The City of Williams Lake says they are closing Frizzi Road Valley access for the winter to ensure the safety of river valley recreational users, residents at Moore Mountain, and road crews.
Director of Municipal Services Gary Muraca said Thursday afternoon because Frizzi Road is identified as an area of high potential for land failure resulting from poor water drainage, safety is their main concern.
“To go out and there involve the public in everything into something that’s an imminent hazard to us is sometimes not feasible,” he said.
“We feel this is an imminent hazard and to leave it open for three months while we talk to everybody is not realistic for us.”
Muraca says residents will have restricted entry to the River Valley access at Comer Street and will be permitted to use the public works road as a detour to Frizzi.
He says the City will installing a locked box with a combination on it with a key inside, so guests visiting residents at Moore Mountain will have easier access to the route which will be gated and locked.
“I had a visit from one of the property owners up there and she came up with a great idea, and what her idea was, is for us to a have a locked box there with a combination on it so she can contact people if they come to the gate and stuff like that, she can give the combination and they can get the key, so we’re going to make that happen today (Thursday).”
The City’s efforts to find an alternate route of access to the River Valley started in 2008.
Muraca says the spring of 2015 brought a number of land slippages to the City’s attention and the safety of Frizzi Road was reconsidered.
In November, on the advice of staff City Council approved a temporary closure of Frizzi Road Valley Access through the winter months for safety reasons.
The City asks that River Valley recreational users to use caution and to keep dogs and children close when entering the River Valley through Comer Street.