4 April 2007
District Okays Cliff Study
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Moira Connor who lives on River Road is worried that her
backyard might be part of the next landslide in the area if storm sewers are not put in.
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Maple Ridge British Columbia - Some residents who live
atop the cliffs along River Road vow the big cross-Canada freight trains that rumble along the CP Rail tracks below are
contributing to the shakeup of the soil above.
Coun. Al Hogarth is thinking the same way. "I think there is a contributing factor there," he said.
"If the company's making money off the track by hauling stuff through our community," it's time it helped find a solution,
he said at council's Monday workshop.
CP Rail may be willing to listen.
Public works manager Frank Quinn told council a member of CP Rail staff recently met with district staff, although he cautioned, it
was just one company representative.
Maple Ridge council is seeking a way of easing residents' concerns about landslides on lots over looking the Fraser River, after a
portion of Maria and Tracy Raynolds' back yard at 21496 River Rd. fell down the cliff and blocked the CP Rail mainline for a few
hours, 25 Mar 2007.
The district last week ordered a technical report by Golder Associates on what can be done to stabilize the soil in the area south and
north of River Road, roughly between Carshill Road in the east and Fraserview Street in the west.
The company came back with an estimate of $160,000 to do the field work and prepare a report and received council's approval to go
ahead with the study.
CP Rail has been asked to contribute half of the cost of the study but no answer's been received.
But money is looming large as a factor in extending the storm sewer throughout the area which would help stabilize the soil by reducing
the water running through it.
In the past decade, more than $3.7 million has been spent improving River Road, said a staff report.
More improvements are scheduled for 2010 and 2012, which could be advanced, if money's available, the report said.
One possibility would be to get funding through federal/provincial infrastructure grants which could see the district pay a third of
those costs. Staff will check into that.
Coun. Linda King said Maple Ridge has been working for years on the area.
However, there have been no big projects built there that would help pay for new infrastructure such as storm sewers, she said.
"In the older parts of Maple Ridge, we have to go into a certain fund which is not a very big fund."
It makes it difficult when there are projects that need money, she said. If taxes were high enough, they could fill every request,
she said.
Coun. Craig Speirs wanted to know if the report would look at construction in the area and its effects on soil stability.
It won't be the first time Golder Associates has looked at the area. It wrote reports in 1979, 1983, 1986, and 2004.
That resulted in 2004 in policies which prevent any expansion of homes without hooking into the storm sewer line.
Another requirement is that geotechnical reports have to be done for any project.
Moira and Terry Connor though say there have been enough studies. It's time to do something.
In a letter to The News, they say there are eight debris flows along the cliff. And a slide as big as the big Haney slide which took
place in 1895, could destroy homes and block the railway line for weeks.
Moira said she and her husband bought their home on River Road and 217th Street about a year and a half ago.
"At that point, it sounded like storm sewers were imminent. But now we're very concerned because we're 15 feet away from the
ravine and escarpment."
Last month, the heavy rains caused underground streams to literally bubble up in her basement, with at one point three springs
pouring water inside.
Putting in storm sewers at least would provide some comfort that the water is being taken away from the soil. In fact, once storm
sewer lines are available, connecting to them should be mandatory, they write.
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