The California Coastal Commission has unanimously approved the demolition and replacement of the iconic Gladstones restaurant with a new fine dining establishment designed by architect Frank Gehry for celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck, despite passionate opposition from Pacific Palisades residents still recovering from January's devastating wildfires.
The approval came with 20 special conditions addressing public access, coastal hazards, biological resources and water quality impacts. The decision moves forward a project that has been in development since 2018, when Puck and Gehry won the right to rebuild and run the new restaurant.
The project calls for demolishing the existing 12,091-square-foot restaurant and its 7,900-square-foot public deck with restrooms at 17300 Pacific Coast Highway. The developers will also remove approximately 300 feet of rock revetment on the sand and construct a new 17,500-square-foot restaurant with a 2,000-square-foot public deck and two bathrooms.
The project site encompasses two publicly held parcels totaling approximately seven acres on the sandy beach. One parcel of 4.39 acres currently includes a large county-operated public beach parking lot and the existing restaurant. The second 2.59-acre parcel contains a 212-space public parking lot, also operated by Los Angeles County.
The proposal includes significant modifications to the 212-space parking lot, adding a bus turn-around loop, along with repaving and restriping that would divide the lot into two areas. The project would result in a net loss of 64 public beach parking spaces, and the county-operated lot would be managed by a private company that would profit from parking fees collected.
Metro already operates a bus stop at the intersection of Sunset and PCH, adjacent to the current restaurant. To offset parking loss concerns, the applicants propose several public benefits, including establishing a new Big Blue Bus and Metro bus stop in the parking lot, the public deck with restrooms, a snack shack/cafe, retail shop, and improvements to the California Coastal Trail. The applicants also propose constructing a portion of the Coastal Trail on the seaward side of the restaurant and public deck.
Commission staff recommended special conditions including a Parking Management Program and Public Access Management Program to ensure compliance with Chapter 3 of the Coastal Act's public access policies.
Commissioner Dayna Bochco, who made the motion for approval, expressed support based on the facts and the law, viewing the project as a positive community asset.
"So I must support this project on what I've heard today, and I truly hope that it ends up being what I believe it will be, which is a very positive asset for our community," Bochco said. "I'm approving this, it's because looking at the facts and looking at the law. I think it is. It's a good project, and I think staff did a very good job."
Commissioner Raymond Jackson noted that approving the project demonstrated progress and momentum for the community, while acknowledging the tragedy of the Palisades fires.
"Our hearts certainly break, as we recognize with deep empathy the devastating and life altering impacts those fires have had on so many lives and communities," Jackson said. "This area will be under construction for years and years to come, and we certainly carry that awareness with compassion and respect for those who will be rebuilding for years. But as each completed project, it will demonstrate progress, create momentum and when people see results, it inspires confidence and energy for what's next, success will help breed success."
The hearing energized Palisades residents over fears the changes to the bus stop would allow densification of the area post-Palisades fires under California Senate Bill 79. The proposed law would override local zoning to allow buildings up to nine stories near major transit stops in eight urban counties, including Los Angeles. The bill, introduced by Sen. Scott Wiener, passed the Legislature in September and awaits Governor Newsom's signature by October 12.
Jessica Rogers of the Pacific Palisades Residents Association delivered an emotional rebuke of the commission's process and decision.
"In case you haven't noticed, our community burned to the ground. I am a survivor of the wildfire, and I have lost absolutely everything," Rogers said. "I am here to speak on behalf of my community, for you to say that there were 16 public hearings. And by the way, you're not obligated to tell our community about it, but this community who cares so much about our community, guess what? We were not aware of all these hearings you have. And you promised us back in the day in 2021 that you would involve the community, that you would speak to us, that you would give us an opportunity."
Rogers described the trauma faced by Palisades residents during the fire and criticized the commission's handling of the hearing.
"Our children were on the streets at sunset and PCH right at Gladstones crossing flames, trying to survive. We are traumatized, and yet today, you made me sit in this room all day long hearing about this, that and the other, and had zero compassion for us, knowing very well that you plan to approve this project today without without hearing us," she said.
Wade Major, a Malibu Public Works Commissioner, criticized the staff report for failing to mention the Palisades fire or account for years of reconstruction ahead.
"It is shocking to us that in your staff report, there is not a single mention of the Palisades fire, not one as if it never happened, as if the area your staff say being suitable for a bus depot will not be consumed with construction for many, many years," Major said. "This is an inexcusable oversight. It is an act of profound disrespect to the people of Pacific Palisades to even consider a project like this without acknowledging the herculean task ahead of them."
Major also noted that the staff report failed to mention a planned multi-year Caltrans PCH improvement project expected to continue through 2030, and raised concerns about traffic impacts, including increased traffic spill onto PCH because of the loss of 41 parking spaces in an area which already has too few spaces.
"The people of Pacific Palisades broadly see this precisely what it is, an attempt to backdoor a transportation hub into a critically damaged community as a pretext for densification and development," Major said. "Palisadians are owed the right to rebuild their community, and when that task has been completed, then and only then, should a project this transformative be submitted for their feedback and approval."
The restaurant, built in 1972, has undergone several ownership changes in recent years. Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan held a 20-year concession agreement with the county to operate Gladstones, but when that agreement expired, his family chose not to bid on an extension. When the previous lease expired in 2023, several longtime employees formed a new group to manage the eatery in the interim.
The state owns the land where Gladstones sits, but the concession is controlled by the county Department of Beaches and Harbors.