Connect newsletters, mid-January, 2017

City of Pacifica/Connect with Pacifica weekly newsletters archives/Office of City Manager.  Week of 1/9/2017: Winter Storms, read more.

310 Esplanade Avenue, seabird view

"Highway 1 Landslide. Late Sunday night, a landslide on Highway 1 at Shelldance forced closure of the northbound lanes.  .... ... Tuesday’s morning commute flowed normally. From the City’s perspective, the response from Caltrans was a marked improvement compared to the last major traffic tie-up in 2015.

Highway 1 landslide blocks traffic

Drainage System Failure Behind Manor Fire Station.  .... The recent storms have expanded the hole significantly and created safety concerns for traffic on this stretch of Edgemar Avenue.  The hole was caused by an underground drainage pipe becoming misaligned with age, and with last year’s rainfall, the system began to fail and produced the initial problem.

Downed Trees Posed a Serious Problem.  Over the weekend we received 33 calls for service, 26 of them were for downed trees.  We experienced flooding in the Linda Mar area but, fortunately, no private property was affected.  Staff attributes the positive flooding results to the proactive actions taken last week to get ready for storm conditions.

Not included in this tally is the tree that fell and crushed a house, trapping a resident inside until PG&E arrived and de-energized the power lines that had fallen with the tree.  City staff also responded and helped rescue the resident and clear the roadway.  There were other emergencies as well that kept us busy.

I wish us all a safe weekend, free from landslides, sink holes and falling trees! 

Lorie Tinfow, City Manager.  Email ConnectWithPacifica@ci.pacifica.ca.us " 

Manor Fire Department
parking lot sinkhole

Related, prior week.  Week of 1/2/2017: Happy New Year, and the first storm, read more. "First of all, Happy New Year!  I hope that 2017 proves to be a wonderful year of health and happiness for you and your family!
 .... ...  be sure your gutters are clean and not blocked by obstacles and check nearby storm drains; if you see debris, please remove it.  Also high winds can bring down trees and power lines so make sure you have flashlights with fresh batteries placed around your home or office. If you need sand bags, we have set up three locations to get supplies: (1) behind the Linda Mar Fire Station, (2) at the City’s Corporation Yard located on the corner of Oceana Blvd. and Milagra Ave., and (3) at the former waste water plant site located on the corner of Montecito & Palmetto Avenues.  Supplies are limited so please take only what you need. 
The City staff who are directly involved in preparing for and responding to storm conditions do an amazing job.  I am so proud of their efforts and their commitment to take care of the community under very challenging conditions." (Lorie Tinfow, City Manager)

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Related, Manor Fire Department parking lot drainage articles. KRON 4, 1/13/17, Vince Cestone KRON and Shannon Conking,"Massive Pacifica sinkhole opens up after recent Bay Area Storms. includes video 45 seconds. "PACIFICA (KRON) — A massive sinkhole in Pacifica that started about five months ago really opened up after a recent series of Bay Area storms, (1/10/17 rainfall 24 hours 3.42 inches).  The sinkhole is about 40 feet across and more than 15 feet deep. The heavy rain over the weekend expanded the hole, making it three times larger. The sinkhole is located in the parking lot behind the Manor Fire Department in Pacifica at 616 Edgemar Avenue just off Highway 1.  A creek nearby might have contributed to the creation of the sinkhole.  A runoff pipe from that creek runs underneath where it developed.  SF Gate/San Francisco Chronicle/Michelle Robertson, 1/13/17, "Massive sinkhole in Pacifica opens up."  .... The sinkhole appeared about five months ago and recently opened once again, expanding to three times its size following this weekend's heavy rainfall. Pacifica city officials have been applying for emergency erosion grants as homes continue to be demolished in the face of dangerous erosion."   
Note photographs. Left:  Mudslide on highway 1 Dave Kent, YouTube,3:03 minutes,"Pacifica CA landslide blocks highway 1 Monday January 9, 2017, drone footage." Right:  310 Esplanade Avenue apartment building from KRON 4, 12/15/16,video, 2:17 minutes, "Pacifica set to demolish vacant apartment building at edge of crumbling cliff/Bay City News." Sinkhole from the related KRON article, 45 seconds.  Related archived video, see KRON 4/Pacifica video. 

Posted by Kathy Meeh