The release of two earthquake maps that detail faults running through several Westside cities—including Culver City—have environmental experts and seismologists wondering how development could be affected in these largely tony Westside cities.
A new and revised Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zone includes Culver City, which is also within the Newport -Inglewood fault zone.
The California Geological Survey released the preliminary maps on July 13 and sent them to cities that are included in the new earthquake fault zones.
Vice Mayor Thomas Small is concerned about where future commercial and residential development is being considered by city planners, but is especially troubled by an earthquake near the Inglewood Oilfield. “That was one of the first things that I thought about – the oilfield – when I read about the new maps,” Small said.
The oilfield, while only a fraction of oil operations are conducted within Culver City limits, is ringed by residential neighborhoods, including Culver Crest and Baldwin Hills.
A study earlier this year stated that the Newport-Inglewood, along with the Rose Canyon fault, which runs from San Diego County to Newport Beach, could trigger an earthquake of 7.3 or 7.4 magnitude.
Last week, Small and his city council colleagues received word that oil and gas company Sentinel Peak Resources, the operators of the Inglewood Oilfield, would not oppose the release of Culver City’s specific plan and environmental study for the oilfield, paving the way for city leaders to begin crafting oil filed regulations.
“We should definitely factor in [the details of the new earthquake maps] as part of our oil field regulations discussion,” Small said.
Earthquake fault zones are regulatory zones that encompass surface traces of active faults that have a potential for future surface fault rupture, according to the state Geological Study.
“It is important to not build on faults,” Tim Dawson, senior engineering geologist for the survey, told the Los Angeles Times. “Building foundations will tend to break when the earth moves beneath them, damaging the building in the process.”
Small said there are other places in Culver City where an earthquake could have an immediate impact on popular and dense neighborhoods in the hills, such as Culver Crest and Blair Hills.
“We need to look double hard at how these faults could affect not only the Inglewood Oilfield, but we also have a few hillside locations in Culver City, and there’s been some question as to how new development standards should go into place,” Small said.
Culver Crest has suffered from landslides in prior years.
And in March, the City Council enacted an emergency ordinance that temporarily stopped construction by homeowner Troy Jackson in Culver Crest. Dozens of neighbors complained of potential seismic fallout if Jackson were allowed to build another residential unit and a swimming pool on his hillside property.
The moratorium included “no building permit, land use determination or entitlement shall be granted for, nor shall any application for a subdivision, use permit, variance, building permit or land use determination or entitlement requirement to comply with the Culver City Municipal Code, including any appeals, be accepted or processed for any improvements to any property located within the lower and upper Culver Crest neighborhoods.”
“Going forward, these are the things that we should take into account as we begin to draft new building regulations,” Small said.
City officials held a workshop on July 6 that featured discussion and ideas about possible new hillside building standards.
The state Mining and Geology Board plans to hold a public hearing in October on the maps. Any member of the public can address their comments to State Mining and Geology Board Executive Officer Jeffrey Schmidt, 801 K Street, MS 20-15 Sacramento, CA 95814; (916) 322-1082 or smgb@conservation.ca.gov
Gary Walker contributed to this story.