Justin Kohanoff has big plans for the Shell gas station in Pacific Palisades on the corner of Via de la Paz and Sunset Boulevard: what could be the town's tallest apartment building.
It would consist of 80-100 apartments for rent, each unit with two to three bedrooms.
"People need a place to live and some people might not be able to afford a home, but they can afford to rent an apartment so we think that's the best use for it," he told Eyewitness News. "We don't want to change the community and we don't want to build something that looks out of place. We want to build something that looks like it belongs here."
Kohanoff grew up in the Palisades, went to Palisades Charter High School, and like so many, says he wants to see the town return to the close-knit community it was before the fire.
Over 700 rent stabilized units burned and 10% of Kohanoff's new building would need to be affordable housing.
But, adding to the population of Pacific Palisades concerns Los Angeles Councilwoman Traci Park after the chaotic evacuations that took place on Jan. 7. It took some people hours to get out of town. Gridlock was so bad on Sunset that cars had to be bulldozed to make way for first responders.
"I have major concerns about adding new density into a community where we have done that for decades. Without the concurrent investments in adequate infrastructure to support those growth spurts, we saw devastating consequences," said Park.
Throughout the Palisades, there are signs that say the town is "Not For Sale." Kohanoff agrees, but believes his proposal won't change the Palisades, but rather expedite its comeback.
The Kohanoff family says they hope one day to turn the destroyed gas station into apartments and the fire has expedited their timeline, but also given them the opportunity to bring housing to a city that needs it.
Overall, residents want to build back safer and smarter without the town becoming unfamiliar.
"We definitely need some lower-income units. There's a lot of people who lived here for a very long time. They were on rent control and they were only paying $1,500 or $2,000 a month to live in the Palisades. Now, if you come in at current rates, you would be paying $5,000 or $6,000 at least ," said Shane Lerner, who grew-up in the Palisades and owns a business in the area.
"I would be concerned if all the smaller lots get bought up and big mega mansions come in whether it's individual wealthy people are equity funds," said Barry Balmat, a resident of Pacific Palisades.