Two Important Updates About SBA Loan and Road Repair Work
SBA Disaster Loan Deadline Approaching The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding homeowners, renters, businesses, and nonprofit organizations affected by the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires to complete the final steps required to access approved disaster loan funds before the June 30, 2026 deadline. To date, the SBA has approved nearly 13,000 disaster loan […]
Pali Builds Update: What the First Families Moving Home Are Teaching Us
__ As the first rebuilt homes in Pacific Palisades receive their Certificates of Occupancy and families begin moving back home, we are starting to see where the final hurdles in the rebuilding process exist. These Palisades pioneers have navigated permitting, plan check, utility restoration, inspections, and construction. Their experiences are providing valuable lessons for the […]
Standard Plan Program – City of Los Angeles Building & Safety
I received an interesting email at the end of last week regarding a new pilot program launched by the City of Los Angeles. The program provides a selection of pre-approved standard home plans from a variety of architects, specifically designed to help streamline the rebuilding process for homeowners. I spoke with one of the participating […]
Illegal Dumping on Vacant Lots: What’s Happening and How to Protect Your Property
Over the past few weeks, many of you have likely seen or heard about the increase in illegal dumping of soil and debris on vacant lots throughout the Palisades. There has been some speculation about organized coordination among truckers through text chains. Based on what we know, that is not accurate. The reality is that […]
LADBS and City Planning Meeting
I attended the recent LADBS and Planning Department meeting hosted by the Palisades Recovery Coalition, as well as an earlier meeting with the Bureau of Engineering. I appreciate the Coalition for organizing these sessions and the City departments for taking the time to come out and meet with residents face-to-face. That said, my personal frustration […]
Inspections and Permitting Support at the Unified Utilities Rebuild Operations Center (UUROC)
The Mayor’s Office has just released this information. Since the beginning, we have been pushing for a true one-stop shop located in or near the Palisades, and with the help of the Palisades Builders Coalition, this is finally becoming a reality. We will continue advocating for additional departments to be included, as there are many […]
Understanding LADWP’s Undergrounding Plans
As part of the Pacific Palisades Community Council Subcommittee on Undergrounding, I have been in ongoing contact with LADWP. Our subcommittee had a productive call with them last Thursday. We held off on sharing details from that conversation until LADWP released their official statement, which is attached. There is a lot of optimism in the […]
The Homeowner’s Guide to Choosing the Right Contractor
By Kambiz Kamdar Even though I’ve touched on this topic in earlier newsletters, I want to go deeper because I’ve spoken with several homeowners who are currently interviewing contractors—or already working with one—and some of the same concerns keep coming up. So let me be absolutely clear: The only person who can truly vet a […]
I’m a Builder + Palisadian : Part Four
How to Choose the Right Contractor for Your Rebuild By Kambiz Kamdar, November 9th, 2025 As rebuilding moves forward across the Palisades, one of the biggest decisions you’ll make is choosing the right contractor. This person or team will be with you for the long haul, managing more time and money on your home than […]
I’m a Builder + Palisadian : Part Three
How To Choose The Right Architect For Your Rebuild By Kambiz Kamdar, CEO of Pali Construction Dear Neighbors, Choosing the architect who will guide your rebuild is one of the most important steps on your journey home. The checklist below is designed to keep things simple—whether you’re ready to start design or still gathering paperwork. […]