The California Geological Survey on Jan. 8 released its preliminary Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zone Map for Hollywood, which encompasses both the Millennium Hollywood project and BLVD6200.
Survey representatives had planned to begin the process of mapping the Hollywood Fault at the beginning of 2014, but expedited the process to assist the Los Angeles City Council in its decision regarding the Millennium project in July. The council unanimously approved the project.
The map shows that the Hollywood Fault essentially runs parallel to and just north of Hollywood Boulevard from West Hollywood to East Hollywood and Los Feliz, where the fault extends a bit more to the north. Portions of the fault also run along Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood.
“Today, we learned that Hollywood is open for business,” Councilman Mitch O’Farrell, 13th District, said in a statement. “State geologists confirmed what we already knew: A fault line runs along the Hollywood Hills, trace lines might extend into the business district and that any project proposed near these areas must conduct extensive testing to determine the exact location of a trace line in relation to the proposed construction.”
Officials have stated that trenching, as the developers plan to do, is one of the few ways to know for certain.
O’Farrell said the city is in the process of updating Navigate LA — the city’s web-based mapping application — to reflect the zone map to ensure that any construction is “rigorously reviewed and safe.”
“The city of Los Angeles will continue to have the most restrictive regulations when it comes to building in earthquake zones,” he said. “This information provides a clear map for development in the heart of Hollywood.”
Representatives of the developers, Millennium Partners and Argent Ventures, struck a similar tone.
“The city’s Department of Building and Safety long suspected that the Hollywood Fault could be located in the vicinity of our site and, with much foresight, required from the beginning that all studies and testing associated with our land use application be performed as if the fault had been mapped and our site were in the study zone,” Philip Aarons, of Millennium Partners, said in a statement. “Those studies and tests were performed and showed no evidence of an active fault on the property.”
He noted that the map showed the fault’s “approximate location,” as the document only incorporated data collected from other sites and visual observations. Aarons also referenced the map’s disclaimer: “Information on this map is not sufficient to serve as a substitute for the geologic and geotechnical site investigations.”
“The detailed subsurface geologic and geotechnical investigations that were performed on our site (which included borings and subsurface exploration) found no evidence of an active earthquake fault on the property,” Aarons said. “Millennium Hollywood remains committed to building a safe project to the highest earthquake resiliency standards and will perform further subsurface investigation prior to the issuance of any building permits.”
However, opponents of the project, specifically attorney Robert P. Silverstein, believe the California Geological Survey map is damning for the developers. He has filed a lawsuit against Millennium Partners and Argent Ventures.
“What the city is now saying is Orwellian,” Silverstein said. “Remember just a couple months ago, Councilman Mitch O’Farrell was falsely proclaiming … that there was no evidence of an earthquake fault on that site, but last week, based on an enormous amount of hard evidence and data, the state of California mapped the earthquake fault directly through the Millennium site. And then, as if O’Farrell thinks the public has no memory of his prior statements, he claims that what the state geologist mapped confirmed what the city already knew. The city officials are speaking out of both sides of their mouths.”
He said the map will likely be referenced in his court case against the developers. A trial setting conference has been held in that case, but Silverstein referred to the conference as “very preliminary and basic.” No trial date was set, he said.
Luke Zamperini, of the city’s Department of Building and Safety, said the map will not have an effect on the Millennium project, since the developers were already required to do the kind of study the map requires.
“They’ll have to provide an earthquake fault study in order to get their permits,” he said.
Zamperini said the Alquist-Priolo zones prohibit building on top of an actual fault. The Millennium developers have a four-acre property, so the project could be moved if trenching determines that faulting has occurred under the project site, he said.
Zamperini said the Alquist-Priolo zone should not be prohibitive in terms of development in Hollywood. He said single-family dwellings are exempt, and for larger projects, geological surveys will be required.
“It’s just a more expensive process, but I don’t think it will stop development,” Zamperini added.
Overall, the map is a good thing for the city and for Hollywood, he said.
“We welcome that. We’re happy that the preliminary map’s been published,” Zamperini said.
According to the California Geological Survey, the Alquist-Priolo Act was passed into law following the San Fernando Earthquake in 1971, when the 6.6-magnitude quake caused extensive surface ruptures that damaged buildings. It prohibits the construction of certain structures for human occupancy across the surface traces of active faults.
Of the plethora of hazards that can occur during earthquakes, building on top of an active fault is among the easiest to avoid, according to the survey.
Twenty-six earthquakes have been associated with surface faulting in California since 1974, according to the survey. Although most have been minor, there have been seven earthquakes with surface fault offsets that were greater than one foot.
The preliminary maps have been forwarded to the city and county, as well as other agencies, for public review. The review period will last for a minimum of 90 days, and the survey will publish finalized maps after that.
