Geologist Warns County of Risky Sites

A former Ventura County geologist warned Tuesday that the county needs to do more to prevent building in geologically unstable and hazardous areas such as landslide-ravaged La Conchita.

“Building permits are continuing to be issued daily in fault zones and in landslide hazardous zones,” Jim Fisher, now employed with Camarillo-based RJR Engineering Group, told the Board of Supervisors. “It’s really a problem.”

Fisher requested permission to make a formal presentation to supervisors at a later date outlining his concerns, but the board did not acknowledge his proposal.

Supervisor Maggie Kildee, whose district includes La Conchita, said the county is already reviewing its policies regarding the issuance of building permits. She said the board will look into the matter further if any problems are found.

In an interview, Fisher said his primary concern is that the county has no written policy requiring property owners to conduct a geological survey before being allowed to build on land in hazardous areas.

“The system doesn’t work,” he said.

Thomas Berg, director of the county’s Resource Management Agency, which includes Building and Safety, said building officials have the authority to request a geological survey on a case-by-case basis. He said such a request would be based primarily on what is already known about a particular area.

“It’s a judgment call,” he said, saying a property owner would not be allowed to build until the requested information is provided.

To have a mandatory policy, Berg said, the county would have to conduct costly studies of its own to specifically identify what areas would be required to provide geological reports.

“Jim would like us to be more proactive, to have more regulations,” he said. “But it’s a balancing act. The question is, how far should government go to protect you? Where do you draw the line between someone’s right to build on their land and right of the county to place reasonable limits on that for the good of the whole community?”

Berg cited one case where the county refused to allow an Upper Ojai Valley property owner to build a house on unstable soil, and was subsequently sued. The county eventually won the lawsuit.

Still, Fisher maintained that the county does not request geological surveys in many cases where they are warranted and consequently is vulnerable to lawsuits.

“I’m not saying people shouldn’t have the right to build,” he said. “I just think they have the right to know what the hazards are.”

Indeed, some La Conchita residents have threatened to sue the county for allowing them to build in the area. Last month, 600,000 tons of rain-loosened dirt crushed nine residences in the beachside community.

Fisher said he is providing advice to some residents, and may help them should they decide to take legal action against the county.

Fisher quit his job with the county in December, in part, he said, because the Board of Supervisors ignored his pleas to seek federal money to update the county General Plan’s earthquake chapter.

The county has not replaced Fisher, who was the county’s only geologist. The county now contracts with Fisher’s employer, RJR Engineering, for geological services. Fisher said he is not involved with any of the work the firm does for the county.