Almost two years after the unprecedented landslide movement that took lives in many of the picturesque Portuguese Bend areas of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, authorities want to permanently ban the construction of new landslide zones.
The proposed ordinance elicited a backlash from some property owners, but would ban the construction of new homes and additional homes in the area. However, it will even allow for repairs, restoration efforts, or replacement of existing homes within the established footprint of the residence. The measure will be considered by the Rancho Palos Verdes City Council next month.
“This is not an area that should accommodate new housing,” says Mayor Ara Mihranian. “We are at a point where we have seen such serious damage. …I have to give recommendations that have public safety and public interest in mind.”
The proposed ban comes when city officials struggled to accommodate the massive increase in land movements that began in late 2023, when they peaked last summer, some areas were recorded in the week’s movement. The city’s latest records show that this has either been slower or is much slower in some areas or has stopped in some areas, but continues to watch 3- to 4-inch slides a week.
The area has long been known for its repeated problems from the ancient landslide complex that reappeared in the 1950s, but the damage over the past two years has occurred at a scale and speed that we have never seen before. The house was broken, the roads were distorted beyond use, and area utilities locked out electricity and gas services to most of the area after repeated damage, but some sections have been restored.
As of this month, the city has designated 20 homes as too dangerous to enter, with another 38 causing serious structural damage. Late last year, the federal government agreed to fund a programme of around 20 home acquisitions, converting property into open spaces, and limiting future risks in the area.
“This is a natural disaster, and it’s all associated with water – rainwater – and I don’t know what winter will look like. I don’t know what next year will happen,” Miranian said. “We don’t know what’s in store so we take a wise and careful approach.”
The proposed ordinance will affect approximately 400 homes and 132 privately owned lots over approximately two square miles, including all Bend districts in Portugal, Seaview and the western part of Bend Beach Club in Portugal. All three areas have suffered severe damage over the past two years.
If the ordinance passes, it will permanently mark the era of emergency regarding new construction, enacted by city authorities in October 2023. It also tightens the pre-development ban, which has been in effect since the late 1970s, but has paved the way for several new homes to be built in the past decades to be approved through lawsuits.
The Miranian said some property owners who successfully built their homes in the early 2000s suffered the worst fate of the recent landslide movement. Some homes have recently been “structurally red tagged” according to Miranian. At least five people have filed for a federal acquisition due to serious damage, according to Brandy Forbes, the city’s director of community development.
Albaja overlooks the major damage to the landslide at the intersection of Dauntless and jolly drives, near where he lives in Rancho Palos Verdes.
(Allen J. Scheven/Los Angeles Times)
“That’s how the city stands forever [that] New construction bringing that level of development was not wise in areas known to be active,” said Miranian. “The behavior of landslides fluctuates and depends on the weather and the rain. We’ve always said it’s not safe. …The information on the record… speaks for itself.”
The 2008 Court of Appeals found that property owners had the right to build on their land and downplayed the threat of landslides, but Miranian said the risks were far clearer now. Not only has this movement accelerated dramatically over the past two years, it has also been affected by areas that have not experienced historical damage, partly due to a revitalization of winters with newer, deeper slip planes and above average rainfall.
“It’s very different today,” said Miranian. “What we saw in 2024 was a major change in landslide behavior.”
However, he also recognizes it is an emotional and complicated issue for residents and property owners. Many people hope that exercise will continue to slow or calm, or they believe there are ways to implement reliable landslide mitigation measures. It’s particularly frustrating for the owners of the vacant lot, taking in the coveted ocean views. This is usually sold for the highest dollar.
At a community meeting Wednesday night, several residents expressed concern that a blanket ban could further reduce property value, even just outside the slide zone. Some have questioned the fairness of allowing large-scale repairs on existing homes but banning new construction. A few have wondered why the entire region is all bundled together when they saw many sections halt in recent months.
Nikki Noushkam is worried that his home suffered some damage during the exercise, but seeing things have been stable recently, how this plan will put this ordinance indefinitely and apply indifferently to any field that saw the exercise regardless of the latest data on stability.
“To me, this doesn’t make sense to say ‘This is forever’,” she said Wednesday night. “Why are you applying blanket policy to all of this? That doesn’t make sense to me.”
The proposed ordinance does not include a timeline to reassess it, but city officials said that if the situation changes dramatically, it could be revised in the future.
“I will continue to review it over time,” Mayor David Bradley said. “We’re trying to come up with the best solution. A lot of this is public safety and trying to make people’s homes and their property safe.”
Other neighbors were more supportive of the idea and appreciated the careful approach given the extent of recent damage.
“It’s now too raw to build on what’s been damaged over the past two years,” said Evaalbaja, another affected resident. She is worried that changing the landscape can exacerbate landslides without further mitigation and construction pauses, while others are worried that the degree of movement can be further expanded.
Gordon Leon agrees that new developments on the unstable ground in the region are probably not the smartest or safest investment, but he is pleased that repairs and recovery are still permitted. As a longtime resident, he is committed to knowing how to stay in the area. Even if it means making corrections that “cover” the home, such as moving from a stagnant foundation to a more flexible steel crib.
“We have been searching for other areas where we can have the same kind of community and space. [but] It is not in Southern California. This is an incredibly special community where people have lived together for a long time. ”
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