Widow, son forced to leave Apex area home
Regional district says house in danger of sliding down mountain
A bereaved homeowner in the Apex area west of Penticton has to evacuate her home because it is in danger of slipping down the mountain.
The board of the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen voted Thursday to order the home at 1825 Green Mountain Rd. be repaired, demolished or relocated because it’s in “hazardous condition” and can no longer be occupied. Tom Siddon, the RDOS director for Area D, in which the home lies, met with the homeowner last week and said it is a heartbreaking situation for the widow who lives there with her son. Due to flooding in March and April, the mountain above the home started giving way and the ground below also started slipping, he said.
“The driveway is cracked. The road above it is slumped,” said Siddon.
“Highways keeps filling the cutback with gravel and (the cutback) keeps sinking. It’s hard for her to see her home disappear. I recommend voting on the package so she has options,” said Siddon.
Green Mountain Road was closed one day in May to repair major damage caused by the spring freshet. In late April, the RDOS Emergency Operations Centre identified Farleigh Lake and the area of Green Mountain Road as an ongoing area of concern.
Record high snowpack had potential of creating further slope instability and flooding in the area.
The package the board approved declared an evacuation order and provided the homeowner with options to relocate the structure, demolish it or try to save it. All such work will have to be overseen by engineers.
“It’s an unfortunate situation that in March and April this house suffered slippage where grounds above and below started to slide, creating a hazardous situation,” said RDOS chief administrative officer Bill Newell.
The property owner has been advised that her house insurance considers this an act of God and is therefore not covered,” said RDOS development services manager Brad Dollevoet.
He noted staff is helping her to seek disaster assistance, which can be obtained up to maximum of $300,000.
Siddon said the steep side of the road up to Apex Mountain is constantly moving and slipping, and is likely to become a bigger issue in the years ahead.