3 Comments
Park LaBrea Press
8-01-2013
‘O’FARELL SETTLING IN AS HOLLYWOOD COUNCILMAN’
“Opponents of the project expressed frustration that the council opted to vote on the development even though state agencies were investigating claims that the project site sat on the active Hollywood fault…
“I think we’re going to be in really good shape there,” he said. “There’s no evidence anywhere that suggests that a fault line runs directly under where the buildings will be constructed. That’s just not true. We all know there’s a fault line in Hollywood, but this city is filled with fault lines….The opponents…In my view, they took the initial tract map evaluation out of context and then formulated an opposition based on that. It’s just an opinion that they took.”
Really?
Farrell In this article:
“State geologists confirmed what we already knew: A fault line runs along the Hollywood Hills, trace lines might extend into the business district
O’Farrell’s statements are very different now.
In August he was still trying to justify and defend leading city council to approve the dangerous Millennium projects, telling them on the floor of City Hall, his research proved they were ‘safe’, ignoring all the evidence and even Dr. Parrish’s letter, asking them to NOT vote yet. Even after the recent unveiling of the fault line maps by Dr. Parrish, he claims ‘it proves Hollywood is open for business as usual’ Oh really? This was their worst nightmare. And Garcetti, who pushed for the approval of his funder’s projects, still remains silent.. A Coward.
Millennium bailed out O’Farrell’s campaign and contributed thousands to help get him elected.
They helped get Garcetti elected.
The Millennium funded Hollywood Chamber PAC helped get him and Garcetti elected.
O’Farrell is nothing but a Puppet..Who is more dangerous, the Puppet, or the Puppet Master?
He also obviously does not know what he is talking about. His mentor/puppet master, Garcetti needs to teach him how to lie better, and be quiet better, and play the game better.
There are State Laws.
All of their arrogant posturing is beyond despicable.
Garcetti’s silence about his two babies, his illegal higher density Hollywood Community Plan being thrown out by a Judge and his dangerous Millennium projects now on hold..well, that’s something else…but inexcusable.
Some one help out here. Dr. Parrish’s maps presentation last week showed active fault line strands right under Millennium’s building site. We all saw them. But the developer said to the press and media ‘the maps change nothing’ If the maps change nothing why did Dr. Parrish waste his time appearing here, coming down to L.A. for the presentation? It was covered all over the news, but changes nothing? It has been made public the amounts of money Phil Aarons spent to get his projects approved. Four million in just one year, and he set up camp here about six or seven years ago. Bribing two Mayors, many city council members past and present, city departments, many large opposing organizations he threw money at to not oppose his projects. They withdrew their law suits. He pretty much bought this city. Did he buy the city’s green lighting his projects in spite of the Dr. Parrish report? Dr. Parrish said their testing was not sufficient, yet they keep saying it showed no active fault lines. Will they re- test? Will the city give them a pass? How involved will the state be? Will they doctor the testing results? Phil Aarons has been running the show at the city level..But will he, can he, run the show at the State level too? Aren’t there state laws that need to be abided by? Or can the city ignore them and allow this developer to get his way? Even if it means people’s lives are being put in danger? Who is running our city and our state? Phil Aarons? The NYC developer? This is what happens when a city has no real leaders of substance at the helm..only silent, corrupt politicians, all bought by developers. Chaos!
Well looks like those rich snobs in the hills who would rather see Hollywood rot and decay then have it become a clean, fun, and safe urban neighborhood got what they wanted.
The truth is there is a generational sift going on in this country. Young people are embracing the city life and prefer dense walkable urban communities instead of unwalkable and environmentally degrading urban sprawl that many older people still prefer (with the exception of baby boomers who embrace the urban lifestyle as much as millennials).
Also Hollywood has always been a dense urban neighborhood. Look at Hollywood and Vine, it has always been urban center. The so the Hollywood Community Plan in which project like Millennium Towers would be allowed near mass transit and where density ALREADY exists like Sunset Boulevard and Vine Street, and in fact it even lowers height limits in many low rise areas of Hollywood like Hollywood Boulevard and even the hills
We can’t sprawl out anymore as a city. Sprawl has it’s limits. Our freeways are long giant parking lots our air is the dirtiest out of any major city in America. If these NIMBYS have there way LA will have a difficult time attracting young people whom don’t particular like being forced to drive a car to live, and creative industries that need density to thrive to other cities like San Francisco, New York, or Portland. Yes we should ease the tax burden on businesses and ease the regulator burden on them as well but regulations and taxes despite what Republicans say are not the only factors that determine where businesses locate and hire
LA will never be like New York, Chicago or San Francisco, but that doesn’t mean LA with it’s many centers can’t be urban communities linked by mass transit where people work live and play in, and Hollywood and Vine which has always been is one of the best places to have urban development.
Also even if the Millennium Developers do find a fault on the site they can reconfigure the project so they building are 50 feet away from any fault trace, who knows maybe the fault trace can be a pedestrian promenade like the one Santa Monica has.