The California Coastal Commission is scheduled to hold a hearing on Wednesday on a proposal to demolish the iconic Gladstones restaurant in Pacific Palisades and replace it with a new fine dining establishment designed by architect Frank Gehry for celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck.
Staff has recommended the commission approve the application with 20 special conditions addressing public access, coastal hazards, biological resources and water quality impacts.
The project calls for demolishing the existing 12,091-square-foot restaurant and its 7,900-square-foot public deck with restrooms, removing approximately 300 feet of rock revetment on the sand, and constructing a new 17,500-square-foot restaurant. The new facility would include a 2,000-square-foot public deck with two bathrooms.
The applicants also propose constructing a portion of the Coastal Trail on the seaward side of the restaurant and public deck.
The project site encompasses two publicly held parcels totaling approximately seven acres on the sandy beach at 17300 Pacific Coast Highway. 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 that have raised concerns about public access. Metro already operates a bus stop at the intersection of Sunset and PCH, adjacent to the current restaurant but the improvements would add a bus turn-around loop, along with repaving and restriping that would divide the lot into two areas with a total of 148 parking spaces designated for self-park and valet use.
The project would result in a net loss of 64 public beach parking spaces. The county-operated lot would be managed by a private company that would profit from parking fees collected.
To offset 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.
Staff has 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.
The hearing has 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. Supporters argue it will address California's housing shortage, reduce car dependence, and combat climate change through transit-oriented development. Opponents, including many Los Angeles officials, criticize it as state overreach that threatens neighborhood character, local control, and historic preservation while lacking adequate infrastructure planning and anti-displacement protections.
The bus stops along PCH would not qualify for the highest tier density bonuses as written but if SB79 is signed into law, local jurisdictions have some flexibility to designate and exclude specific transit stops.
Gladstones is currently open for limited operations following the Palisades Fire and construction on the new project could begin as soon as next year. The current restaurant operators are working to extend their permits to keep Gladstones open as long as possible.
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. When that agreement expired, his family chose not to bid on an extension.
In 2018, Puck and Gehry won the right to rebuild and run the new restaurant. However, development stalled as Covid shut down most of the state. 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. View the Coastal Commission agenda online at https://www.coastal.ca.gov/meetings/agenda/#/2025/10
