Ending months of meetings and intense negotiations, the Palisades-Malibu YMCA and a committee of concerned residents and government representatives have reached an agreement that benefits both sides. At its meeting Thursday night, the Pacific Palisades Community Council voted unanimously to support a motion that supported the agreement ‘between community members and the YMCA pertaining to landscaping, fencing and use issues’ on the Y’s property on the corner of Sunset and Temescal Canyon Road. The YMCA is now free to proceed with the long-awaited beautification of its 3.9-acre Simon Meadow, pending approval of its plans by the Coastal Commission. ’We’d like to raise the funds this summer and start work in the fall,’ said Palisadian Rob Lowe, Jr., who chairs the YMCA board and is co-president of Lowe Enterprises in Brentwood. ‘We’re setting out to raise about $320,000,’ which includes $70,000 from an earlier campaign plus a $70,000 matching grant from Bill and Cindy Simon. Carol Pfannkuche, the Y’s executive director, provided this outline of the project’s intended improvements: ‘ Replace seasonal 6′ chain-link fence with new 5’ high permanent fencing. ‘ Install decomposed granite pathway along Temescal Canyon Road into the park. ‘ Upgrade landscape by planting and irrigation of permitted native species as listed in ‘Native Plants for Landscaping in the Santa Mountains.’ ‘ Improve existing grass field. ‘ Add permanent signage and a rock seating ledge at the front corner, in similar style with the opposite park entrance corner. ‘ Remove or relocate existing non-functioning, or to be abandoned on-site utility poles, pipes, valves and conduits where possible. ‘ Re-plant and enhance the environmentally-sensitive habitat area, as required by the California Coastal Commission. The community committee that worked with the YMCA was put together by Palisadian Norman Kulla, senior district director for Councilman Bill Rosendahl, and it included the Community Council’s YMCA Committee (Richard Cohen, Ted Mackie and Jack Allen), Barbara Kohn of the Pacific Palisades Residents Association, historian Randy Young and Kelly Comras, a local landscape architect. The YMCA was represented by Lowe, Pfannkuche, board member Mark Mullen, landscape designer David Card and architect Rich Wilken. ’There were some tough negotiations,’ said Community Council President Janet Turner, ‘but finally, with patience and perseverance, the two sides came together for the good of all. I personally believe this should make the community very happy.’ Said Lowe, ‘It took a little longer than expected, but we had a successful outcome. The process was a good process. We started with our ideas and they had some good ideas. Ultimately, we merged ideas and came up with a plan that was much better than if we had done it separately.’ The following letter was signed on May 3 by Pfannkuche and Lowe and addressed to Kulla in Councilman Rosendahl’s office: On behalf of the Palisades-Malibu YMCA Board of Managers, we thank you all for the time and thoughtful input you have provided, over the last several months, about improvements and uses of the YMCA’s property at Sunset Boulevard and Temescal Canyon Road. We are thrilled to have the agreement between the YMCA and the Committee on the conceptual design for the Beautification Plan for Simon Meadow. This week, we will submit the final plans to you, for the Committee’s final approval, then to the Zoning Administrator for ‘sign-off,’ and concurrently to the Coastal Commission. We will take swift action to create the necessary documents for final approval and permits. Regarding Beautification Plan and property uses, YMCA volunteers and staff have taken all suggestions very seriously and made major modifications to our plans based on the ideas and concerns expressed by the planning committee. With the Committee’s approval and support for the Beautification Plan, the YMCA will do the following: 1. Operate in full compliance with permits, zoning requirements and deed restrictions. 2. With the exception of Coastal Commission requirements, which may be completed in advance, complete construction of all elements identified on the Landscape Plan, as a single project. 3. Create and participate in a collaborative community advisory group that will meet on an on-going basis, quarterly and more often as needed, to address concerns that arise regarding the uses of Simon Meadow as they affect the general community. The community advisory group will be known as the YMCA Planning Group (‘YPG’) and will consist of three appointees from the community: one member appointed by the President of Pacific Palisades Community Council, one member appointed by Temescal Canyon Association, and one member of the community appointed by the Councilmember of District 11; three people representing YMCA volunteer and staff leadership. A member of the Los Angeles City Council district office staff and a member from the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy/Mountain Recreation Conservation Authority will be invited to attend and be a participating member at all meetings. YMCA staff will coordinate the meeting schedule, which will begin immediately. 4. Restrict the use of banners and signs, except the identity sign and donor recognition plaques, to not be placed within 100 feet of the Sunset Boulevard curb, and so that messages are not obviously visible from the public rights-of-way at Sunset Boulevard or Temescal Canyon Road. 5. Restrict moon-bounce use to a maximum of three times per week. When used in conjunction with events designated in the permits (day camp, Christmas tree lot and pumpkin patch), moon-bounce hours of operation will align with the permitted hours of event operation. When in conjunction with other events, moon-bounce use will be limited to a maximum of six hours. In cases where evening event operation is permitted, moon-bounce use will end at sunset. 6. Restrict the use of storage trailers, portable restrooms and other similar temporary activity structures so that they are not placed within 100 feet of the Sunset Boulevard curb. 7. Restrict catering trucks to occasional use. Norman, your excellent leadership of this community discussion process had led us to this compromise. Please find our signatures of commitment, below. We share a goal of improving our community, and we believe this process has led us to an agreement that will serve our community well, for the future.
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