Hope Emerges as Ravaged Palisades Mobile Home Park Qualifies for Federal Debris Removal

The residents of the Tahitian Terrace mobile home park in Pacific Palisades, who have been grappling with significant doubt over whether their damaged community will be reconstructed—a process they cannot control—are now “a step nearer to coming back,” stated Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath on Tuesday.

Horvath stated in an announcement that the mobile home park will now be part of the federally supported debris clearance initiative following its initial exclusion. This means residents can rest assured as the government will clean up their land.

The declaration comes after weeks of uncertainty for the mobile home park’s owners and its 158 residences, nearly all of which were razed in the January 7th Palisades blaze.

The Tahitian Terrace hosted a diverse group of people. Among them were affluent inhabitants, such as "Shark Tank" personality and entrepreneur. Barbara Corcoran . But there also were many seniors on fixed incomes who had paid off their homes decades ago, as well as a smattering of young, middle-income families.

In the hillside park just across from Will Rogers State Beach, residents own their homes but lease their plots of land, which are rent-controlled. The park has long been owned by a small, family-run company that makes little profit off the property.

The determination of who would pay for the debris removal has been a major factor in deciding whether to rebuild Tahitian Terrace, the park owners said in a March 21 letter to residents.

Ruthi Muñoz, a manager at the mobile home park who spoke with The Times on Tuesday, declined to comment on the announcement, stating she was still gathering information about it.

The federal initiative for removing personal property debris, which is Phase 2 of the cleanup process, is carried out by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and provided at no cost to participating homeowners who qualify. This stage comes after the initial phase where contractors from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency disposed of dangerous household substances—such as pesticides, paint, and lithium-ion batteries—that couldn’t be transported to regular landfills.

Certain kinds of multi-unit residential buildings, like duplexes or condo units where at least one unit is owned by someone who lives there, are eligible for The Army Corps' second phase of remediation.

However, multifamily rental properties owned by profit-driven organizations and lacking even one unit occupied by the homeowner typically do not qualify. This includes places like apartment buildings and mobile home communities.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, tasked with distributing funds and establishing recovery processes, has said The proprietors of these commercial properties are anticipated to utilize their insurance coverage and employ certified contractors for the task of removing debris.

However, these property owners have had the opportunity to request debris removal from the Army Corps, with each case being evaluated individually for approval.

Robert Fenton, FEMA's Region 9 administrator, has said those property owners must provide justification for the use of federal funds on their cleanups, including that debris on the property poses a public health risk and that the commercial owner might not be able to complete the debris removal independently.

In a letter sent on Monday to Nancy Ward, who leads the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, Fenton stated: “Following thorough deliberation, I concur with your evaluation that Tahitian Terrace qualifies as an uncommon and outstanding instance, making it suitable for participation in the PPDR [Private Property Debris Removal] initiative.”

On April 2, Los Angeles County authorities asked for the inclusion of the mobile home park, as stated in Fenton's correspondence.

Even though the EPA has eliminated possibly dangerous substances, "owing to the specific attributes of the site, imminent dangers to public well-being still persist," Fenton stated.

He stated that the Army Corps estimates 50% of the areas on the site have friable asbestos.

The plots for the mobile homes sit on a rugged, charred slope overlooking the Pacific Coast Highway. Prior to the fire, this stretch saw around 48,000 cars daily, as mentioned in his writing. He also noted that thorough cleanup at Tahitian Terrace must be carried out to remove the imminent danger posed to the well-being and security of these drivers.

Fenton explained why the park’s owners, Azul Pacifico Inc., which is a family-operated company owning and managing Tahitian Terrace, their main asset since 1960, might find it challenging to undertake the cleanup of debris on their own.

He cited their monthly income as an obstacle. The business' average pre-fire total rental income was about $240,000 per month, excluding utilities and operating expenses, he wrote, adding that "the terms of their lease agreement allow residents to withdraw from their leases under current conditions, which will limit their income."

Moreover, Fenton pointed out that the owner's insurance covers $1,000 per grave site for catastrophic debris removal, capped at $50,000.

Fenton stated that the city officials of Los Angeles, who have backed the county’s petition, consider Tahitian Terrace, which features rent-stabilized lots, as “a crucial provider of affordable housing in Pacific Palisades.”

I trust the City’s commitments, which lead me to believe that incorporating Tahitian Terrace into the PPDR initiative will speed up the park’s reopening for its current residents who have been displaced. This step also ensures that the neighborhood continues to maintain this pocket of affordability within what is largely a high-income district.

In their March letter to residents, the park's owners wrote that "no decision about rebuilding can possibly be made until after the debris removal process has been concluded and our full analysis of all the variables is completed."

If Tahitian Terrace is rebuilt, they added, the process "could take many years."

Chris Russo, who finalized her purchase of a home at Tahitian Terrace just one day prior to the Palisades fire destroying it, mentioned that both she and fellow residents were puzzled by the fact that the park was not included in the federal cleanup efforts. They dedicated numerous hours contacting and corresponding with various governmental bodies, desperately requesting assistance to clear out their properties.

She penned a letter to FEMA last month stating that without their help, the future of returning home rests with underinsured property owners who probably lack the financial means to cover the entire cost of recovery. She emphasized that the circumstances are critical, and FEMA’s choice could decide whether the neighborhood gets rebuilt or vanishes forever from the map of Los Angeles.

On Tuesday, Russo informed The Times that she was overjoyed by the news, referring to herself as "a squeaky wheel" who ensured the matter wasn’t overlooked.

Russo stated, "Our community is highly organized since everyone aims to return."

We've been having constant arguments. It’s really draining. That small victory feels significant... It brings hope since we’ve been stuck, unsure about our future.

Horvath, who represents the Westside area encompassing Malibu and the Palisades, has pushed for adding nonprofits, churches, mobile home parks, and commercial properties to be included in the federal debris removal initiative.

On Tuesday, she stated that besides Tahitian Terrace, the county has asked for Palisades Bowl, which is an adjoining mobile home park containing approximately 170 residences, to be incorporated as well.

By Tuesday, according to a statement from her spokesperson, the county’s plea remained unanswered.

This tale initially surfaced in Los Angeles Times .