San Clemente apartment buildings remain off-limits following landslide

By City News Service By City News Service

mi gente, and the work we did on behalf of our community,” Molina said in her Facebook post.

She continued, “I have a great daughter, son-in-law, a precious grandchild and another one on the way. I’m so excited! I am very appreciative of the doctors, nurses and health care professionals at City of Hope. … They have taken good care of me.

“Most of all, I am fortunate to have this time to spend with family, friends and those who are special to me. Thank you all for your love and support.”

The post was signed with a heart emoji.

Upon hearing the news of Molina’s illness, Eunisses Hernandez, the current LA City Councilwoman from the First District, said in a statement to City News Service, “We stand on the shoulders of the giants who came before us and Supervisor Molina is one of a kind.”

“She blazed the trail for women — and especially for Latinas — in local government and we owe her a debt of gratitude for her decades of service to our City and our County,” Hernandez said. “I join all Angelenos in offering her my prayers and support during this time.”

Supervisor Hilda Solis, who succeeded Molina in the county’s First District seat, called Molina a personal inspiration and role model — and said she would introduce a motion at the next board meeting to name Grand Park after Molina.

“Seeing her break these glass ceilings inspired me,” Solis said in a statement. “I remember dreaming of one day serving our community just as she did, with passion. She was my role model, which is why I was proud to support her in each one of her races.”

Solis also recalled collaborating with Molina in the 1990s on Comisión Femenil, an organization dedicated to advancing Latinas in politics.

“Los Angeles is as great as it is because of her persistence and determination to fight for our most vulnerable communities,” Solis said. “Her leadership led to the creation of the East LA Gold Line, LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, and The Wellness Center.”

Solis said she will propose renaming Grand Park because it stands as one of Molina’s “treasured legacies … a park for all, she fought so hard for this creative safe space.”

“I wish Gloria much strength and send all my prayers and love to her and her family during this difficult time,” Solis added.

Federal help is on the way for San Clemente’s efforts combating flooding that has left four apartment buildings in danger of tumbling down a hillside, Rep. Mike Levin announced Thursday.

Levin, D-Dana Point, lives in the area and made a couple of trips this week to inspect the apartment buildings that have been red-tagged in the 1500 block of Buena Vista.

“It’s really quite remarkable down there,” Levin told City News Service. “Four homes have been red-tagged and the whole hillside has had a major amount of debris that has come down.”

The beach trail in the area is “used very frequently by the community, including our family,” Levin said.

“After the initial landslide yesterday morning I went and saw later in the day what was happening,” he said. “I reached out to the White House and FEMA to have Orange County included in the federal emergency declaration, which followed Orange County

Supervisor Katrina Foley working on the county level to declare an emergency and with our Sacramento delegation, including Gov. (Gavin) Newsom to declare a state emergency.”

This will cover all of the bases for relief, starting with the city and working up the ladder of government to the federal level, Levin said.

“I really appreciate the Biden administration for the attention to our county and taking our situation here seriously,” Levin said.

Orange County Fire Authority crews responded at around 8:20 a.m. Wednesday to the 1500 block of Buena Vista and evacuated residents from the structures. The hillside behind the buildings gave way, leaving parts of the structures teetering over the edge. No injuries were reported.

Residents of the apartments were allowed back in their homes Thursday to collect belongings. It’s unclear if the buildings can be salvaged, Levin said.

“It’s hard to say,” he said. “They’ll do a thorough review of the safety of the slope and go from there.”

The four buildings were all yellow tagged, meaning their habitability was limited, and city crews were on the scene to assess the structures, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. They were later downgraded to red-tagged, meaning it was too dangerous for them to be inhabited.

Residents were urged to avoid the landslide area.

Buena Vista was closed from Avenida Florencio to Calle Colina, along with the beach trail below the landslide between North Beach and El Portal.

“We’re coming up with a plan for what we’re going to do next,” OCFA Capt. Thanh Nguyen said of the agency’s work with sheriff’s deputies and city and utility officials.

“We’re closely watching the adjacent neighborhood here. ... I would strongly encourage residents in the surrounding area to be prepared to evacuate should the (evacuation order) be extended.”