Sue Kohl is President of the Pacific Palisades Community Council and a local realtor serving as Assistant Manager at Berkshire Hathaway Home Services. A top producer since 1989, she’s recognized as one of the best Realtors in Pacific Palisades, and has been effectively representing both sellers and buyers in sales and purchases of single-family homes and condominiums. Sue lost her own home in the January 2025 Palisades Fire. She's now navigating the rebuilding process firsthand while helping her community recover. Sue brings both personal experience and professional insight into what it takes to rebuild LA after the fires.

In this episode, Jan and Sue discuss:

• The mission and structure of the Pacific Palisades Community Council
• Insurance struggles, rebuilding costs, and utility infrastructure issues
• Efforts to underground power lines and modernize infrastructure
• City governance, emergency orders, and the role of local leadership in recovery

Key Takeaways:

• The Pacific Palisades Community Council serves as the voice of the community, advocating to the city and state government on residents’ behalf.
• The community faces high costs and technical hurdles in efforts to underground utilities for future safety.
• Concerns over housing density remain high due to evacuation and accessibility issues during emergencies.
• Sue emphasizes the importance of preserving the Palisades’ character and community feel, even amid redevelopment.

“The main mission of the Community Council is really to be a voice for Pacific Palisades. A voice gathering info from the residents, a voice providing information for the residents, and most importantly, a voice in which we communicate to civic and government leaders.” - Sue Kohl

Connect with Sue Kohl:

Website: https://pacpalicc.org/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suekohl/

Connect with Jan Brzeski:

Website: https://scipfinance.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbrzeski/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RebuildingLAafterthefires

Email: pr@scipfinance.com

Show notes by Podcastologist: Francine Poblete

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Leo Marmol, FAIA, is the Founder of the architect-led design-build practice Marmol Radziner, established in 1989 with Ron Radziner, FAIA. With a guiding hand in every project from concept to completion, Leo works closely with studio directors and construction teams to ensure seamless design execution. A passionate advocate for architectural preservation, he frequently lectures on architecture and historic restoration and has led tours showcasing Southern California’s mid-century Modernist treasures. A graduate of California Polytechnic State University with a degree in Architecture and a minor in Philosophy, Leo was named a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects in 2007 and inducted into the Interior Design Hall of Fame in 2009.

In this episode, Jan and Leo discuss:

• How Marmol Radziner evolved from a small partnership to one of Los Angeles’s most respected architecture firms
• The challenges of rebuilding homes in fire zones and the complexities of California’s approval process
• The impact of bureaucracy, CEQA, and NIMBYism on California’s housing crisis
• How leadership, legislation, and community action can drive more attainable and sustainable housing development

Key Takeaways:

• Bureaucratic inefficiency and overregulation severely delay construction and drive up housing costs.
• Community support for density and sustainability is essential to solving California’s housing crisis.
• The expedited permitting process for fire rebuilds proves that faster, more efficient systems are possible.
• Real change requires political diversity, professional expertise, and the courage to streamline housing policy.

“Housing is a fundamental need. I think it is a human right. We are failing to provide our children the opportunity to have economic growth and afford housing.” - Leo Marmol

Connect with Leo Marmol:

Website: https://www.marmol-radziner.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leo-marmol/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leonardo_e_marmol/

Connect with Jan Brzeski:

Website: https://scipfinance.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbrzeski/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RebuildingLAafterthefires

Email: pr@scipfinance.com

Show notes by Podcastologist: Angelo Paul Tagama

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Kimberlina Whettam is a seasoned real estate development leader with a proven track record guiding projects from concept through completion. She specializes in due diligence research, entitlement management, public hearings, and development permits, leveraging her strong government and industry relationships to secure timely, cost-effective approvals. Previously, she served as Chief Planning & Environmental Deputy for Los Angeles City Councilmember Jack Weiss, where she launched the city’s Green Building Incentive Program and secured community support for the Van Nuys Airport Masterplan. Kimberlina’s company, Kimberlina Whettam & Associates (KW&A), is managing several projects in the fire zones.

In this episode, Jan and Kimberlina discuss:

• The role of permit expediting and land use consulting in LA development
• How executive orders changed rebuilding timelines after the fires
• The challenges of non-conforming structures and rebuilding policies
• Shifts in development activity, tariff and cost implications, and investment trends across LA

Key Takeaways:

• Ministerial approvals now make the permit process much faster than before.
• Policies were updated so homeowners can rebuild their non-conforming houses without losing what they had.
• Unlike single-family homes, commercial projects have not yet been granted the same streamlined path.
• Development has slowed in LA due to several factors, like homeowner sentiment, environmental concern, and new policies affecting developers, among others.

“I feel really confident that this is happening and it will happen, and to get in the game, to get in there and start pushing, push, push, push, all of us pushing. It's gonna happen. We put a man on the moon. We can do this.” - Kimberlina Whettam

Connect with Kimberlina Whettam:

Website: https://www.kwhettam.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlina-whettam-174b05205/

Resources & Contacts:

Christopher Carlin christopher@mgmtpartners.com & Christopher@carlinprojects.com

Case Study 2.0: XTEN Architecture Scott Utterstrom sutterstrom@xtenarchitecture.com

Connect with Jan Brzeski:

Website: https://scipfinance.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbrzeski/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RebuildingLAafterthefires

Email: pr@scipfinance.com

Show notes by Podcastologist: Angelo Paul Tagama

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.