Updates 12-20-23

December 19 City Council Meeting

Last night, the Rancho Palos Verdes City Council voted to extend the local emergency declaration that was put in place to bolster the City’s response to accelerated movement in the landslide complex through February 10, 2024. The declaration must be renewed every 60 days to remain in effect. A moratorium on construction in the landslide complex is in place through October 2, 2024.

Last night’s discussion included a presentation from the City’s geologist, who reported observing continued and expanded ground movement. The accelerated activity is believed to be the result of the 2022-23 rainy season, which saw more than 200% of the historical average rainfall. The City is closely monitoring impacts from this week’s storm and is on call to respond to any potential emergencies.

Within the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve, where about 7 miles of trails have been closed due to land movement, City staff and Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy volunteers are prioritizing trail maintenance to repair fissures and erosion to keep as many trails within the landslide area open as possible. Find the latest trail updates at rpvca.gov/trailalerts.

Watch a recording of the discussion on the City website.

New and Improved Land Movement Page

The City’s webpage for all things related to the landslide complex, rpvca.gov/landmovement, has a new look. The redesigned webpage is easier to read and navigate, with an expanded FAQs section and an embedded search box for the landslide GIS map. This one-stop shop is where you can find the latest news, plus landslide survey data, background information, updates from the RPV Landslide Complex Working Group, and information on how to get in touch with the City. Share your feedback on the land movement webpage to landmovement@rpvca.gov.