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Portuguese Bend, in Rancho Palos Verdes, was named for Portuguese whalers who used the cove for a rendezvous and a whaling station. Portuguese Bend was also a smuggler's hideaway. From 1945 to 1956, until a major land slide occurred in the area, the Livingston Quarry operated, mining such minerals as barite, quartz, dolomite, gypsum, as well as basalt that was mined for use as a railroad bed material. This area is part of the Forrestal Preserve area, which was purchased as a nature preserve in 1996. In 1956 a 260-acre landslide started. The landslide was triggered by roadwork by L.A. County road crews who were constructing an extension of Crenshaw Blvd. from Crest Road, through Portuguese Bend, to Palos Verdes Drive South. Approx. 235,000 tons of dirt, which had been excavated for the road, had been relocated to the top of an ancient, but previously dormant landslide. In August, 1956, the landslide broke a water line, and significant land movement began. A number of homes began to slide and some of the roads had to be re-routed. Some residents gave up and saw their homes go into the ocean; others left the area. Approx. 100 homes were destroyed, and more than 50 damaged, and the Portuguese Bend club house, restaurant, and pool were destroyed. The land in this area has moved more than 400 feet seaward, and continues to creep towards the ocean to this day, requiring constant repair and maintenance of Palos Verdes Drive. A building moratorium still exists in the landslide area. Several homes continue to be occupied in the land slide area, with the homeowners constantly leveling their home due to land movement by the use of hydraulic jacks. On October 1, 2008, the State Appeals Court reversed a lower court decision known as the "Monks" case and decided that the Land Slide building moratorium ordinance of the City of Rancho Palos Verdes for the Portuguese Bend area constituted an unconstitutional "taking" of property, and that the City should issue building permits to the 17 property owner in the law suit wishing to build homes in the area. "A permanent ban on home construction cannot be based merely on a fear of personal injury or significant property damage," the jurist concluded, and ordered the case remanded for further proceedings to determine an appropriate remedy. On October 8th, 2008, the City Council decided to appeal this decision to the State Supreme Court. On December 17th, 2008, the California State Supreme Court denied the City's appeal allowing the 17 property owners the right to build on their property. The City is currently evaluating whether to extend this right to other property owners in what is referred to as Zone 2 of the landslide area. The above is an excerpt from my book "Historic Tales of Palos Verdes and the South Bay". For more info go to www.southbayhistory.com. 310.541.6416 MMegowan@cox.net (QSC, PV Specialist, SRES, SDPE) Remax Hall of Fame, Remax Platinum Club SOUTH BAY HISTORY TIDBITS PORTUGUESE BEND LANDSLIDE PORTUGUESE BEND BEFORE LANDSLIDE Publisher Editorial Director Creative Director Advertising Director Production Manager Senior Graphic Designer Graphic Designer Digital Media Specialist Senior Videographer Videographer Contributing Writers Senior Staff Photographer Warren J Dow Amy Adams Debbie Warnke Carol Skeldon Lucia Salas Dianne Garcia Elise Inferrera Dyna Rivera Kieron McKay Andrew Kraus Constance Dunn Jenn Thornton Abigail Stone Nicole Borgenicht Paul Jonason D I G I TA L M E D I A Download the South Bay DIGS App on the Apple iTunes Store for iPhone & iPad SouthBayDIGS.com TO OUR READERS South Bay DIGS welcomes your feedback and encourages reader response to our editorial features. Please send your letters to the Publisher at 722 1st Street, Unit D, Hermosa Beach, California, 90254 or via email to WDow@SouthBayDIGS.com. Please include your name and contact information. Letters may be published and we reserve the right to edit. ADVERTISING For inquiries, please contact Publisher Warren Dow at 310.373.0142. EDITORIAL For editorial inquiries, please email Editorial@SouthBayDIGS.com DECEMBER 18, 2015 | ISSUE 124 722 1st Street, Unit D, Hermosa Beach, California, 90254 Office: 310-373-0142 • Fax: 310-373-3493 South Bay Digs Magazine is published every other Friday by m3 Media, LLC. Reproduction in any form or by any means is strictly prohibited without the prior written consent from m3 Media LLC. The Publisher and advertisers are not responsible or liable for misinformation, misprints, or typographical errors. All advertised properties are subject to prior sale or withdrawal without notice. 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