To see all sizes of these images, go to the Flickr set at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisd2006/sets/72157629424667198/

To see all of the pictures I took on our flight from Half Moon Bay airport to the Golden Gate see:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisd2006/sets/72157629788697815/

For a complete chronology and links to many more photos see Evacuation underway at 330 Esplanade:
http://adequatebird.com/2009/12/17/evacuation-underway-at-330-esplanade/

See all of my pictures of the Esplanade crisis:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisd2006/collections/72157622920945823/

Esplanade Ave from the Air – April 3, 2012 is a post from: Adequate Bird

340 Esplanade Patio Damage

In today’s San Mateo County Times article “Mother Nature threatens more Pacifica cliff apartment dwellers” by Julia Scott we learned that 340 Esplanade is the latest apartment building to experience substantial damage. According to the article, the area indicated by the yellow arrow in the first image,

The apartment building’s side walkway has caved in, taking a drainage grate and safety railing with it. Residents still have full use of their bluff-top patios…

According to the building’s owner Dennis Thomas, the damage was caused by surface water drainage problems on neighboring 330 Esplanade.

This thumbnail shows the current damage (see the SM Times article for the full size image):

These two images show the state of the same portion of the bluff (click for larger size):

August 15, 2010

February 26, 2011

330 Esplanade to be Abandoned

Farshid Samsami, owner of 330 Esplanade, said he now plans to walk away from the property because he can’t afford to fix the bluff. Samsami said,

Things could be solved in advance with the cooperation of (FEMA and) the other agencies, but they say they won’t do it. … We’re not asking for a handout or a whole repair, but at least help us. … It seems like their hands are tied as well.

Once the property is abandoned it will probably become the responsibility of cash-strapped Pacifica. Pacifica building official Doug Rider said that the city might try to get FEMA funding to protect the property.

320 Esplanade: Apparent Neglect

Meanwhile no work is taking place at Millard Tong’s 320 Esplanade building. Both 320 and 330 Esplanade are enmeshed up in lawsuits with a former contractor over unpaid bills and accusations of negligence.

For more information including an update on the sea wall below Lands End, and additional current photos see the June 23 2011 San Mateo County Times article “Mother Nature threatens more Pacifica cliff apartment dwellers” by Julia Scott.

The graphic of the 340 property line was courtesy of Redfin.com: 340 Esplanade Ave.

For a complete chronology and links to many more photos see Evacuation underway at 330 Esplanade:

http://adequatebird.com/2009/12/17/evacuation-underway-at-330-esplanade/

See all of my pictures of the Esplanade crisis:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisd2006/collections/72157622920945823/

June 2011 Esplanade Update: 340, 330, 320 is a post from: Adequate Bird

Those squares of reinforced steel cement represent portions of a sprayed cement “shotcrete” wall with soil nails. I can see how they’ll eventually link up. I guess they’ll have to go almost up to the 30′ surf line, but that’s a little harder to imagine.

For a complete chronology and links to many more photos see Evacuation underway at 330 Esplanade:

http://adequatebird.com/2009/12/17/evacuation-underway-at-330-esplanade/

See all of my pictures of the Esplanade crisis:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisd2006/collections/72157622920945823/

Seawall Armor Below Land’s End (Photos) is a post from: Adequate Bird

For a complete chronology and links to many more photos see Evacuation underway at 330 Esplanade:

http://adequatebird.com/2009/12/17/evacuation-underway-at-330-esplanade/

See all of my pictures of the Esplanade crisis:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisd2006/collections/72157622920945823/

340 Esplanade May Be At Risk is a post from: Adequate Bird

SFist: Those Buildings on the Cliff in Pacifica Are Slipping, Still.

