“Building Inspection officials said the slide had occurred on private land and that the owners of the seven affected properties were responsible for removing the 30-foot pile of rocks and stabilizing the hill.”

“Peter Chin owns two of the red-tagged buildings, at 426 and 432 Broadway, which between them have 13 apartments and two restaurants. He bought them in August and said the previous owners had told him the hillside was city property.”

“When you move into a place on a cliff, you’re aware of the movies and the horror stories about all the worst things that can happen,” [Mark Loftin] said. “But I was told this was some of the most solid rock in the city.”

Telegraph Hill landslide forces 120 from homes [SFGate]

3 thoughts on “Just Quotes: This Is (Going To Be) A Mess On Telegraph Hill”
  1. Does anyone know if the landslide material (?) is the same that Pac Heights is built upon and if so, should there be any reason for concern w/r/t Pac Heights?? Considering buying a condo there.

  2. I think the main problem with Telegraph hill is all the quarrying that was done a century ago, which has left unstable edges on the south and east of the hill. I remember a large bldg literally falling off the hill around 15 years ago in a similar landslide after heavy rains.

  3. I think the main problem with Telegraph hill is all the quarrying that was done a century ago, which has left unstable edges on the south and east of the hill.
    Ah, the quarrying. Telegraph Hill wasn’t worthwhile as a hill in those days. Landfill was needed down on the flats. Seawalls needed building. (+) Telegraph Flats would be much more attractive to folks because their horses and carriage could be used as transportation. Solution? Use the hill as a rock quarry and once the hill has been blasted into oblivion, voila! nice flat dirt to build on.
    … The Gray Brothers Quarry Co. blasted and quarried the hill for decades up until 1909 despite continued complaints and lawsuits from dwellers.
    I remember a large bldg literally falling off the hill around 15 years ago in a similar landslide after heavy rains.
    1992. Off the end of Alta. The building didn’t slip down the hill onto Sansome in its entirety, but enough of the hill gave way that the building had to be taken down. If you walk up to the corner of Union and Montgomery, hang a left, walk half a block down to Alta and hang a right on Alta, you can see the remains of the foundation off the north side of Alta in the lot after the existing housing ends.

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