Palos Verdes Weighs $6M Expansion Of Landslide Engineering Contract

RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CA — Rancho Palos Verdes officials are considering a $6 million expansion of an engineering contract to advance permanent repairs across the Greater Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex, where shifting ground has damaged homes, roads and infrastructure.

The proposal, scheduled for consideration Tuesday, Oct. 20, would increase the city's contract with Geosyntec Consultants from $1,100,200 to $7,100,200, allowing the firm to complete engineering designs for two major landslide remediation projects.

According to the City Council staff report, the improvements would include groundwater extraction systems, drainage infrastructure and other measures intended to reduce water infiltration and slow land movement. The contract expansion is part of a broader remediation program that city officials hope will eventually stabilize the landslide complex sufficiently to make ground movement manageable.

How The $6 Million Would Be Funded

The proposed engineering work would support two projects associated with the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant program. Approximately $2.02 million in federal reimbursement is anticipated through Pre-Disaster Mitigation grants associated with the Abalone Cove and Klondike Canyon landslide abatement districts.

The remaining approximately $3.98 million would come from the city's Capital Infrastructure Projects Fund. However, federal reimbursement is not guaranteed, and the city is proposing safeguards before committing the additional funds.

Under the proposal, the contract amendment could not be executed until the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services and FEMA concur that the procurement arrangements comply with federal requirements. The city would also confirm that expenditures qualify for reimbursement, with staff returning to the council for further direction if those conditions cannot be satisfied.

The $6 million would establish additional contract authority rather than authorize the immediate expenditure of the entire amount. Individual engineering assignments would undergo further review as designs progress.

Tight Timeline For Construction

The broader remediation effort comprises three construction projects, with engineering already underway on the first. Final plans for that project are expected by Dec. 31, 2026, while the city hopes to complete designs for the remaining two by March 31, 2027. That would allow approximately three months to solicit bids and award construction contracts before work begins in July. However, Geosyntec's proposed schedule anticipates completing the designs by May 31, potentially leaving less time for bidding and procurement.

City officials are targeting completion of all three construction projects by December 2028, although the timetable remains subject to engineering progress and construction conditions. The proposed engineering fees also reflect the unusual challenges of working in an active landslide area. According to the staff report, the $6 million proposal represents approximately 9.7 percent of the estimated $61.6 million construction cost for the two projects, above the roughly 5 percent to 8 percent range typically associated with conventional civil infrastructure projects.

Officials attributed the higher costs partly to unstable ground conditions, technical uncertainties and potential litigation risks identified by subcontractors. The city also estimates that launching a new competitive procurement process could take approximately three months, potentially jeopardizing its construction schedule. Nevertheless, federal and state concurrence remains necessary before the proposed Geosyntec amendment can proceed.

The expansion comes amid a costly response to the ongoing landslide emergency. City officials project approximately $74.8 million in landslide-related expenditures between 2022 and June 2027, supported by a combination of local, county and federal funding sources.

The engineering proposal is separate from the city's voluntary property buyout program, for which FEMA recently awarded more than $54 million to acquire 27 properties in the affected area. The City Council will consider the amendment during its regular meeting Tuesday, Oct. 20, beginning at 7 p.m. at Fred Hesse Community Park, 29301 Hawthorne Blvd. Residents can also participate remotely.