The discovery this summer of a new sinkhole at the Seawatch subdivision in West Porpoise Bay – the latest since February 2015 when a family of five was forced from their home on Gale Avenue North – came with a fresh warning from the engineering firm retained by the District of Sechelt.
“If measures are not taken soon to control the ongoing erosion of subsurface soils, new sinkholes will likely develop in the near term,” the report from Thurber Engineering Ltd. said. “Further, the piping erosion may expand south and southeast beyond the site boundary, affecting neighbouring roads and properties (if they are not already affected).”
In other words, the situation will continue to deteriorate if it is not dealt with and the potential damage to public infrastructure and private property could extend well beyond the 14 homes at Seawatch.
Thurber’s July 11 memorandum to the district warns that “injury or even death is a possible consequence” of failing to act and “strongly” encourages “all stakeholders to proactively address the problems at the site.”
Rather than tackle the problem head-on, the district has been advising Seawatch residents to sue the district in order to obtain, in Mayor Bruce Milne’s words, “a mutually satisfactory omnibus solution.” Last year, Milne defended the district’s position, explaining that “a covenant … was signed by the developer and is on every single one of those lots, indicating that the municipality is indemnified.”
Rejecting the option of taking costly legal action against the municipality, Seawatch resident Chris Moradian recently told the district to “stop hiding behind geo-technical reports and lawyers” and start heeding the warning of its own engineers.
“We simply are asking for the district to take responsibility for the district’s property,” Moradian wrote on Sept. 7. “Fix the roads and repair your broken infrastructure, which are causing damage to private properties. Then, if you have a valid indemnity from the developer, sue the developer to recoup your costs based on that indemnity… We are not a party to that indemnity! We had nothing to do with the approval of this subdivision. We had nothing to do with construction of the district’s roads and infrastructures. We had nothing to do with the district accepting the roads and infrastructures from the developer as complete to the satisfaction of the District of Sechelt. We are not responsible for their repairs and maintenance.”
Backed by a letter of support from Powell River-Sunshine Coast MLA Nicholas Simons, the residents scored a small victory this week when Sechelt council agreed to hold an open meeting on the Seawatch issue. It’s scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 20, at 7 p.m., in the municipal hall.
For this council, providing leadership to meet its duty and obligations has never been more important.
