Photo courtesy of LA County Public Works
By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief
The Pacific Palisades Community Council board meeting on Thursday, September 25, included several updates, including the approval of additional grants, an update on Marvin Braude Bike Trail repairs and Santa Monica Canyon Channel Outlet restoration, and a presentation on Palisades Long Term Recovery Group.
The board approved five additional grants from donations received by PPCC that were recommended by its Grants Committee, chaired by Quentin Fleming: Pali LTRG, Lotus Rising LA, Friends of Marquez, St. Matthew’s Parish School and Pacific Palisades Baseball Association.
Pali LTRG received $17,500 to support its Senior Recovery & Resilience Program, while Lotus Rising LA received $4,000 to “help defray the cost of producing a ‘Ready Rebuild – Prefab 101’ event,” which took place at American Legion Ronald Reagan – Palisades Post 283 on September 27.
Friends of Marquez received $11,833 to purchase a “large ‘pole tent’ to be used for student, family and school-wide events” at the Marquez Charter Elementary School campus, and St. Matthew’s received $25,000 to go toward the renovation of its outdoor gathering spaces.
PPBA received $50,000 to go toward the restoration of the “Field of Dreams,” as well as associated facilities at Palisades Recreation Center, including replacing landscaping, fencing and storage infrastructure; rebuilding a burned dugout; replacing destroyed equipment containers; replacing maintenance equipment, including lawnmowers; and purchasing replacement equipment for league and community use.
Later in the meeting, Kerjon Lee and Yggy Ruiz of Los Angeles County Public Works gave a presentation with updates on the Marvin Braude Bike Trail repairs and Santa Monica Canyon Channel Outlet restoration—with work expected to be completed by the end of the year.
The “region’s most popular bike path,” with an estimated 10,000 users per day, Marvin Braude Beach Trail stretches 22 miles from Will Rogers State Beach to Torrance. An extended portion between Will Rogers State Beach and Santa Monica with a new trail added for cyclists opened to the public in May 2023. It was then damaged in February 2024 following a series of storms where the Palisades saw about 15 inches of rain, Lee explained.
Repair work began on Monday, August 4, according to Supervisor Lindsey Horvath. The project was approved in December 2024, with FEMA authorization granted on May 20 and a construction contract executed on May 27. The project is FEMA eligible, due to a federal disaster declaration, Ruiz explained.
Repair work, with a budget of $4.2 million, includes restoring and improving the bike trail, Ruiz said, as well as modifying the channel outlet for “better flow and erosion control.” This will “enhance safety, resilience and recreational access.” Trail improvements include a bike path shift, eliminating the lower loop near the tidal zone, grading and replacement of the new trail, and enhanced durability and accessibility, Ruiz reported.
The final presentation of the evening was given by Jim Cragg, president of Pali LTRG, which is part of the VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Assisting in Disasters) network and established after the Palisades fire to provide “recovery assistance to the community”—particularly to “vulnerable and/or at-risk residents, including those without insurance and the elderly.”
Jessica Rogers serves as vice chair/executive director, with Richard Lombari as vice chair, Martin Hak as finance chair/treasurer and Elynor Chiu as secretary. The group launched on August 8 at Post 283
Its primary goal is to provide “disaster case management to affected residents with unmet needs.” Secondary and supporting efforts include communication, wellness and education, construction and safety, volunteers, and small business and employment.
“Disaster Case Managers serve as the primary link between people with disaster-related unmet needs and the LTRG,” read the presentation. “Families and residents often don’t know what assistance is available, how to access it and where to turn for support. Those in greatest need … may require specific forms of information and communication.”
VOAD works with 40-plus charity organizations, like the Salvation Army and Red Cross, Cragg explained, with roughly 10% of the population qualifying for support through the effort.
“These major relief organizations have turned to our group to help identify and vet over 10,000 Palisades families in need of money, manpower, materials and information to get their lives back,” Cragg said at the launch event in August. “Palisadians are relying on us.”
The other 90% of the population will be able to benefit from other efforts Pali LTRG will put on, including classes and informational fairs.
For more information, including links to the presentations, visit pacpalicc.org.
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