Council approves biennial review for Trump National Golf Club maintenance agreement

The Rancho Palos Verdes City Council on June 2 voted to amend the restated declaration of restrictions (the maintenance agreement) for Trump National Golf Club, changing the formal review frequency from 12 months to 24 months while keeping a city right to require earlier reviews if concerns arise.

Senior planner Amy Sarady told the council the change is intended to reflect an updated electronic tracking system and administrative efficiency, and that "the proposed revised condition ... does change it from a 12 month period to a 24 month period," while noting the city and applicant will maintain ongoing coordination and that the city may call an earlier review if warranted.

At public comment, resident and registered geotechnical engineer Uday Patil said the eastern half of the Catalina Trail has been closed since 2021 because of approaching-slope cracks near a bridge and urged faster remediation. "It's been over 5 years now," Patil said, adding that some stabilization measures could be implemented quickly. Other residents submitted photos and urged the council to retain annual oversight to preserve accountability and trail conditions.

Applicant representative Lilia Meany said the club conducts frequent maintenance and remains in regular contact with city staff. "We are in touch with city staff...my personal cell is out there," Meany told the council, adding that the applicant monitors trails daily and responds to issues raised by residents and rangers.

City staff said the closed bridge sits within protected habitat and federal and environmental reviews—and related permitting and geotechnical sign-offs—have contributed to the timeline for hardware repairs and any relocation work. Staff noted they recently visited the site with the applicant's consultants and a city geologist to discuss repair and mitigation options.

After council questions and discussion about complaint volumes, monitoring and the new tracking software, Councilmember Bradley moved to accept staff's recommendation to change the formal review period to once every two years. The motion was seconded and passed on a unanimous roll call vote.

The amendment is recorded under case number PLMH2026002; staff said the city will continue year-round coordination and that residents may file maintenance concerns with open-space staff at any time. The council's action changes only the frequency of the formal council-level review, not the applicant's ongoing maintenance obligations.