RANCHO PALOS VERDES, Calif. — In February, the Wayfarers Chapel in Rancho Palos Verdes was forced to close due to land movement spurred by significant rainfall.

After several months, the executive director, Dan Burchett says relocation is likely the only option.

What You Need To Know

  • Rancho Palos Verdes has experienced significant land movement recently

  • Wayfarers Chapel was forced to close because of a damaging landslide

  • The chapel’s executive director says they’re looking into relocating, rather than trying to reopen at the same spot

  • A Landslide Town Hall Meeting is planned for April 17

The national historic landmark sits on part of an ancient landslide complex known as the Portuguese Bend complex, where four landslides collide.

Because of the land movement under the church, there are panes of glass broken, the foundation is significantly damaged, and walkways across the property are cracked.

Beyond just the Chapel, many homes, roads, and parks nearby have been impacted as well.

Burchett writes there’s a “need to move the chapel off of our current property. It's going to take us considerable time and resources to secure a suitable location and rebuild a chapel. We are committed to accomplishing this although it is a very costly and uncertain path forward.”

There have been efforts to halt the landslide complex’s movement in part by blocking water from penetrating the soil and efficiently draining runoff.

To share more about this, the city of Rancho Palos Verdes has plans for a Landslide Town Hall Meeting on April 17 at 6 p.m. at the Ladera Linda Community Center and via Zoom.