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PC RES 2025-008 P.C. RESOLUTION 2025-08 A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF RANCHO PALOS VERDES RECOMMENDING THE CITY COUNCIL ADOPT A RESOLUTION TO AMEND CERTAIN SECTIONS OF THE GENERAL PLAN OF THE CITY OF RANCHO PALOS VERDES TO UPDATE THE STATUS OF THE LANDSLIDE CONDITIONS AND REFERENCES ASSOCIATED WITH THE NEW RANCHO PALOS VERDES MUNICIPAL CODE CHAPTER 15.20, ENTITLED "GREATER PORTUGUESE BEND LANDSLIDE COMPLEX REGULATIONS ON LAND USE PERMITS" APPROVED WITH THE ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE NO. 692 WHEREAS, the Greater Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex ("Landslide Complex"), sometimes called the Ancient Altamira Landslide Complex, is a large ancient landslide complex that includes but is not limited to four historically active landslide areas in the City of Rancho Palos Verdes: the Portuguese Bend Landslide (PBL), the Abalone Cove Landslide (ACL), the Klondike Canyon Landslide (KCL), and the Beach Club Landslide (BCL) that collectively consist of approximately 1,076 acres as mapped by various agencies (i.e., U.S. Geological Survey and California Geological Survey) and other researchers; and WHEREAS, in the 1950s and again in the 1970s, these landslides were active, with recent years seeing a dramatic increase in land movement, particularly since 2018 and accelerating further after the 2022-2023 rainy season, threatening existing homes, infrastructure, and public safety; and WHEREAS, the City Council has previously established the Landslide Moratorium Area (LMA) and adopted a series of interim urgency ordinances to restrict development and construction within the Landslide Complex, as codified in Chapter 15.20 of the Rancho Palos Verdes Municipal Code, to protect public health, safety, and welfare; and WHEREAS, the City Council found that the circumstances today are different from the circumstances that prompted the 2005 moratorium: the land movement is unprecedented in terms of speed and size, encompassing approximately 715 acres within the mapped ancient Landslide Complex, and includes movement on a significantly deeper slide plane that had not been identified in previous studies; and WHEREAS, on October 3, 2023, by a four-fifths vote, the City Council adopted Interim Urgency Ordinance No. 674U, which put into immediate effect a moratorium on construction in the Landslide Complex, including the acceptance or processing of applications for and issuance of permits, with some limited exceptions; and WHEREAS, on October 3, 2023, by a four-fifths vote, the City Council also adopted Resolution No. 2023-47, declaring a state of local emergency in the Landslide Complex, pursuant to its authority under Chapter 2.24 of the Rancho Palos Verdes Municipal Code, and Section 8558 of the Government Code. The state of emergency is currently active and has been P.C. Resolution No. 2025-08 Page 1 of 5 extended by the City Council pursuant to subsequent resolutions and is currently in place today. It is anticipated that the state of emergency will continue to be extended until the land movement is sufficiently stabilized. What constitutes sufficiently stabilized for the emergency to be lifted is a determination that will be made in consultation with the City Geologist, in consideration of a number of factors; and WHEREAS, on November 6, 2023, California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) approved the Moratorium for the entirety of the 24 months allowed by Government Code Section 65858, were the City to extend it for that period of time. In a letter to Brandy Forbes, Director of the City's Community Development Department, HCD acknowledged "the severity of the Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex's condition and the potential harm to public health and safety, and the environment, and anticipates that [the Moratorium] will need to be extended beyond the 45-day period, pursuant to Government Code Section 65858. HCD hereby approves the adoption and enforcement of Interim Urgency Ordinance No. 674U during the effective period of 45 days from its adoption and its planned extension for up to 22 months and 15 days by the City of Rancho Palos Verdes."; and WHEREAS, on November 14, 2023, by a four-fifths vote, the City Council adopted Interim Urgency Ordinance No. 675U, extending the Moratorium for an additional 10 months and 15 days, which Ordinance was set to expire on October 2, 2024; and WHEREAS, on September 3, 2024, by a four-fifths vote, the City Council adopted Interim Urgency Ordinance No. 686U, extending the Moratorium for an additional year for the maximum two-year timeframe, which Ordinance is set to expire on October 2, 2025; and WHEREAS, the landslide emergency is still active, with dozens of homes having experienced severe damage. Based on voluntary inspections, as of today, 21 homes have been red-tagged, where they are not habitable, and 38 have been yellow-tagged, where portions of the home may not be habitable and may have experienced damage to the structures. The City Council finds that the increase in land movement activity in the Landslide Complex is of great concern to the Districts, the City, and to the Palos Verdes Peninsula as a whole, and presents an imminent threat to the public health, safety and welfare; and WHEREAS, the City Council found that the unprecedented ongoing accelerated land movement has created an environment where construction of new structures and buildings in the Landslide Complex constitutes a specific adverse impact that cannot satisfactorily be mitigated at this time by less restrictive regulation, as additional load and utility infrastructure would further destabilize the area and increase the risk to health and safety of existing structures and residents; and WHEREAS, on August 5, 2025 the City Council introduced Ordinance No. 692 to repeal Chapter 15.20 (Moratorium on Land Use Permits) of the Rancho Palos Verdes Municipal Code (RPVMC) and replace it with Chapter 15 20 (Greater Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex Regulations on Land Use Permits) to prohibit new construction on previously undeveloped land in the Landslide Complex to permanently respond to the conditions that gave rise to the Interim Urgency Ordinance Moratorium in 2023 and to protect public health, safety, and welfare, and P.C. Resolution No. 2025-08 Page 2 of 5 WHEREAS, on August 19. 