Last Chance To Comment On Portuguese Bend Landslide Draft EIR

RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CA — The last day to submit public comments for the Portuguese Bend Landslide Remediation Project is April 14, meaning community members have just a short amount of time left to add their thoughts to the conversation.

Recently, the document came under fire at a City Council meeting with community members expressing concerns about how native plants and wildlife will thrive in adverse conditions and how nearby communities would be impacted by the intrusive construction operations. During public comments, community members criticized the lack of inclusion of alternatives and information about the environmental impact that the project would cause.

Rancho Palos Verdes resident and chair of the Palos Verdes-South Bay Sierra Club Al Sattler suggested that the draft environmental impact report needed a full rewrite.

At the meeting, council members mentioned how recent rains have impacted the landslide area, which has grown to impact nearby areas including the Abalone Cove area and Seaview neighborhood which have seen a lot of movement in the last couple of months, City Manager Ara Mihranian said.

"The project contemplated is intended to prevent something catastrophic from happening. We know the landslide has been moving since 1956 and it hasn't stopped," Mihranian said.

Council members said they will continue to hear input from the public about the draft EIR until April 15. The deadline to submit public comments is 4:30 p.m. on April 14. Comments can be submitted to publicworks@rpvca.gov.

After the public review period ends, an environmental consultant will review the comments to make final revisions to the report. The final EIR is anticipated to be brought before the city council in the summer of 2023, according to city officials.