Those Buildings on the Cliff in Pacifica Are Slipping, Still is a post from: Adequate Bird

Winter Storm Further Erodes Esplanade Avenue Bluff, City to Call Meeting by Camden Swita, Pacifica Patch

Swita reports that Pacifica building official Doug Rider plans to call a meeting next week with Pacifica City Attorney Cecilia Quick, City Manager Steve Rhodes and the owners of the buildings to discuss what the owners can do to save their property and under what circumstances the city would have to step in. Rider said,

Those buildings cannot be allowed to topple into the ocean.

According to Rider, the building owners have not been able to acquire funds to finance a rehabilitation of the bluff face, despite applying for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and California Emergency Management Agency (CALEMA) money. Rider concluded

If we can make it through one more winter, it will give them [the owners] more time to raise that money.

Low Expectations

The news reports of the past hours share a common theme of unanswered requests for comment and reaction from missing property owners (see links here).  If experience is a guide, then we can expect the owners to respond slowly but adequately, and to request more time to look for the funds to rescue the buildings.

For a complete chronology and links to many more photos see Evacuation underway at 330 Esplanade:

http://adequatebird.com/2009/12/17/evacuation-underway-at-330-esplanade/

See all of my pictures of the Esplanade crisis:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisd2006/collections/72157622920945823/

Winter Storm Further Erodes Esplanade Avenue Bluff, City to Call Meeting is a post from: Adequate Bird

News of additional erosion under one or more buildings along Esplanade brought out both TV and print reporters and residents were treated to a hovering helicopter and a news van with bright lights on the dark street. We’re waiting for up to pictures of our own, so for now we’re using a picture taken back on December 1, 2010.

Julia Scott’s story, As Pacifica cliff crumbles, city scrambles for plan B, (San Mateo Times via MercuryNews.com) makes plain the dilemma facing Pacifica officials: how long to wait for the owners to take action before condemning the buildings. Scott learned that the vacant buildings are not in imminent danger of collapse. According to Pacifica Building official Doug Rider’s estimate another “30 or 40 feet” of bluff would need to disappear before they really start to “teeter and fall over.” Note that elsewhere in the story a much more dramatic, but WRONG, assessment of the damage was made by a building’s manger who indicated that one-third of a building is unsupported. Both 320 Esplanade, seen on the left of this photo, and 330 Esplanade (right) have experienced loss of supporting soil.

Amy Hollyfield’s video piece Rains cause more damage to Pacifica apartments (KGO-TV 7 ABC) reported that a building official with the city of Pacifica (possibly Doug Rider) said the piece that fell out was small, nothing too dramatic, but he said the building owner needs to do something to stop the erosion of the bluff.

Meanwhile Pacifica is waiting for the owners to take action, an indication that owners intend to abandon the properties, or for the buildings to become a hazard.

My prediction: the building owners will “walk away” (allow the building loans to foreclose, go bankrupt, etc.) and Pacifica will have to pay for the demolition and removal of the buildings.

For a complete chronology and links to many more photos see Evacuation underway at 330 Esplanade:

http://adequatebird.com/2009/12/17/evacuation-underway-at-330-esplanade/

See all of my pictures of the Esplanade crisis:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisd2006/collections/72157622920945823/

Rainwater Continues to Undermine Esplanade Buildings is a post from: Adequate Bird

With the El Niño season looming, city officials are bracing themselves for another potential emergency along the Great Highway, where the crumbling bluffs have left the area in a precarious state.

San Francisco Examiner: Great Highway poised for disaster

Great Highway poised for disaster | San Francisco Examiner is a post from: Adequate Bird

It is early in the winter 2010 season and already unmistakable signs of fresh groundwater erosion are visible beneath the buildings along Esplanade Avenue in Pacifica. Groundwater, water flowing underground, weakens and separates the layers of soil, sand and clay beneath the buildings, and washes away the surface of bluff. Given enough time groundwater will undermine and destroy the buildings just as surely as winter storms surf.

