Coastal Access

Potrero Canyon — Coastal Access (Lateral Trail & Bridge) Updates

Legend:
RAP — RECREATION & PARKS DEPT.
BOE — BUREAU OF ENGINEERING
CD11 — OFFICE OF COUNCIL DISTRICT 11/COUNCILWOMAN TRACI PARK
CCC — California Coastal Commission
CDP — Coastal Development Permit
Caltrans — California Dept. of Transportation

 

3/24/24:  A recording of the 3/14 community outreach meeting has been posted on the BOE webpage for the bridge project:  see 3/14 Meeting Recording.

3/18/24:  A well-attended community meeting regarding the bridge project took place on 3/14/24.  Presentations were made by representatives of BOE, CD 11 and the bridge outreach contractors; the representatives also participated in Q&A with the audience.  [See link to the meeting recording above.]  Community members are encouraged to continue to submit comments and questions about the project to: eng.potrerocanyonpedbridge@lacity.org.

For a recent statement by PPCC’s President on the project, see 3/18/24 PPCC Bulletin (scroll down to Potrero Canyon Bridge Project & PPCC).

2/26/24:  An  outreach meeting about the pedestrian bridge project, hosted by BOE and CD 11, will take place on March 14, 2024 from 6:00 – 7:30pm via Zoom.  Register to attend here.  For more information contact CD 11.

1/12/24:  CD 11 has advised that a “Notice to Proceed” was issued to the consultant, Jacobs Engineering, Inc., shortly after the community bridge meeting on December 5, 2023.  The bridge consulting phase has now begun.  The PCOC will reach out to the consultant to learn more about what we can expect with the required community outreach.

1/4/24:  The community bridge meeting hosted by CD 11 took place on December 5, 2023 and was well-attended.  A recording of the meeting exists but is not currently available to the public; contact CD 11 for more information.

12/14/23:  See 2023 Palisadian Post articles about coastal access (Lateral Trail and/or bridge):  1/19/23, 5/25/23  and 12/14/23 (re bridge meeting); see also links to earlier Post articles about Potrero Canyon (2004-2022) in the entry for 5/20/23 below.

11/22/23:  See the CD 11 flyer announcing the December 5th community bridge meeting here.

11/19/23:  See entry for 11/19/23 under City and State Updates regarding notice to the community of the community bridge meeting on December 5, 2023.

11/11/23:  See additional entries under City and State Updates (10/23/23 and 11/11/23) for further updates regarding the status of the bridge project and community outreach.

8/11/23:  See the entries under City and State Updates (7/14 and 8/11) for more information about the process of hiring a consultant for design and evaluation of the bridge project and the required community outreach to be conducted.

6/16/23:  CCC staff have advised that the 2016 Draft Feasibility Study was recently submitted to the CCC and satisfies the CDP requirement of providing an analysis of alternatives for pedestrian beach access across PCH to and from the park.

6/9/23:  CD11 has provided the following key information with respect to the Lateral trail and the bridge overpass access to Potrero Canyon Park:

a)  Federal and state funds (received, respectively, for the Lateral trail and pedestrian bridge) have been deposited into accounts for those purposes with the City’s Public Works Department.  It is understood that such funds cannot be moved or used for any purposes other than the purposes specified by the respective agency providing the funding (i.e., for the trail and/or the bridge), unless otherwise directed by the relevant agency.

b)  The City’s bid application process to hire a consultant for design and evaluation of the bridge project ended on May 31; it is expected that sometime this fall, the consultant will be chosen by BOE and begin work.  That work will include comprehensive outreach to the community of Pacific Palisades.

c)  The outreach work may be subcontracted with an outside public relations firm or other entity with experience in community engagement. The subcontracted entity would then oversee and manage outreach to the Palisades community.  The PCOC has stressed the importance of outreach to the entire community, including PPCC, the Park Advisory Board and others.  CD 11 assures us that it will work with the consultant, its outreach subtractor and PPCC, to ensure transparency and adequate community outreach.

d)  BOE has submitted a draft feasibility study (prepared in 2016) to the CCC, requesting that the CCC consider the draft to fulfill the feasibility study requirement of the CDP.  The draft study can be read in the link below (5/24/23 entry; attachment to TOS Addendum #1).  It is unknown at this writing if the CCC has determined that the draft 2016 study fulfills the CDP requirement.

5/28/23:  See PPCC Minutes re Bridge-Lateral Trail from May 2004-October 2023.  See also 2008 Final Report of the past Potrero Canyon Community Advisory Committee.

5/24/23:  CD 11 advises that it is pressing BOE to submit the feasibility study for the pedestrian bridge to the CCC, per Special Condition 28, which is a requirement specified in the CDP

We have been informed that the City is in the process of hiring a consulting firm to manage an estimated one-year project related to design and evaluation of the bridge project, as described in the Task Order Solicitation (TOS) and TOS Addendum #1.  This was explained to us at the last PPCC meeting (5/11/23) and reiterated again in documents found online by PCOC members. Jeff Khau, CD 11 Planning Director, assures us that CD 11 will implore the consultant, when chosen, to attend a PPCC board meeting to present their proposal as part of the required outreach component of the “Project Initiation Document” the consultant will be tasked with producing.

5/20/23:   See all Palisadian Post articles written about Potrero canyon coastal access and the bridge project, from 2004-2022 (courtesy of the Palisadian Post).

5/11/23:   See City and State Updates for further information about the status of the lateral trail and bridge over-crossing.

4/10/23:  Lateral Trail status:  This trail (to run from the mouth of the canyon along PCH to the Temescal Canyon Rd. intersection) is required by the governing CDP issued by the CCC for the Park.  When completed, the trail will provide safe crossing at this intersection for coastal access to and from the Park.  Last year, $1.15 million in federal funding was secured for the lateral trail.  However, we are advised that more funds are now needed due to cost increases, and Caltrans’ cooperation must also be obtained before trail design and construction can begin.  See PPCC Funding Support Letter. The PCOC will continue to monitor.

4/10/23:  Bridge status:  Although two years ago, $11 million in state funding was secured to build a pedestrian bridge over PCH from the mouth of the canyon, the amount needed is expected to increase due to inflation (exact costs currently unknown).  Before a bridge can be built, the governing CDP for the Park first requires a feasibility study of alternatives and costs for direct pedestrian beach access across PCH to and from the Park.  BOE is working with Caltrans on the required study (to be submitted to the CCC when completed — date unknown).  After that, at some future point an application for a new CDP or CDP amendment for the bridge would have to be submitted and then approved by the CCC.  In the meantime, our City Councilwoman Traci Park and State Senator Ben Allen have advised that they will work with PPCC in the coming months to present the feasibility study (when completed) and to engage with the community about bridge plans.  The PCOC will continue to monitor.

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