Malibu rebuilds advance as city, Caltrans race to protect PCH from coastal erosion

By Hayley Mattson · Fri Aug 14 2026

City has approved 228 rebuild applications and issued 89 permits as officials identify 23 beachfront properties requiring attention before winter storms

Malibu’s post-fire rebuilding effort continues to move forward, with 228 planning applications approved and 89 rebuild permits issued, while city and state officials are simultaneously confronting another growing recovery challenge: accelerating coastal erosion threatening beachfront properties, utilities, and portions of Pacific Coast Highway.

Community Development Director Yolanda Bundy provided the Malibu City Council with an update Monday, Aug. 10, reporting that the city has received 275 planning applications from property owners rebuilding after the Palisades Fire.

Of those, 228 have been approved, which Bundy said represents more than 50 percent of the properties destroyed by the fire.

Another 150 of those projects have advanced into construction plan review through the city's Building Safety Division, and 89 rebuild permits have now been issued.

“We feel confident that the numbers are still moving forward,” Bundy said, adding that city staff continues to spend significant time meeting directly with homeowners, families and design professionals working through the rebuilding process.

But alongside that progress, city officials have discovered increasingly serious conditions along Malibu’s coastline.

Over the past several weeks, Malibu staff evaluated approximately 320 beachfront parcels along Pacific Coast Highway to determine how conditions have changed in the 18 months since the fire.

The assessment came in part after homeowners raised concerns and urged city officials to take a closer look at conditions developing along the coastline.

Staff initially identified 16 properties as high priority because of severe coastal erosion, seawall failures and damage extending toward PCH.

After conducting additional reconnaissance with Caltrans, another seven properties were added, bringing the total to 23 parcels requiring heightened attention.

City staff used drone footage and physically walked the approximately 320 properties as part of the assessment.

“What we found, there was a lot of seawall failures, coastal erosion, slope erosion, drainage issues,” Bundy said.

In some locations, staff also observed impacts approaching the road embankment itself.

The findings prompted the city to coordinate with Caltrans, Los Angeles County Waterworks District 29, Southern California Edison and Southern California Gas Company.

Bundy said Malibu and Caltrans are now holding weekly meetings specifically dedicated to the 23 locations.

One of the most concerning areas is within the 20000 block of PCH, where city staff discovered significant erosion adjacent to the highway.

Officials found an exposed septic tank, a failed crib wall, and continued wave and water intrusion eroding the lower portion of the property.

More concerning, erosion had reached the road edge and exposed utility infrastructure, including a high-pressure natural gas line and water lines.

The discovery triggered immediate coordination between the city, Caltrans, SoCalGas and other agencies.

Bundy showed the council drone footage comparing conditions in late July with conditions Monday morning. Since the initial assessment, a seawall has been repaired and Caltrans has begun regrading and stabilizing the eroded area. The work is not yet complete.

Caltrans is serving as the lead agency on the repair, and Bundy said the city will continue working with the state and affected property owners to prepare the coastline for future storms and protect PCH.

A Caltrans representative told the council that the agency has reviewed all 23 locations with Malibu staff and is pursuing an emergency contractor to undertake additional repairs.

Caltrans hopes to repair or otherwise address all 23 locations by the end of October. The sites have been categorized based on priority, with some requiring repairs and others requiring continued monitoring.

One challenge facing agencies is that much of the vulnerable land between PCH and the ocean is privately owned.

For locations that do not yet constitute an immediate emergency, Caltrans must work with property owners to obtain rights of entry before performing work.

Councilmembers discussed strengthening the city's emergency authority so action can be taken quickly when private property conditions threaten public infrastructure.

Interim City Attorney Trevor Rusin was directed to work with staff on language addressing the issue. City Manager Joe Irvin is expected to issue a proclamation allowing the city to act immediately, followed by a formal council action clarifying the city's authority.

Mayor Bruce Silverstein said the city should eliminate ambiguity over its ability to enter private property when necessary to address an emergency threatening PCH or other public infrastructure. The matter is expected to return as a separately agendized item for further council and public discussion.

Councilmember Doug Stewart raised concerns about forecasts for exceptionally high tides this winter and questioned whether the 23 properties currently identified represent only the first tier of potentially vulnerable locations.

