stated before, the YMCA would be willing to accept liability for the pool, once we have a complete agreement for future use, signed by all parties.’ The Y had initially wanted to repair the recirculation leak, but discovered the 50-year-old pipes need to be replaced at an estimated cost of about $400,000. The Y had wanted a 55-year lease agreement before making the expensive repair, but would be willing to negotiate a shorter contract, Pfannkuche said. ‘By filling in the pool and then negotiating, the Conservancy removes the option to fix the existing facility,’ she said Tuesday. In June, Edmiston said that because the Y is proposing a 55-year contract, the Conservancy would need to decide if a pool is consistent with the long-range plans for the canyon. He hired Dudek and planned to host hearings in September, so all stakeholders could discuss the future of the pool. He then postponed that process until December, so that the Conservancy board could meet in Temescal Gateway Park to decide whether to negotiate directly with the Y for a lease or include all stakeholders in the process. Edmiston has not responded to the Y’s request to possibly negotiate a shorter lease, Pfannkuche said. The Conservancy asked the Coastal Commission to consider its request for a coastal development permit waiver at a hearing in November before the rainy season begins. ‘[Edmiston] is giving everyone a chance to talk in December, but it will be after the pool is destroyed,’ said John Yeh, who serves on the Y’s facilities committee, but is not a member of the Y board. Yeh has asked the Coastal Commission to give the public a chance to speak on the matter. According to Dudek planner April Verbanac’s letter to the commission, the Conservancy proposes that the water and electrical service to the pool and pool equipment be disconnected and the bottom of the pool liner be punctured for free drainage. The pool would be filled and planted with sod. Soghor said the infrastructure surrounding the pool such as the pool house and restrooms would remain intact. The cement surrounding the pool would not be removed, but the fence around the pool area might be taken down to provide easier access. Yeh is angry because the Y and other community members did not have a chance to voice their opinion Monday night. Before the Conservancy meeting, Edmiston told Yeh in an e-mail, ‘The Temescal item on the October 20 agenda is the appropriation of the YMCA money received from the sale of the four acres at the front of the park [corner of Sunset Boulevard and Temescal Canyon Road] last December. It has nothing to do with the pool and goes to already committed projects.’ Edmiston made similar comments to the Palisadian-Post. Yet, the Conservancy voted to use about $40,000 of the $300,000 received from the sale to fill in the pool. ‘I couldn’t believe that happened,’ Yeh said. Soghor contended that the decision to fill in the pool does not affect the long-term planning process, which was reiterated in Verbanac’s letter. ‘The proposed project to abandon the pool does not prejudice the right of the Conservancy to propose other uses for the project area as may be determined appropriate by the long-term land use planning process, including the potential for the YMCA to propose and construct a new pool in the project area,’ Verbanac wrote.

The 11th Annual Village Fair proved to be a rousing festival for the community with game booths, rides and entertainment last Sunday. Sponsored by the Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce, the event featured performers from the Stilt Circus, who wowed the crowd with a variety of dance moves, clowning and acrobatics. The group has performed all over the world with their theatrical shows and this was their Palisades debut. Once again the pie-baking contest drew a large number of entrants. The winner of this year’s contest, featuring pumpkin pie, was the winner in 2006. Sunset Mesa resident Dorothy Reinhold was presented with a first-place blue ribbon and a champagne brunch at the Riviera Country Club. Second place went to Jenney Miller, manager of The Office Supplier on Via de la Paz, and third place was awarded to Firefighter Larry Fierro of Palisades Fire Station 69. Honorable mention went to 11-year-old Katie Reinhold (Dorothy’s daughter). Additional sponsors of the 2008 Fair (not included in last week’s preview story) were American Legion Post 283 (giant double slide) and Village 76 Station (balloon darts). Students from Fancy Feet Dance Studio and Seven Arrows Elementary School