The dangers to the buildings on Esplanade Ave of uncontrolled groundwater drainage have been known since almost the beginning. A project including channels to control and divert groundwater has been completed at 360 Esplanade, but similar work at 330 Esplanade Ave was abandoned unfinished. (For an early reference to groundwater risks see Esplanade Update – Sunday February 7, 2010.)

The owners, community, and city of Pacifica need to remain alert of the dangers posed to the unprotected buildings along Esplanade Ave. Those buildings, in turn, continue threaten the road, infrastructure and well being of the residents in the nearby neighborhood.

Groundwater Seepage Example

Darkened earth and soil, stained by fresh groundwater, is visible in the following photos of the bluff below the south end of 330 Esplanade Ave. To the left is the flaked and shredded unfinished concrete and soil nail project intended to protect that vacant apartment building. These were taken following a dry period, but the recent storms are starting to make a difference.

310 Esplanade south: November 27, 2010 versus August 15, 2010

The still-occupied apartment building at 310 Esplanade Avenue in Pacifica stands atop a sand and soil bluff that shows significant fresh groundwater-related damage. The vacant buildings just south, 320 and 330 Esplanade are also showing recent weather-related erosion. The base of the bluffs are armored with about 30 feet of massive boulders, and so far the winter storms have not produced surf approaching that height.

In this view we see the south end of 310 Esplanade and neighboring, vacant 320 Esplanade.

310 Esplanade south: detail view

The earth – soil, sand and clay – beneath the protruding drainage pipe has receded since August.

310 Esplanade north erosion, August 15 and November 27

The north end of 310 Esplanade is next to the open “dog park”. More threatening, fresh erosion is happening here, too.

310 Esplanade north erosion detail:

An area of more than 20 square feet has fallen away from the bluff, as shown in these photos. The amount of earth (sand / dirt / clay) that has fallen seems small so far.

11/24: Rain causes headaches along Pacifica coast

The press continues to cover the Esplanade Ave story. KGO-TV, San Francisco (ABC) ran the story Rain causes headaches along Pacifica coast: http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/peninsula&id=7806869

For a complete chronology and links to many more photos see Evacuation underway at 330 Esplanade:

http://adequatebird.com/2009/12/17/evacuation-underway-at-330-esplanade/

See all of my pictures of the Esplanade crisis:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisd2006/collections/72157622920945823/

Rain causes headaches along Pacifica coast (Photos) is a post from: Adequate Bird

2010 CalEMA 400 Esplanade Storm Drain Outfall Project

Found on the Pacifica City website, an announcement and invitation for proposals or bids for Esplanade storm drain outfall relocation and repair:

2010 CalEMA 400 Esplanade Storm Drain Outfall Project

The 2010 CalEMA 400 Esplanade Storm Drain Outfall project will abandon the storm drain located on 380 Esplanade and will re-route all drainage that flows through the 380 Esplanade outfall to a new storm drain system running south within the Esplanade street right of way to 400 Esplanade. The proposed system will install approximate 900 linear feet of new pipe, 4 new manholes, 1 new drainage inlet and a new storm drain outfall on 400 of Esplanade just south of West Manor Drive.

The original document can be found by search on the City of Pacifica website (www.cityofpacifica.org) or get it directly from a copy I’ve saved on this site: CalEMA 400 Esplanade Storm Drain Outfall (PDF, 1.1 MB).

City Council Regular Meeting September 27, 2010

(To go here: Explanation of the settled lawsuit where Pacifica agreed to pay owners of 380 Esplanade Ave, AIMCO, $400,000 for damage resulting from subsidence associated with a municipal storm drain pipe.)

For a complete chronology and links to many more photos see Evacuation underway at 330 Esplanade:

http://adequatebird.com/2009/12/17/evacuation-underway-at-330-esplanade/

See all of my pictures of the Esplanade crisis:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisd2006/collections/72157622920945823/

Pacifica Settles Lawsuit with AIMCO and Starts Drainage Pipe Project is a post from: Adequate Bird