City officials continue meeting to hash out a complete stabilization strategy for the area affected by the Oct. 3 Mount Soledad landslide. Once experts agree on a method to stop the hole from further movement, they can effect repairs to Soledad Mountain Road, allowing five homeowners back into their residences.
“Right now we are talking about adding additional shear pins to stabilize the slope on the east side, but nothing is finalized,” said Carol A. Drummond, public information officer for the City of San Diego.
When Soledad Mountain Road slid at Desert View Drive Oct. 3, 2007, six homes were red-tagged, meaning the homeowners could not enter. Seven were yellow-tagged, so that residents could enter but do not have utilities and could not spend the night in their homes. As events progressed, homes were brought up in status, although three red-tagged homes were eventually demolished and five homes were left yellow-tagged. Once the road is completed, these residents can re-enter their houses.
In addition to construction, an ongoing forensics investigation continues. Many homeowners hired attorneys to represent their interests. Unlike homes affected by the recent fires, the landslide properties weren’t covered by insurance. Attorneys representing the homeowners said the city made many mistakes before the October slide; included in the dispute are water main and sewer leak issues, all part of the secondary investigation.
Then a second slide occurred Jan. 17, widening the hole. Attorneys and some expert geologists contend the city is at fault for the secondary slide.
Steve Borron, geologist with American Geotechnical Inc., said the toe or bottom of a landslide holds the mass up. When crews took dirt from the toe, they destabilized it, causing the second landslide, he said.
While attorneys for the homeowners continue their investigation, which includes inspecting an excavated water main pipe and a sewer pipe, construction crews continue to rebuild the road.
According to Drummond, as soon as crews are able to install these final shear pins, the hole will be stabilized, a process they’ve been working on since October.
After the hole is stabilized, crews will haul truckloads of sand stored at Fiesta Island to backfill the hole. Once the hole is filled, Drummond said, crews can pave it.