Stewart asked whether officials should begin preparing additional properties before stronger winter tides and storms arrive rather than waiting for new damage to occur.

Caltrans officials said the 23 locations are currently the areas of concern identified by the agency and that they do not presently anticipate immediate threats elsewhere.

However, both Caltrans and Malibu officials emphasized that monitoring will continue.

Bundy said the city's observations show an “exponential increase in erosion,” making continued surveillance particularly important.

City staff plans to continue using drones as well as in-person inspections along the coastline.

“As of today, we have identified 23, but our intent is to continue monitoring so this doesn't become a problem,” Bundy said.

Silverstein pointed out that residents were instrumental in bringing the changing conditions to the city's attention.

Earlier assessments had appeared relatively encouraging, he said, but beachfront residents — including Dean Winter — subsequently told the council they were witnessing more serious deterioration.

The council asked staff to investigate, and the subsequent inspections confirmed those concerns.

“The residents were right,” Silverstein said, praising residents, local media, city staff, and Caltrans for responding.

He also credited Irvin with publicly raising the issue and drawing attention to the urgency of the coastal conditions. 

Bundy also shared an update from Southern California Gas Company regarding the exposed high-pressure gas pipeline discovered in the affected area.

According to the statement provided to the city, SoCalGas inspected and validated the integrity of the exposed pipeline and found no leaks or damage.

The company does not believe the pipeline currently poses an immediate threat to the public, Bundy said.

SoCalGas has assigned engineers and technicians to remain involved at the site throughout the remediation work.

Bundy confirmed that gas service to the affected properties themselves is off.

The discussion eventually broadened beyond the immediate repairs to a larger question that could become increasingly significant as Malibu rebuilds: Who is ultimately responsible for protecting PCH when the land between the highway and ocean is privately owned?

Councilmember Marianne Riggins questioned whether Caltrans should pursue a more comprehensive approach rather than relying heavily on individual beachfront property owners to construct and maintain seawalls.

With some destroyed homes potentially taking years to rebuild — or possibly never being reconstructed — Riggins said Malibu could be left with gaps in coastal protection.

“This shouldn't be the property owner's responsibility to protect the public highway,” Riggins said.

She asked whether Caltrans could consider a continuous pile-supported wall or similar infrastructure along vulnerable stretches and whether state officials have pursued federal assistance, including potential involvement from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The Caltrans representative explained that PCH was originally constructed with a more gradual slope toward the coastline. Over time, portions of those slopes were altered to accommodate private development, with private seawalls subsequently constructed to protect beachfront properties.

Following the fire, however, some homes are gone and some seawalls have been damaged or undermined, changing the conditions protecting the highway.

Caltrans said it uses emergency and permanent restoration programs to address locations where infrastructure is threatened and has constructed protective walls where necessary.

But constructing a continuous wall along PCH would cost “billions and billions of dollars,” the representative said.

Instead, Caltrans currently responds location by location based on the level of threat.

At the 20000 block location, the agency plans to move from temporary repairs into a permanent restoration process that could include installation of a secant wall.

Councilmember Haylynn Conrad pressed the issue further, asking what Caltrans would do to protect PCH if the beachfront homes had never existed.

“Imagine there were no homes there, ever,” Conrad said. “What would the state have done, and/or how would you protect your highway?”

The discussion highlighted the complicated legal relationship between private coastal property and the state's responsibility for PCH.

Silverstein said the issue may ultimately require analysis beyond engineering.

“This is a very complicated issue,” he said, suggesting attorneys representing the state and city may need to examine the respective legal responsibilities.

Despite questions over long-term responsibility, the Caltrans representative gave the council a direct commitment regarding the highway.

“If we find the danger PCH will be undermined, we will go in there and repair the slope,” he said. “That is the promise that I can give you as a Caltrans representative.”

Councilmembers repeatedly emphasized that PCH is Malibu's transportation lifeline and warned against allowing the highway to reach conditions similar to those that have resulted in prolonged closures elsewhere along California's coast.

The council also asked Caltrans to provide the city and residents with more detailed information about planned retaining walls, slope repairs and other projects along the coastline.

Uhring said making the plan publicly available could also allow residents to recognize changing conditions that fall outside the areas Caltrans is already monitoring.

“The erosion has been an awful lot quicker than you would imagine it should be,” Uhring said.