LA County announced a new program designed to help small business owners stay open after businesses in the unincorporated town of Topanga continue to reel from the effects of the prolonged closure of Topanga Canyon Boulevard.
Beginning July 1, small business owners in and around Topanga will be able to apply for one-time grants of up to $10,000, as part of a new business interruption fund, according to LA County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath.
“We just said, what is it that you actually need? And so this financial assistance is something that they said would make the difference,” Horvath said. “I know people are trying to figure out how they keep staff on through this time, how they are able to prepare. A couple months is different than a year.”
Topanga Canyon Boulevard, also known as State Route 27, shut down in early March due to a major landslide near Pacific Coast Highway.
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The road, which is typically used by tens of thousands of drivers each day to commute between the coast and the San Fernando Valley, will remain closed until at least the fall as Caltrans cleans up and makes repairs, the state agency announced in April.
The closure has impacted small business owners dramatically since much of their business comes from people passing through town.
“I mean, like, we are like 50% down since the closure. So, you know, it's been like a few months, but we roll up our sleeves and start working,” said Enrico Busto, who owns a custom hat shop in Topanga. “So we funded this nonprofit called Visit Topanga Canyon. So we are bringing all the businesses together and try to, you know, organize something.”
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Busto helped organize Second Saturday — an event inviting people from all over to come visit and shop in Topanga.
“So every second Saturday of each month we organize music all over Topanga. There are like four or five different concerts and activities and a play area for the kids and, you know, card reading and, you know, all the fun stuff that Topanga has to offer with all the artists and the musicians we have in the area,” said Busto. “So this is like a little step to try to bring some people inside the canyon, you know, people that wouldn't come anyway.”
The next event is scheduled for June 8th.
Meanwhile, Ronald Fomalont, president of the Topanga Chamber of Commerce, said he wants people to know that while the Topanga Canyon Boulevard road remains closed, the town of Topanga is very much still open.
“It's really just the road that's closed and you can get all the way to every single business from the valley side, you know, all businesses are open,” he explained. “You just can't get to the beach. So we've been trying really hard, you know, really desperate to spread the word that, hey, we're open for business, Come spend your money. It's business as usual.”
More information on the fund can be found on the county website.
