As continued winter rains accelerated earthworks in Rancho Palos Verdes, the city asked the governor for help. Authorities wanted to speed up repairs aimed at stabilizing sliding soils that have threatened crucial infrastructure and hundreds of homes.
But they now have the necessary green light, state officials said Monday. Some emergency mitigation efforts could begin within a few weeks.
Under a state of emergency issued this month as a deadly storm hit the region, state and county officials determined that Rancho Palos Verdes would not need a separate proclamation to speed up its landslide mitigation work.
The governor declared an emergency on February 4 for eight Southern California counties, including Los Angeles, as the storm caused widespread damage from landslides, flooding, land movements and debris flows, making it applicable to the situation at the former Portuguese Bend landslide in Rancho Palos Verdes. complex.
“It's a different door that we had to open, and it has already been opened,” said Ara Mihranian, city manager of Rancho Palos Verdes. “I appreciate the serious consideration from all agencies about what we are going through.”
He called it a positive step forward. Once the city receives written confirmation from the Governor's Office of Emergency Services, which Mihranian said he expected this week, he said the city could implement immediate emergency measures to help mitigate the ongoing earthworks and expedite longer-term plans.
“If we receive confirmation that the state requirements are lifted, the next step is to finalize our project so we can get a shovel in the next few weeks,” Mihranian said Monday night.
The city's most urgent plans include installing two additional drainage wells, which draw groundwater to prevent it from infiltrating clay layers, and improving drainage systems to prevent water from entering the ground.
The determination will also allow the city to jump-start its $33 million landslide remediation project, which has been in development since 2016 but is still months away from passing final environmental reviews. Mihranian said streamlining that process could allow officials to finalize plans in the coming months, rather than sometime in 2025.
“I appreciate the state for providing the clarity the city of Rancho Palos Verdes needed,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn said in a statement. “The county will continue to provide our support and assistance to the city as they address the very serious earthworks crisis.”
The Rancho Palos Verdes City Council had already declared a local emergency over the landslide, but the situation has continued to deteriorate after recent rains and could worsen with more precipitation in the forecast. In recent months, two homes have been red-tagged, several roads have been closed or required major repairs, and dozens of residents have reported new damage to their properties. Wayfarers Chapel, the famous “glass church”, closed its doors this month due to increasing earthworks.
The emergency declaration does not include specific funding for emergency landslide mitigation work, but Mihranian said city leaders still hope to see a federal disaster declaration, which could free up additional FEMA funds. Mihranian said the governor had not yet requested such a proclamation from President Biden.
Times Staff writer Hannah Fry contributed to this report.
