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Casa Romanica repairs: insurance will cover like‑for‑like slope and amphitheater work; council considers modest changes
Summary
City staff told council that insurance will cover the like‑for‑like repair of the Casa Romanica slope, tiebacks and amphitheater damage; council and public debated whether to accept a like‑for‑like replacement or use insurance proceeds to alter or enlarge observation/deck areas. Staff will return with insurer cost and scope details.
City staff and Casa Romanica representatives briefed the council on damage from a slope failure, insurance coverage for like‑for‑like repairs and options to alter the rebuilt area.
Insurance coverage and scope: staff said the insurer (JPIA) has agreed to pay for the engineered tiebacks, removal and replacement of slide‑damaged soils, replacement of the amphitheater floor and certain drainage/restoration work. Staff summarized that the insurance payout will cover “damage caused by the slide, but not the slide itself,” and that the insurer will cover code‑required upgrades such as Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) improvements if required.
Council considerations: council members and residents discussed whether to accept life‑for‑life restoration or use the insurer estimate and allocate the payment to different on‑top improvements, such as a larger ocean‑facing deck in place of (or in addition to) the amphitheater. Staff said the insurer will provide an estimate; council asked staff to return with clear options, including what the insurer would pay for and whether the city could reallocate insurer funds toward alternate public‑use improvements.
Public comment and Casa Romanica perspective: speakers with long involvement in the Casa Romanica effort urged restoration and highlighted the property’s cultural uses; a Casa Romanica executive director said private events are a small share of overall use and emphasized daytime public programming.
Next steps: staff will ask the insurer to clarify whether an insurer payout would be a direct check for like‑for‑like replacement or could be based on contractor bids, and will return with options for how to proceed.
