The City of Williams Lake has lifted a State of Local Emergency and subsequent evacuation or and alerts at Terra Ridge.
They were originally issued on September 29, 2023, due to potential land movement and structural integrity at 500 Wotzke Drive.
“The emergency powers initially required to secure the site, ensure access to the site, and access emergency funding are no longer required,” Director of Protective Services Evan Dean stated in a release. “All of the professional engineering reports to date indicate this is part of the greater known historic landslide and while there may be continued slow land movement, there is no longer a concern of immediate or imminent risk to the occupants and engineers recommend continued monitoring of the area.”
In coordination with the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, the City of Williams Lake stated they have supported the Terra Ridge strata by facilitating nearly $338,000 in emergency Provincial funding to provide security services, emergency support services and five engineering reports in total.
The City said a “Do Not Occupy” order will remain in place for the four units previously under evacuation order and that they will continue to work with the Terra Ridge strata and residents on the next steps based on the engineers’ advice.
The City will also continue to work with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and local partners to investigate a long-term solution.
“While concerns were raised by some residents about time taken to conclude the State of Local Emergency, this can be attributed largely, to the time needed by professional engineers to do their due diligence and ensure accuracy of reporting, Dean stated.
The situation will continue to be monitored from the City of Williams Lake Emergency Operations Centre.