Too Beautiful, Too Unstable

There are at least two solid reasons why the rugged cliffs just north of Portuguese Bend should remain undeveloped. The first is, of course, the setting. The hills and cliffs on the eastern side of Rancho Palos Verdes Drive South offer some of the finest ocean views in Southern California. The cliffs, redolent of sage, are a magnet for hikers and cyclists and home to endangered butterflies, foxes and other animals.

The other reason the 800 or so acres should remain open to the public has to do with the folly of building castles on such a precarious perch. This parcel, a doughnut of land surrounding the Portuguese Bend community, is held by two investment firms that see multimillion-dollar ocean-view homes where others see a nature preserve.

Yet it was for good reason that the city of Rancho Palos Verdes imposed a building freeze in 1978 on much of the area now under consideration for a preserve: The land is moving. Parts of the Portuguese Bend hillsides can move more than 6 inches a year, as local homeowners who have seen houses creep and backyards disappear know all too well.

Vistas notwithstanding, these hillsides are much too unstable to support more housing, even if the city permits new construction. Developers say they would shore up fragile cliffs first, but apart from the cost, that enterprise would alter the contour of the land, damaging or obliterating wildlife habitats.

Far better to set aside this parcel so we all can watch the birds circle overhead or the sun glint on the ocean. Local conservationists are lobbying for federal and state funds to buy the property and put it in public hands. Their success will depend on agreement with the property owners on a fair market value, some coordinated muscle from local representatives and an understanding that these lovely, unstable hillsides are best shared in their natural state.