Residents of a Kirschner Mountain development got an update last night on what the City of Kelowna plans to do in repairing an unstable slope affecting two properties in their neigbourhood.
Engineers said soil movement in the area could lead to a landslide impacting the homes on Loseth Road and Kloppenburg Court - and perhaps four other properties down slope.
Mike Mike Kapiniak with the city's infrastructure delivery said they need to "make the conditions safe by supporting the lower portion of the slope - and as they work from the bottom up - will be monitoring the stability of the slope. We are prepared to start next week if we get the go ahead from the property owners." If not, the city does have an order in place to move in after March 16th.
Officials also detailed how they plan to detour traffic around the upcoming work, but what residents did not get last night's meeting at Black Mountain Elementary School was who is responsible for the slope instability.
"The city's priority is protecting the public and protecting the residents in making this hillside safe, and after that, then due process and the courts will determine," said James Kay with Kelowna's engineering branch. However, he did allude to past dumping of fill at the site, that possibly occurred without proper permits.
Kay also said another issue facing homeowners on Kirschner Mountain is high groundwater levels.
"It's really important homeowners do everything they can around their own property and ensure their sump pump is working, if they have a basement. Also they should look at their backyard, if there's drainage coming onto their property, to make sure it's safely diverted around their house in order to keep water out of their foundation drains - or make sure their foundation drains are working," he said.
On Monday, Kelowna councillors will be asked to approve $1.2-million for repair work.
The homeowners could be on the hook for the bill.