ORD 440U ORDINANCE NO. 440 U
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF RANCHO PALOS VERDES EXTENDING
URGENCY ORDINANCE NO. 427U AND URGENCY ORDINANCE NO. 439U TO
OCTOBER 25, 2006, THEREBY ESTABLISHING A MORATORIUM ON THE
ISSUANCE OF CERTAIN PERMITS AND THE PROCESSING OF PLANNING
APPROVALS AND SUSPENDING CERTAIN PREVIOUSLY ISSUED BUILDING
PERMITS AND APPROVALS, IN THE LANDSLIDE MORATORIUM AREA
OUTLINED IN RED AND BLUE ON THE LANDSLIDE MORATORIUM MAP ON FILE
IN THE CITY'S PLANNING, BUILDING AND CODE ENFORCEMENT DEPARTMENT
AND DECLARING THE URGENCY THEREOF.
WHEREAS, in September 1978, the City Council adopted Urgency Ordinance
No. 108U, which established the Landslide Moratorium Area in a portion of the City, as
depicted on a map that is on file in the City's Department of Planning, Building and
Code Enforcement; and
WHEREAS, in February 1981, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 139U,
which added the area known as Klondike Canyon to the Landslide Moratorium Area,
which is described as the area outlined in red on the map that is on file in the City's
Department of Planning, Building and Code Enforcement; and
WHEREAS, in September 1989, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 247,
which added a new provision to the Landslide Moratorium Ordinance that provided the
possibility for more intense development than previously was permitted in the Klondike
Canyon Area, as outlined in blue on the map that is on file in the City's Department of
Planning, Building and Code Enforcement ("Blue Area"); and
WHEREAS, in May 2005, following the unusual winter rains during the winter of
2004-2005, the first indications that the Blue Area may be experiencing landslide
movement appeared; and
WHEREAS, in October 2005, the City received a report from the City Geologist,
who was reviewing a proposed development in the Blue Area, that discussed the issue
of landslide movement in the Blue Area; and
WHEREAS, based on the new evidence of landslide movement in the Blue Area,
the City Council has asked the City Geologist to determine whether the more flexible
development standards that had been allowed in the Blue Area since 1989 should be
repealed so that the Blue Area will be subject to the same development criteria that are
applicable to the other areas that are subject to the Landslide Moratorium Ordinance, as
was the case from February 1981 through September 1989; and,
WHEREAS, on November 15, 2005, the City Council adopted Urgency
Ordinance No. 427U, which established a 60-day moratorium on the processing and
issuance of building, grading or other permits, and landslide moratorium exception
permits and the processing or approval of Environmental Assessments, Environmental
Impact Reports, Conditional Use Permits, height variation applications, tentative maps
or parcel maps in the Blue Area and temporarily suspended Section 15.20.040 K of the
Rancho Palos Verdes Municipal Code pending the completion of new geological data to
determine whether construction in the Blue Area is safe in light of the newly observed
instability or if the proposed development could adversely impact the stability of said
Area; and,
WHEREAS, because the Global Positioning System ("GPS") Data still was being
collected, and the City Geologist still was in the process of completing the review of that
data to assess the potential impacts of construction in the Blue Area upon the overall
stability of said Area and upon the public health, safety and welfare and, accordingly,
needed additional time to complete that review before determining if the moratorium
imposed by Ordinance 427 U should be lifted, the moratorium was extended by the City
Council to March 21, 2006; and
WHEREAS, because the City Geologist's report has been completed and was
presented to the City Council, but the City Council would like to conduct a study session
to discuss the entire Moratorium Area and the geologic issues that are relevant to
development of new structures and additions to existing structures within the
Moratorium Area before determining whether to amend the Chapter 15.20 of the
Rancho Palos Verdes Municipal Code; and
WHEREAS, due to ongoing litigation regarding development in a portion of the
Moratorium Area and the generation of additional information regarding the stability of
certain portions of the Moratorium Area in connection with that litigation, which may be
relevant to the analysis of the issues that the City Council would like to have addressed
at the upcoming study session, it was not possible for City Staff and the City's geologic
consultants to complete their review of all of the information regarding the stability of
portions of the Moratorium Area in time to prepare comprehensive reports for the City
Council for the study session that had been scheduled to occur on June 3, 2006; and
WHEREAS, because additional time is required for certain information, which
may be relevant to the geologic workshop, to be submitted to the City for review and
analysis by the City's geotechnical consultants, and because it is uncertain when the
additional information will be submitted to the City and how long it will take the City's
consultants to review and analyze that information so that it can be presented to the
City Council as part of the workshop, it is necessary to further extend the Moratorium
that was established by Ordinance 427U and Ordinance No. 439U;
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RANCHO PALOS
VERDES DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The City Council of the City of Rancho Palos Verdes hereby
extends Urgency Ordinance No. 427U and Urgency Ordinance No. 439 U for an
additional 117 days, until October 25, 2006. Except as previously modified by Urgency
Ordinance 439 U, and except as modified herein, all provisions of Urgency Ordinance
No. 427U shall remain in full force and effect through and including October 25, 2006,
unless earlier rescinded or extended by another ordinance adopted by the City Council.
Ordinance No. 440U
Page 2 of 4
SECTION 2. In addition to suspending the provisions of Section 15.20.040 K of
the Rancho Palos Verdes Municipal Code, the provisions of Paragraphs H and L of
Section 15.20.040 have been suspended, and no permits or approvals shall be
processed or granted by the City pursuant to any of those Paragraphs.
