Planning and Building

The Building Division of the County Planning and Building Department has been performing visual inspections of impacted properties to determine if and how the use of these homes needs to be restricted.  The Building Office is in the process of contacting all such affected homeowners individually to discuss these restrictions and any necessary remedial work.  If you do not receive notification from the Building Office regarding the potential issuance of a yellow or red tag, it is because your property has not been identified as being at immediate risk from the land conditions based on what can be seen from the public right-of-way.  Due to the limited ability of County staff to identify potential problems based on visual inspections from the local roadways, it is possible that some homes that are at risk may not be contacted by the Planning and Building Department.  Therefore, property owners who believe there home has been impacted or may be at risk are strongly encouraged to contact the Building division at (650) 599-7311 or buildinginspections@smcgov.org to arrange for an inspection, and to work with qualified professionals to perform a risk assessment and evaluate what actions may be need to ensure the safety of its occupants.

County Public Works personnel from the Roads Division have been inspecting road conditions in the Seal Cove area to evaluate the need for any immediate measures that can be taken to maintain the County roads and ensure the continued use by the traveling public. You may have observed that San Lucas Avenue at Ocean Boulevard has been closed to traffic since March 2023 and at Del Mar Avenue has been closed to traffic since January 2025 due to the significant and differential movement of the roadway.  Additionally, cracks in the pavement have developed on La Grande Avenue west of San Ramon Avenue.  Public Works staff previously placed paint markings on San Lucas Avenue and recently placed paint markings on the pavement of La Grande Avenue, generally straddling the existing pavement cracks, for their use as reference points to monitor and record roadway movement and changes in the crack widths.  The markings on La Grande Avenue have been labeled on the pavement as Zones A, B, and C.  While we do not plan to implement any additional road access restrictions at this time, including on La Grande Avenue, our County Roads crews will continue to evaluate road conditions particularly in light of any additional ground movement that may occur.  Urgent road conditions can be reported on-line or by calling (650) 363-4103.

While the geotechnical studies have documented hazards and unstable conditions in the Seal Cove area for more than fifty years, land movement appears to have accelerated in recent months, indicating the need for updated analyses to inform the decisions of residents, land use agencies, utilities, and other stakeholders.

Accordingly, the County is in the process of contracting with a professional geologic assessment team to comprehensively study the area's geotechnical conditions. The study will provide an updated assessment of the various geologic hazards affecting the community and recommendations on how to manage development and infrastructure strategically. It is expected that the study will take approximately two months to complete. After completion, the county will share the final report with the public.

The County is aware that the Montara Water and Sanitary District (MWSD) has been actively responding to leaks and other infrastructure impacts of recent land movement in the area.  County staff from the Departments of Public Works and Planning and Building have been in close contact with MWSD staff to report any impacts to MWSD infrastructure observed by County crews and to provide assistance, such as issuing emergency encroachment permits, to allow MWSD to perform emergency repairs.   Contact MWSD for more information.