Palos Verdes Estates, CA

✅ Fire Hydrant Maintenance

The City of Palos Verdes Estates has continued to receive numerous questions from residents regarding the maintenance and functionality of fire hydrants within the City. The City is providing additional details and the following statements from CalWater and LA County Fire Department to ensure that residents have comprehensive information about the fire hydrants within the City.

CalWater:

Cal Water owns the fire hydrants within Palos Verdes Estates and conducts its own inspection of every hydrant each year and performs more extensive maintenance every five years. This includes exercising valves, greasing or replacing components, repainting, and confirming that each hydrant remains fully pressurized and operational. Cal Water has made significant investments in our Palos Verdes system to improve water reliability and regularly reviews the infrastructure for potential upgrades.

LA County Fire Department:

Each year, typically in February and March, the Fire Department inspects every hydrant in the City. Crews confirm that hydrants are accessible, clear vegetation, check caps and fittings, and exercises the hydrant valves to verify function. The logs documenting the 2025 inspections have previously been shared by the City of Palos Verdes Estates.

If you notice a hydrant that appears damaged, obstructed, or leaking, please contact Cal Water’s 24-hour emergency line at 310-257-1400, or reach out to the City so staff can forward your report.

This coordinated inspection and maintenance program meets standard hydrant maintenance protocols and has been confirmed by both agencies as the standard and complete process for maintaining fire hydrant reliability in Palos Verdes Estates.

✅ Zoning Map

At the September 9 Council meeting, staff presented a draft of the City’s Official Zoning Map. This map is a recreation of the City’s original zoning map, which was lost years ago. Re-establishing an official map is important to ensure residents, staff, and decision-makers all have the same, accurate reference point when it comes to understanding zoning across the City.

It is important to note:

• No new zoning is being created. The zoning map does not upzone or downzone any properties. It simply compiles and displays the zoning designations already established.
• Recently adopted zones are reflected. The map includes the two zones approved in June as part of the state-required Housing Element project, ensuring all current zoning is shown in one place.
• Deed restrictions remain in place. These operate separately from zoning and continue to provide another layer of land protection. To make this clearer, Council directed staff to add language to the zoning map acknowledging the role of deed restrictions.
• Separate from re-zoning discussions. Following questions at the meeting, City Council also directed staff to analyze the process for potentially re-zoning the Parklands portion of the Coastal Zone as Open Space. This area has not historically been zoned Open Space, and that consideration is a separate project from adopting the zoning map of current zones.
• Because questions were raised on September 9, the Council continued the item to September 23 for additional review. At that meeting, Council determined that more detailed research is required before adopting the map.
• Council directed the City Attorney’s Office to:
  • Conduct a deeper review of reversionary rights tied to certain Parklands parcels.
  • Research the underlying deeds and titles to determine whether the Parklands portion of the Costal Zone are, in fact, restricted as Open Space because of reversionary clauses.
  • Evaluate whether the zoning map should be adjusted to align with deed restrictions, where applicable.
  • Ensure that any adopted map accurately reflects both zoning and the legal status of the land.
  • Because this research is substantive and necessary for accuracy, the Council did not adopt the zoning map on September 23. The item has been continued to a future date, to be determined, pending completion of the legal and historical deed review.
• Next Steps
  • Once that work is complete, the zoning map will return to Council for consideration. When finalized, the map will serve as an important planning tool, providing clarity, reducing misinterpretation, and ensuring ordinances and long-term planning are aligned with both zoning and the City’s long-standing land protections.

✅ City Budget & Financial Overview

Each year, the City Council adopts a budget that reflects community priorities while maintaining essential services.

View the adopted budget and long-term fiscal outlook below.

Links / Buttons:

✅ Capital Improvement Program (CIP)

The City plans and prioritizes infrastructure investments through its Capital Improvement Program (CIP), a long-range planning tool that identifies needs for streets, storm drains, sewers, parkland, and other essential infrastructure.

Inclusion in the CIP does not mean a project is funded or scheduled for construction. In fact, many initiatives are currently unfunded and would require a dedicated funding source. Many projects are included for planning purposes only and may depend on future grants, outside funding, or Council direction before moving forward.

The City Council held a discussion on October 14 about how the CIP should move forward. During that meeting, Council reviewed recent efforts to identify citywide capital needs and provided direction on the next steps. Specifically, Council directed staff to:

• Determine the cost of conducting a full, citywide inventory of all City infrastructure assets.
• Compile and consolidate past studies on streets, storm drains, facilities, and other systems to avoid duplicating work already done.
• Develop a comprehensive inventory list capturing the condition, status, and projected needs of all infrastructure.
• Use that consolidated inventory to anchor CIP Workshops, where long-term priorities for the next 5–10 years can be established.

This direction ensures the City’s long-range infrastructure planning is grounded in accurate, up-to-date information before any future funding decisions or prioritization discussions take place.

View or Download the current CIP: