Rancho Palos Verdes San Ramon landslide threatens community
Rancho Palos Verdes officials are getting anxious to remedy a problematic landslide before the rainy season.
Two landslides – one dubbed the Terrapaka slide, the other the San Ramon slide – begin at Marymount College and converge at the bottom of 25th Street above the 242-home Palos Verdes Shores Mobile Home Park.
The Palos Verdes Shores Mobile Home Park sits at the bottom of the San Ramon landslide. Photo by David Rosenfeld
When it rains, mud and debris wash into the community, which could possibly undermine homes if it rains hard enough, said Paulette Modiano, a 5-year resident and president of the homeowners association.
“It’s somewhat episodic based on what the weather’s doing,” Modiano said. “It’s always a concern, though, because the access to 25th to get out of the community is impeded if you’re going that way.”
To fix the problem, city engineers want to shore up the bluff and build a tunnel beneath the road to divert runoff and debris. But so far the city only has $9.5 million secured out of an estimated $19 million for the total project.
Attempts to gain funding from the state, the city of LA — because part of the slide goes through city property — and the federal government have all been unsuccessful, said councilmember Susan Brooks. Recently, the city was denied a federal grant related to earthquake preparedness.
“Meanwhile, this is the earthquake we know,” Brooks said. “We see it. It just didn’t make any sense.”
Councilmembers hiked to the top of the landslide last month to get a sense of how big it is, Brooks said. For now, the city has a shovel-ready plan and reserve funds it could possibly use.
“We’ve just been unable to obtain any funding,” Brooks said. “We are all trying what we can here.”