CC RES 2002-083 RESOLUTION NO. 2002-83
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RANCHO
PALOS VERDES DENYING, WITHOUT PREJUDICE, LANDSLIDE
MORATORIUM EXCEPTION PERMIT (CASE NO. ZON2002-00170),
FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT 4 THYME PLACE.
WHEREAS, on May 26, 1993 Dr. Perry L. Ehling, City Geologist, submitted a
memorandum to the Director of Public Works, which classifies this property in Zone 5,
and immediately adjacent to Zone 2, of the area that is governed by the City's Landslide
Moratorium. This memorandum states that all development in Zone 5 should be limited
to the then-current City guidelines. At that time, the City guidelines allowed a maximum
addition of 600 square feet; and,
WHEREAS, on January 14, 2002, Cotton, Shires & Associates submitted a
Technical Review of Geologic/Geotechnical Data to the City, which focused on the
geologic conditions that are beneath the area that Dr. Ehlig referred to as Zone 2 of the
moratorium. This report concluded that there is insufficient data to quantitatively judge
the degree of stability in Zone 2; and that there is an undetermined amount of risk, to
reactivating the landslide mass underlying Zone 2, if the City approves new
development; and,
WHEREAS, on April 5, 2002, the applicant submitted a geology report to the City
for review. This report was followed by a letter requesting a Landslide Moratorium
Exception Permit (LME) for property located at 4 Thyme Place, which was submitted on
April 9, 2002. The LME is a request to allow the submittal of all the necessary
applications to the Planning, Building, and Code Enforcement Department for the
construction of a 1,977 square foot addition to an existing 3,183 square foot single-
family residence. The application, including approval of the geology report, was
deemed complete on July 19, 2002; and,
WHEREAS, after notice issued pursuant to the requirements of the Rancho
Palos Verdes Development Code, the City Council held a duly noticed public hearing on
September 17, 2002, at which time all interested parties were given an opportunity to be
heard and present evidence;
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RANCHO PALOS
VERDES DOES HEREBY FIND, DETERMINE AND RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1: Based on Dr. Ehlig's 1993 memorandum, the proposed 1,977
square foot addition far exceeds the then-recommended allowable addition of 600
square feet, for properties located within Zone 5 of the area that is governed by the
City's Landslide Moratorium.
Section 2: Absent additional geologic information regarding the area beneath
Zone 2 and Zone 5, and based on the 2002 Cotton Shires report and the
recommendations set forth in Dr. Ehlig's 1993 report, this application is hereby denied
because it exceeds (by more than three times) the maximum 600 square-foot addition
that was recommended by Dr. Ehlig for developed properties that are located in Zone 5.
Furthermore, the average size of the ten nearest homes is approximately 2,400 square
feet. Inasmuch as the proposed 1,977 square foot addition is roughly equivalent to the
average size of the existing single-family homes in the area, the proposed addition is
more equivalent to development of a new single-family residence, which is not allowed
without approval of a Moratorium Exclusion, than an expansion of an existing single-
family dwelling.
Section 3: For the foregoing reasons and based on the information included in
the Staff Report, Minutes and other records of proceedings, the City Council of the City
of Rancho Palos Verdes hereby denies, without prejudice, a Landslide Moratorium
Exception Permit (Case No. ZON2002-00170) for property located at 4 Thyme Place.
Section 4: The time within which the judicial review of the decision reflected in
this Resolution, if available, must be sought is governed by Section 1094.6 of the
California Code of Civil Procedure and other applicable short periods of limitation.
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED, this 1st day of October 2002.
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Mayor fr
ATTEST: 3
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City Clerk
State of California )
County of Los Angeles ) ss
City of Rancho Palos Verdes )
I, JO PURCELL, City Clerk of the City of Rancho Palos Verdes, hereby certify that the
above Resolution No. 2002-83 was duly and regularly passed and adopted by the said
City Council at a regular meeting thereof held on October 1, 2002.
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City Clerk
Resolution No. 2002-83
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