Over three years after being forced to evacuate their homes, owners have access to their properties in the Seawatch subdivision. At about 3:30 p.m. Feb. 18, District of Sechelt communications manager Lindsay Vickers advised Coast Reporter that keys to a locked gate to the subdivision entrance at Gale Avenue North were being provided to registered property owners. In addition, the District has sent correspondence to those owners.
New signage at the site, which remains closed to the general public, warns individuals that the danger of sinkholes in the area continues. Sinkholes and subsurface instability led District Mayor Darnelda Siegers to declare a state of local emergency (SOLE) that closed access to the subdivision in Feb. 2019, which included 14 completed homes.
The SOLE was renewed by the province on a continuing basis until Feb. 11, 2022. According to a statement from the District, effective Feb. 18 the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General decided not to approve further renewals of the SOLE.
The District continues to caution that professional geotechnical engineers have recommended that the site is not safe for human occupation. The new signage also warns that the area is not expected to be served by emergency service personnel It displays a QR code that can be scanned with a smart phone or other device to access additional information.
Legal actions between the owners and a number of parties involved with the subdivision, including the District, the province, the developer and others remain unresolved.
