It’s not a blast in West Kelowna

Dear editor: Many of us living in the Glenrosa area of West Kelowna have fallen victim to an unleashed and relatively unchecked barrage of construction with negative impact in our neighbourhood.

We live between Gorman’s Mill and the Morningside subdivision. All residents in our area were aware that new subdivision development was going to happen in the future. However, the developers and contractors through the development approval process never accurately informed and communicated to residents the severity of blasting and the nuisance to be encountered by residents in the area through the proposed development process.

This process has been poor and this should never be repeated anywhere.

Many in this neighbourhood are deflated. We trusted the process, that there would be cooperation and communications from the developers/contractors, that there would be a reasonable amount of disruption and that there would be monitoring and management of this construction to protect citizens and taxpayers.

The level of blasting being proposed and/or taking place was never communicated to residents at any point.

Had this been known, I am certain there would have been an uproar directed towards the West Kelowna approval process. The current blasting is frightening and several residents have observable damage to their homes as a result of the blasting talking place in close proximity to many of the homes here.

At a meeting with some of our residents, the developer and the city on Sept. 18, our residents were essentially told that: • Residents can move if we don’t like it. • The contractor has obtained a development permit and a construction work plan is part of that, so they can now do what they want to.

• The blasting company has a blasting certificate (recognized by WCB, emphasis on protecting workers — not so much nearby residents) and we should trust them as experts and stop complaining.

• Blasting companies have limited insurance for damages they cause and it is up to residents to prove that the damages are cause by blasting — proof of damage is not the responsibility of the blasters or the developers.

• Blasting companies will blast close to existing residents for as long as they want – there are no restrictions on a minimum blasting distance from existing residents.

• The officials from the City of West Kelowna suggested to residents the primary contractor and the blasting company were wonderful. Residents disagree.

Moving forward, we suggest changes to current processes. David and Clartia Smith West Kelowna