Power and gas were shut off to dozens of homes in Rancho Palos Verdes as landslides threatened homes and infrastructure. Now, the city is offering to buy the homes to help residents relocate.
Residents in the Southern California city of Rancho Palos Verdes will be offered a voluntary buyout for homes affected by shifting land that has been causing landslides and prompting power and gas shutoffs.
According to an article from ABC 7 News, the $42 million program, funded by FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, offers “a viable pathway forward for our most vulnerable community members, offering the opportunity to relocate and rebuild with meaningful compensation,” according to the city’s mayor John Cruikshank. “The FEMA grant will pay for 75% of the sale and property owners will contribute the remaining 25% through a reduction of the fair market value payment, city officials said.”
Homes selected will be purchased for the fair market value of the property in December 2022, prior to the newest landslides. “Properties acquired by the city through this program will be permanently converted to open space and deed-restricted, protecting the community from future redevelopment risks in these vulnerable areas.”
Portuguese Bend in Palos Verdes isn’t the only part of coastal Southern California facing repeated threats from landslides and erosion. A portion of the passenger rail route between Los Angeles and San Diego has been shut down multiple times to repair damage from erosion and make the track safe for travel.
FULL STORY: $42 million buyout program announced for Rancho Palos Verdes homeowners impacted by landslides
Southern California Utilities Cut Power, Gas to Hundreds of Households on Shifting Coastal Land
Slow but significant land movement is damaging infrastructure, prompting power shutoffs and calls for evacuation in Rancho Palos Verdes.
Erosion Threatens SoCal Road, Lloyd Wright Icon
The city of Palos Verdes is closing parts of a roadway to cyclists, citing safety concerns as the land underneath moves between 7 and 12 inches per week.
Caltrans Plans $2 Billion Tunnel to Save Crumbling Coastal Highway
A roadway connecting Eureka and Crescent City is a lifeline for local residents, but its future is uncertain as rock slides force repeated closures.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association