Council to consider Culver Crest building moratorium

The drumbeat of more Culver Crest homeowners who have gone from asking to insisting on a temporary halt on hillside construction is close to reaching a fever pitch in the aftermath of recent record-setting rainstorms.

Dozens of hillside homeowners pleaded with the city council to implement a building moratorium in their neighborhood at a Feb. 27 meeting, citing rains during the month of January and February that they believe have left their homes vulnerable to slope failures, or mud slides.

The meeting occurred shortly after the last torrential downpour, fueling their collective resolve   to put up a united front regarding the moratorium.

While there are no current specific hillside building standards other than those that pertain to the municipal building codes, Community Development Director Sol Blumenfled said applicants are required to submit their plans from a geotechnical engineer before construction can begin.

Homeowners are asking for the moratorium because Cranks Road homeowner Troy Jackson plans to build another residential unit and a swimming pool on his hillside property.

Jackson’s neighbors and other residents think the hillside is too fragile for such a structure, although a geotechnical engineer hired by Jackson has issued a report deeming the soil “acceptable” for construction.

The council is slated to consider a moratorium at its March 20 meeting. City leaders had designated the March 6 meeting to hear budget work plans from city departments.

“I wouldn’t want this to happen several months down the line,” said Vice Mayor Jeffery Cooper before the council settled on March 20.

Jackson has already obtained building permits for his secondary home.

During and after the February meeting, current and former homeowners referenced the Feb. 12, 2005 mudslide on Tellefson Road that destroyed four homes in Culver Crest and cost the city $3.2 million in payouts to the homeowners.

Jennifer Hodur was one of the homeowners who lost her residence in the mudslide and joined some of her former neighbors in asking for a moratorium on construction.

“I’m troubled and frankly baffled how anyone can think that this project is anything other than a ticking time bomb,” she said.

Other homeowners talked about the number of large-scale homes that have been built in Culver Crest over the last decade, the so-called “McMansions” that other cities have seen spout up.

Some argue that the large-out of scale residences put pressure on the neighborhood’s infrastructure and leave them particularly vulnerable, given the history of mudslides in the area.

For those reasons, Culver Crest resident Roger Porter said a report claiming the soil was acceptable for construction “does not give me much comfort.”

“I implore the council not to allow something like this to be built just because it falls within the current guidelines,” Dr. Michael Landeau told the council.

Blumenfeld did not return numerous phone calls for comment.

Gary Walker contributed to this story.