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Karl Olson pets Felix, along with Katty, both horses boarded at his Woodside corral. His corral is located directly above the San Andreas Fault, according to the town’s geological map.
-EMBER OF THE 0ALO !LTO #HAMBER OF #OMMERCE
Living on the fault line
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State laws require disclosure of natural hazards to potential home buyers
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s the curvy Highway 84 in Woodside winds its way west toward the coast, the road makes an elbow-like turn to the south, running through the San Andreas fault zone. At the bend, a stone pillar marks a road running straight into the heart of the fault: Why Worry Lane. The words are carved deep into its façade. The neat road leads into a neigh-
borhood of several homes, situated between three branches of the fault, according to a state map. Just to the north, Tripp Road parallels the fault. The fault creeps slowly here, about 17 millimeters a year, according to geologists. Sometimes the earth quivers like jelly; at other times it bounces and jolts — or rocks and undulates. Karl Olson is not concerned. His parents knew about the fault when
they purchased the home on Tripp 40 years ago, he said. “People kind of know what they’re getting into,� he said. Several state laws govern the information that sellers must disclose about natural hazards to potential home buyers. Under the Alquist-Priolo Act, state-generated maps indicate where (continued on next page)
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Courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey
This map shows the active faults in the South Bay region. The red lines denote faults that have been active since 1776 and orange in the past 11,000 years. The map is available on usgs.gov. *>Â?ÂœĂŠ Â?ĂŒÂœĂŠ7iiÂŽÂ?ÞÊUĂŠ iLÀÕ>ÀÞÊÓx]ÊÓ䣣ÊU Page 21