RDA RES 1987-030 RESOLUTION NO. RDA 87-30
A RESOLUTION OF THE RANCHO PALOS VERDES
REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY MAKING CERTAIN FINDINGS IN
CONNECTION WITH ITS EFFORTS TO ABATE THE IMPENDING
PERIL FROM GRADUAL EARTH MOVEMENT IN AND AROUND THE
PORTUGUESE BEND LANDSLIDE
THE RANCHO PALOS VERDES REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY HEREBY FINDS, DETERMINES ,
RESOLVES, AND ORDERS AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1 . In 1984, the Rancho Palos Verdes Redevelopment Agency
("Agency") formed a technical committee composed of a large number of
geotechnical experts, including geologists, engineers, and engineering
geologists. The Technical Committee advises the Agency as to all matters
concerning the Portuguese Bend Landslide and recommends various landslide
abatement methods. Registered Geologist and Certified Engineering
Geologist Dr. Perry Ehlig, Professor of Geology at California State
University, Los Angeles, is a member of the Technical Committee. In the
expert opinion of Dr. Ehlig and the Committee as a whole, the Portuguese
Bend Landslide, an ancient landslide which was reactivated in 1956, is gra-
dual earth movement resulting in impending peril to persons or property.
Since 1956, said landslide has destroyed a significant number of residen-
tial structures and public improvements and damaged a significant number of
residential structures and public improvements. Unless halted, stabilized
or abated, the landslide threatens to destroy or damage additional residen-
tial structures or public improvements. Based upon the foregoing, and upon
the expert opinions of the members of the Technical Committee, including.
Dr. Ehlig, the Agency hereby finds that the gradual earth movement caused
by the Portuguese Bend Landslide presents a grave and impending peril to
persons and property located within and adjacent to Portuguese Bend.
Section 2. Without appropriate remedial action to stop the
Portuguese Bend Landslide, the gradual earth movement will continue and
worsen. Public necessity requires that some action be taken to lessen the
danger to persons or property. To avoid impending peril to persons or pro-
perty as a result of such gradual earth movement, the Technical Committee
has recommended landslide abatement and earth stabilization programs ,
including the installation of dewatering wells , the construction of
drainage control devices, and the redistribution of mass within the
landslide. Phase 1 of the Agency' s drainage control and earth stabiliza-
tion project includes: the redistribution of approximately 600,000 cubic
yards of earth from the upper regions of the slide, where it acted as a
driving force causing gradual earth movement, to the lower regions of the
slide, where it acts as a resisting force to gradual earth movement; exten-
sive grading; and construction of drainage facilities. Such remedial
action has been completed. Phase 2 of the project, as proposed, will con-
709CP RDA Reso1.87-30
sist of reestablishing the drainage on approximately one mile of Palos
Verdes Drive South and controlling the street runoff so that it does not
exacerbate gradual earth movement, redistributing mass from the east-
central portion of the slide to the southwest portion of the slide and
relocation of Palos Verdes Drive South to a more stable location within the
landslide where it will, to some extent, act as a resisting force to gra-
dual earth movement. Due to greater stability at the proposed location,
drainage control will be more effective at the proposed location. Based on
the foregoing, and upon the expert opinions of the members of the Technical
Committee, including Dr. Ehlig, the Agency hereby determines that the
measures recommended by the Technical Committee, including but not limited
to Phase 1 and Phase 2, as described above, constitute appropriate remedial
action to halt, stabilize, or abate the impending peril described in
Section 1 hereinabove.
Section 3. Based upon the foregoing, and based upon the expert
opinions of the members of the Technical Committee, including Dr. Ehlig,
the Agency has undertaken to implement the remedial action as described in
Section 2 hereinabove. The Agency hereby resolves to proceed as quickly
and safely as possible to implement the remedial measures described above.
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED this 17th day of December ,
1987.
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Chairwoman
ATTEST:
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Ag-ency Secretary
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ) ss
CITY OF RANCHO PALOS VERDES )
I , JO PURCELL, Agency Secretary of the Rancho Palos Verdes
Redevelopment Agency hereby certify that the above Resolution No. RDA 87-30
was duly and regularly passed and adopted by the said Redevelopment Agency
at a regular meeting thereof held December 17, 1987.
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Agency Secretary
709CP RDA Reso1.87-30