2025 the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 692 to protect public health, safety, and welfare; and WHEREAS, because Ordinance No. 692 amended the title name and the referenced landslide map of Chapter 15.20 and there are references in other sections of the RPVMC to this Chapter that need revision, the revisions within Title 17 (Zoning) include updates to the definitions and aligning reference sections in the code for consistency with the new Chapter 15.20, on August 5, 2025 City Council directed staff to initiate code amendment proceedings to the Zoning Code to have the Planning Commission, in an advisory role, make recommendations to the City Council on proposed RPVMC amendments to update references associated with the adopted amendments to Chapter 15.20 of Ordinance No. 692; and WHEREAS, the proposed code is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3), as it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, and is further categorically exempt under Section 15308 as a regulatory action for the protection of the environment; and WHEREAS, on September 23, 2025 the Planning Commission held a duly noticed public hearing to consider adopting a resolution forwarding recommendations to the City Council to consider revising Title 17 (Zoning) of the RPVMC to update references associated with the adopted amendments to Chapter 15.20 and identified proposed text amendments to the General Plan to recommend to the City Council; and WHEREAS, on October 9, 2025 a notice was published in the Palos Verdes Peninsula News, providing notice of a public hearing before the Planning Commission pursuant to the requirements of the RPVMC; and WHEREAS, the proposed amendments are exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3), as it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, and is further categorically exempt under Section 15308 as a regulatory action for the protection of the environment; and WHEREAS, on October 28, 2025 the Planning Commission held a duly noticed public hearing to consider adopting a resolution forwarding recommendations to the City Council to consider revising the General Plan to update the status of the landslide conditions and references associated with the adopted amendments to Chapter 15.20 with the adoption of Ordinance No. 692, considering the information provided by City staff, public testimony, and other evidence regarding the proposed amendments. NOW, THEREFORE, THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF RANCHO PALOS VERDES, HEREBY FINDS, DETERMINES, AND RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS P.C. Resolution No. 2025-08 Page 3 of 5 Section 1: The facts set forth in the recitals of this Resolution are true and correct and incorporated herein by reference as though set forth in full. Section 2: The Planning Commission has reviewed and considered recommending to the City Council that a resolution be adopted to amend certain sections of the General Plan of the City of Rancho Palos Verdes to update the status of the landslide conditions and references associated with the adopted amendments to Rancho Palos Verdes Municipal Code Chapter 15.20, entitled "Greater Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex Regulations on Land Use Permits" approved with the adoption of Ordinance No. 692. Section 3: The proposed General Plan amendments are necessary to correctly update the status of the landslide conditions and references to Chapter 15.20, intended to protect public health, safety, and welfare due to the ongoing and accelerating land movement in the Landslide Complex, and are consistent with the existing goals, policies, and objectives of the General Plan, including the protection of life and property from geologic hazards, and the preservation of the community's character and environment. Section 4: For the foregoing reasons and based on the information and findings included in the Staff Report, Minutes, and other records of proceedings, the Planning Commission of the City of Rancho Palos Verdes hereby recommends to the City Council that a Resolution be adopted to revise sections of the General Plan of the Rancho Palos Verdes as attached as Exhibit A to this Resolution, with the additions presented as underline and the deletions presented as Section 5: The Planning Commission recommends the City Council determine that the proposed amendments are exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3), as it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, and is further categorically exempt under Section 15308 as a regulatory action for the protection of the environment. FINALLY RESOLVED, that the Planning Commission forward a copy of this resolution to the City Council so the Council will be informed of the action of the Planning Commission. P.C. Resolution No. 2025-08 Page 4 of 5 PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED this 28th day of October, 2025 by the following vote: AYES: COMMISSIONERS CHURA, GEORGE, O'CONNOR, SANTAROSA, AND CHAIR NULMAN NOES: COMMISSIONER CHRISTEN ABSTENTIONS: NONE RECUSALS: NONE ABSENT: VICE CHAIR BRACH ;- Eric Nulman Chair f. Br. , • .- •rbe Director of Community Development; and Secretary of the Planning Commission P.C. Resolution No. 2025-08 Page 5 of 5