The strata council of Terra Ridge is hoping residents of four units of the development currently under do not occupy orders will be allowed to return home.
After an in-depth structural engineering investigation by Octo Engineering released Jan. 16, the four condominium units which had been designated as unsafe for residents have been ruled "structurally safe" for the next 15 years, except for their exterior decks, said a news release from the strata.
The strata council release also said the exterior decks must remain as a restricted area until repairs are completed.
Terra Ridge is an 80-unit seniors-only condominium development located on the historic and slow-moving Hodgson landslide. Multiple other properties are located in the slide zone as well.
Gary Deane, manager of planning and development for the city said the city is reviewing the engineering report now.
Chief administrative officer for the city Gary Muraca said the city has only had the report since Friday, Jan. 17, and the report also includes inspection plans and other specifics which will need to be looked at.
Muraca said it will take some time to go through the report and have consultations with lawyers and insurance providers to determine next steps.
According to the residents' release, there have been a number of technical assessments and studies in the three decades since the condos were built and instances of damages have also been documented along the way.
However, in September 2023, after a visual inspection, some units were issued do not occupy orders by the city, which also declared a local state of emergency. Emergency funding was then used to carry out studies on the development and impacts of the historic slow-moving slide.
Since then, the residents and the city have been struggling to find a solution to the issues.
The release stated the strata council expects the city of Williams Lake to rescind the do not occupy orders on the four units in question "without delay" and they are waiting for a response from the city.
Deane and Muraca both said it takes time to go through engineering reports and they have no timeline for a response from the city at this point.