L.A. County Backs Landslide Legislation and New Ordinance Prohibits New Construction in Landslide Area

L.A. County Backs AB 986 Landslide Legislation

On Aug. 5, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to support AB 986, Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi’s landslide legislation. The bill would amend the California Emergency Services Act to include landslides as a natural disaster that may be eligible for disaster assistance, giving affected communities, such as Rancho Palos Verdes, a clearer path to declare emergencies and take action to protect public safety and infrastructure.

“There is no question about it – the land movement that has devastated neighborhoods in Rancho Palos Verdes and displaced families absolutely is a local emergency, and state law should recognize it as such,” Supervisor Hahn said in a statement. “Right now, cities impacted by landslides are forced to respond to these crises with one hand tied behind their back. That has to change.” 

After passing the Assembly floor in June, and the Senate governmental organization committee in July, AB 986 is now set for hearing in the Senate appropriations committee on Aug. 18. 

RPV Land Movement Community Update, Council Meeting Highlights

At last night’s meeting, the RPV city council introduced an ordinance amending the Rancho Palos Verdes Municipal Code to permanently prohibit new residential construction in the landslide area, including home additions. Property owners would be permitted to replace, restore, and repair development within its existing footprint. Additionally, the boundaries of the landslide complex would be updated to correspond with the expanded limits of recent land movement, taking in eight additional properties: seven in the Seaview neighborhood, and one in the Portuguese Bend Beach Club. Property owners may apply for their parcel to be excluded from the landslide regulation area through an existing process, yet there are strict submittal criteria and findings to meet, including a safety threshold. The steps required for seeking an exclusion are outlined in Municipal Code Chapter 15.20.100 – Exclusions.

Now that the ordinance was introduced for first reading, it will have a second reading and vote at the Aug. 19 city council meeting. If approved, the new development regulations would take effect 30 days later. Learn more about the proposed regulations by reading Frequently Asked Questions on the City website.  

During the meeting, the council also moved to initiate the process of potentially forming a new geological hazard abatement district (GHAD) to help mitigate the Portuguese Bend Landslide, the largest of RPV’s ancient landslides. This approach could bolster landslide mitigation efforts, as GHADs — separate government agencies from the city — are not subject to the same regulatory requirements, enabling them to work with more speed and flexibility. The next step is for the city to issue a Request for Proposals to retain a geologist to prepare an engineer’s report, which would lead to the development of a plan of control, a document that describes the landslide hazards and a plan for abatement. Once the report is completed, the city would hold public meetings and go through the Proposition 218 public protest process to potentially establish the new GHAD.