performed for the large crowd, and Amy, the face painter, and Jean, the balloon lady, delighted the younger set. The fair committee was chaired by Sanda Alcalay of Coldwell Banker; co-chaired by Ramis Sadrieh of Technology for You! Other committee members were Rena Bornstein of Cognitiatives Brain Training Systems and Zara Guivi from California National Bank. Day-of-the-event Chamber of Commerce workers included Chamber President Antonia Balfour of Oasis Palisades; Sandy Eddy of The Discovery Shop; Nicole Howard of This Week in the Palisades; Dr. Phil Kamins, D.D.S.l Jennifer Lowe of Metrocities Mortgage; John Petrick of Perennial Financial Services; and Greg Wood, an administrator at Palisades Charter High School. The Chamber would like to give special thanks to Amazing Music, Chrysalis Street Works, A Rental Connection, The Balloon Bookie, Post Printing, Fire Station 69 firefighters, and Don Condon and the Santa Monica Police Youth Volunteers. In addition, donations were received from: Lee Calvert, Rotary Club of Pacific Palisades, Georgie Sutphen Ford, William and Gail Masters, Jean Shargo, Dora Fourcade Designs, and Kids on Stage. The next Palisades event sponsored by the Chamber will be the arrival of Santa Claus on Swarthmore Avenue for Holiday Ho! Ho! Ho! on Friday, December 12.

‘I have a lot of clients in Pacific Palisades who come to me in Brentwood,’ said Peter Norman, the eponymous owner of the jewelry store on San Vicente Boulevard. So it makes sense that Norman has opened a companion store here, at 15248 Sunset Blvd. Formerly the Sara Jo boutique, Peter Norman & Co. Jewelers enjoyed a soft opening last week at its heart-of-the-village location. Featuring a bright interior with custom-made display cases, the store has a broad front window that offers a great view up into the mountains. ‘It’s a beautiful store’I didn’t hold back,’ Norman said. ‘I wanted it to seem like you’re walking into your house”not a store with ‘attitude.’ We know our clients. I want to keep it really, really friendly.’ All of the jewelry is designed by Norman himself, who fashions a variety of diamond wedding bands, diamond rings, cultured pearl necklaces, chandelier earrings and more. Redoing engagement rings for women is also popular, he said. Norman prides himself on the art of surprise”throwing in the unexpected, such as using a different-colored stone to freshen up an otherwise predictable format. He designs gold pieces only by request, forging most of his jewelry from platinum. Another dash of the unexpected: in 2005, he introduced Peter Norman Eau de Parfum. According to Norman, he spent two years chasing this elusive fragrance, which he described to a reporter as ‘fresh, clean, with just a touch of spice, but not sweet.’ In 1982, Norman moved from the tumultuous South Africa of his youth to America with a background in marketing and sales. He worked briefly for Neiman Marcus in Texas before moving to California, where he eventually owned and operated eight Benetton stores. In 1997, he started Peter Norman Jewelers after taking over a small Brentwood jeweler named Norman & Company. Coincidentally, Norman is his father’s name. With a staff of four, Norman will operate the Palisades store five days a week (Tuesday through Saturday) and cater to locals floating head-above-water in these difficult economic times. ‘The impact from the economic downturn has been marginal,’ Norman said Tuesday. ‘Because I am located in wealthier neighborhoods, we have been very fortunate to still have good business. Also, a lot of business is derived from across the country. ‘Fortunately, we do well all through the year,’ he continued. ‘It’s all about service and quality in this business.’   Norman said he has ‘a big celebrity clientele’ that includes Julie Andrews, and he noted that his jewelry is worn at all of the big awards shows. In addition, Norman has designed rings for some prominent Palisadians, including his landlord, Dave Licht (owner of Kay ‘n Dave’s Cantina, two doors away). ‘I did Dave’s wedding ring,’ Norman said. ‘I knew his wife Jintana before they met. I eat at their place all the time.’   Describing his store’s inventory, Norman observed that ‘it’s Cartier quality, but I don’t price it that way. I’m expensive, but I don’t want to gouge people.’   He continued, ‘I’m really excited about opening a store here. The construction was tough. It takes longer than you expect. My ex-wife, Linda Zale, helped with it; she’s great. She does huge homes. But we have simple tastes here.’ Visit: www.peternorman.com.