SECTION 3. Notwithstanding any other ordinance or code of the City of Rancho
Palos Verdes, no application for a building permit, grading permit, conditional use
permit, height variation, tentative map or parcel map for the subdivision of land, or other
any other permit to develop property, or for a Landslide Exception Permit shall be
accepted for filing, processed or approved as to any land within the Landslide
Moratorium Area, as outlined in Red or Blue on the Map that is on file in the City's
Planning Building and Code Enforcement Department, and no such permit shall be
issued, for any project for which a landslide moratorium exception permit had been
issued previously by the City pursuant to Paragraphs H, K and L of Section 15.20.040 of
the Rancho Palos Verdes Municipal Code.
SECTION 4. Other than the building permit and other permits that have been
issued by the City to construct the home at 4369 Dauntless Drive and any other home
where above-ground construction work has been performed in substantial reliance on a
building permit that has been issued by the City, which shall not be affected by the
provisions of this Ordinance, any building or grading permit, landslide moratorium
exception permit, or other permit for new construction in the Landslide Moratorium Area,
which has been previously granted by the City but which has not been acted upon in
substantial reliance by the holder thereof, is suspended indefinitely. Construction in
reliance on any such suspended permit shall be prohibited unless and until the City lifts
the suspension.
SECTION 5. It has recently come to the attention of the City Council that the land
identified in the Blue Area, which was previously thought to be stable, may in fact be
experiencing current landslide movement. In order to protect the public health, safety
and welfare, the City Geologist was to review recently collected GPS Data to determine
the stability of the land in question and to whether development of new structures on
undeveloped lots or parcels, substantial additions to existing homes, or the construction
of certain accessory structures on properties in the Blue Area should be allowed. The
City Geologist's report has been completed and has been submitted to the City Council.
However, additional time is needed for new information to be submitted to the City for
review by the City's geotechnical consultants regarding the stability of other portions of
the Moratorium Area. Additional time also is required for the City's consultants to
includo the analysis of that information into reports that will be prepared for the City
Council in connection with the upcoming City Council study session that will be held to
discuss the Moratorium Area and the geologic issues that are relevant to development
of new structures and additions to existing structures within the Moratorium Area. The
City Council has stated that it would like to hold the study session before determining
whether to amend the Chapter 15.20 of the Rancho Palos Verdes Municipal Code.
Thus, the City's geologic experts and the City Council needs additional time to review all
of the reports and information and determine whether additional controls on
development are necessary to protect the public health, safety, and general welfare
from the harmful effects associated with slope failure. The City Council finds that
Ordinance No. 440U
Page 3 of 4
continued development in the Landslide Moratorium Area during this additional time
could expose residents to undue health hazards and safety risks and could pose a
current and immediate threat to the public health, safety, or general welfare and
approval of additional entitlements for development inconsistent with the provisions of
Urgency Ordinances No. 427U and 439U and would frustrate the City's ability to protect
the public health, safety and welfare by minimizing the adverse effects of slope failure.
This ordinance is therefore necessary for the immediate preservation of the public
peace, health, safety and welfare and shall take effect immediately upon adoption as an
urgency ordinance. This ordinance is effective until 11:59 p.m. on October 25, 2006,
unless further extended by the City Council by the adoption of another ordinance.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 20th day of June 2006.
Id/
Mayor
Attest:
ity Clerk
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES )ss
CITY OF RANCHO PALOS VERDES )
I, Carolynn Petru, City Clerk of the City of Rancho Palos Verdes, do hereby
certify that the whole number of members of the City Council of said City is five; that the
foregoing Ordinance No. 440U was duly and regularly adopted by the City Council of
said City at a regular meeting thereof held on June 20, 2006, and that the same was
passed and adopted by the following roll call vote:
AYES: Clark, Gardiner, Long, and Mayor Wolowicz
NOES: None
ABSENT: Stern
ABSTAIN: None
Cit Jerk
Ordinance No. 440U
Page 4 of 4
RANCHO OS E AL RDES
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ) SS AFFIDAVIT OF POSTING
CITY OF RANCHO PALOS VERDES )
The undersigned, being first duly sworn, deposes and says:
That at all times herein mentioned, she was and now is the appointed City Clerk
of the City of Rancho Palos Verdes;
That on June 29, 2006, she caused to be posted the following document entitled:
ORDINANCE NO. 440U —AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF RANCHO PALOS
VERDES EXTENDING URGENCY ORDINANCE NO. 427U AND URGENCY
ORDINANCE NO. 439U TO OCTOBER 25, 2006, THEREBY ESTABLISHING A
MORATORIUM ON THE ISSUANCE OF CERTAIN PERMITS AND THE
PROCESSING OF PLANNING APPROVALS AND SUSPENDING CERTAIN
PREVIOUSLY ISSUED BUILDING PERMITS AND APPROVALS, IN THE LANDSLIDE
MORATORIUM AREA OUTLINED IN RED AND BLUE ON THE LANDSLIDE
MORATORIUM MAP ON FILE IN THE CITY'S PLANNING, BUILDING AND CODE
ENFORCEMENT DEPARTMENT AND DECLARING THE URGENCY THEREOF, a
copy of which is attached hereto, in the following locations:
City Hall Ladera Linda Community Center
30940 Hawthorne Blvd. 32201 Forrestal Drive
Rancho Palos Verdes Rancho Palos Verdes
Hesse Park
29301 Hawthorne Blvd.
Rancho Palos Verdes
I certify under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is a true and correct affidavit of
posting.
ty Clerk
W:\City Council Ordinances\affidavits\Ordinance 440U-Extending Moratorium on Permits in Landslide Moratorium Area(Red&Blue).doc