Casa Romantica slope repair under way; city preparing regular coastal permit for long‑term fixes

Deputy Public Works Director Sean Ryan told the City Council Jan. 14 that emergency coastal work begun in August 2023 to stabilize the Casa Romantica slope is expected to finish by April 2025 and that a regular coastal development permit (CDP) will be prepared and submitted for the longer-term repairs.

Why it matters: A major slope failure in April 2023 and a subsequent re-slide in June caused structural damage above the railroad tracks and to the Casa Romantica property. The emergency repair contract installed grade beams, tiebacks (about 97 installed to date) and geogrid measures to regrade and stabilize the slope, officials said. The city obtained an emergency CDP to begin that stabilization work so the railroad and local infrastructure were protected and emergency work could proceed without delay.

What the city will seek: Ryan said the city’s insurance and the city’s insurer’s consultant are preparing plans for the required regular CDP, which will combine top-of-slope improvements, structural repairs to the amphitheater and the lower patio, drainage and landscaping. Council members asked whether insurance would cover reconstruction; city staff said insurance is likely to pay “like-for-like” repairs to damaged municipal structures but not for large-scale slope reconstruction or tiebacks. The city expects to have details for capital-planning discussions and retreat-level policy direction when insurance and consultant work are more complete.

Council concerns and next steps: Council members asked whether pathways and the amphitheater would be rebuilt exactly as they were; staff said no final commitment had been made and that alternatives and three design options would be returned for council consideration before final submission. The public‑works director highlighted potential locations for helicopter water-dip stations and estimated one such station could be put in for roughly $50,000. Staff said the emergency CDP work will be completed and that they plan to submit the regular CDP package to the Coastal Commission in the coming months after presenting designs for public review and council direction.

Context: The city hired Alliance Diversified Construction for the emergency work and described compaction and engineered geogrid lifts installed as part of the slope repair. Ryan said the city would seek to include top-of-slope fixes and any structural repairs under the regular CDP and would consult with the Coastal Commission about public access and design requirements.