Starting next spring, Pacific Palisades residents will have a new place to while away their free time lounging by the pool or playing tennis. Construction of the Annenberg Community Beach House, located on Santa Monica State Beach, is nearly complete, and the club will be open to the public in April. ‘We’re trying to create a real beach-club experience with a variety of activities from contemplative to active recreation,’ said Catherine ‘Callie’ Hurd, manager of the City of Santa Monica’s Open Space Division. The club’s many amenities include a garden, playground, pool, splash pad (with ground nozzles that shoot water upward for young children to play in), visitor center, event center and volleyball and tennis courts. The beach club, located at 415 Pacific Coast Highway, was originally the site of a 110-room mansion belonging to actress Marion Davies, who is remembered for her relationship with newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst. The estate was sold in 1945 and converted into a luxury hotel. The mansion was then demolished and the property became the home of the Sand & Sea Club, a private beach club. After the club closed in 1989, the city of Santa Monica used the facility for seasonal public use until it was severely damaged in the 1994 Northridge earthquake. The city wanted to replace the beach club with a new public facility, and in 2005, the Annenberg Foundation stepped forward with a $27.5-million grant to fund the project. Construction began in September 2007. As part of designing the beach club, ‘we wanted to preserve the history of the site,’ Hurd said. The city is restoring Davies’ pool, which was originally designed by Julia Morgan, the architect of Hearst Castle in San Simeon. The rectangular-shaped 20-ft.- by-110-ft. pool will be available for open swim and drop-in fitness classes. The city is still deciding whether to stripe the pool for lap swimming because there would be only four lanes, Hurd said. Occupying the footprint of the original mansion will be a locker room complex with a 1,800-sq-ft. community room. One of Davies’ three guesthouses (the North House) is being converted into a visitor center and will be near the terrace garden. The Back on the Beach Caf’, located west of the club, is being remodeled and will reopen as part of the facility. Beach club patrons can also bring their own food. There will be an event house with a 700-sq.-ft. room for youth programs and a 2,000-sq.-ft. room and a 700-sq.-ft. room, with hardwood floors and fireplaces, for private events such as weddings and corporate parties. Hurd is making presentations at community meetings about how the city proposes to operate the beach club and is speaking on November 18 at the Santa Monica Canyon Civic Association at Rustic Canyon Recreation Center. She is seeking feedback from the community about the planned hours of operation and user fees. According to the city’s preliminary proposal, the beach club will be open from 8 a.m. until dark and until 10 p.m. on the weekdays and 11 p.m. on the weekends for special events. The pool will be available from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily in the summer and on weekends in May and September. In the winter, the pool will be open approximately 40 days from noon to 5 p.m., dependent on the weather. The event house can be rented for private events on the weekdays in the spring and summer and anytime from October to April. The event house is not available on the weekends in the spring and summer because those peak hours are reserved for the public, Hurd said. The city plans to charge $10 for adults to use the pool and $4 for children ages 4 to 17. Children under three years old will be admitted free. The city has not decided whether to include the splash pad in the pool fee or to provide that service for free. The six volleyball and tennis courts, playground, visitor center and garden will be free. Patrons will be able to make reservations for a court, swimming pool pass or parking space three days in advance by telephone or online. The registration fee will be $5, and a person can reserve a maximum of one parking space, eight pool passes and one court. The city has received approval to install a traffic signal off PCH. The parking lot has 277 spaces and beach-club goers will be required to pay $6 to $10. Short-term parking of one to two hours will be $3 to $4. The city intends to have bike racks that can accommodate 100 bikes and is considering offering a bike valet service, Hurd said. ‘All of this is preliminary,’ she reiterated. ‘We are open to suggestions.’ Community members can share their opinion about the hours of operation and fees by e-mail: beachhouse@smgov.net. Information: www.smgov.net/beach_house/