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Show The Salt Lake Tribune UTAH Sunday, December 27, 1998 Cracks Showing Upin HomesAlongI-15 Promised to fix them last sum- vices. They are in a 33-house project meant to tidy up the Guadalupe neighborhood. tions until a team finally came around in early Decembertolist the damage, hesays. He is disappointed that Wa- ing Services bought the land in @ Continued From A-1 _ directly that their houses maysettle, and says the communication Wasatch and its subcontractors mer, and then ended communica- satch or UDOT didnottell buyers problems make him nervous have been damaged, including UDOT’s own equipment storage shed at 2100 South and a mixture of three homesandsix businesses that Wasatchhas declinedto identify. Engineers are monitoring 145 buildings — 40 of them homes — thatarein particularly precariouspositions. Meanv hile, some UDOT offi- cials and the contractors at Wa- about what to expect. But Fisher wouldbesatisfied if Wasatch just fixed everything and restored his home’s value with the promised warranty. “It's the biggest savings accountI've got,” he says. Argyle Court homes arepart of a revitalization effort by Salt Lake Neighborhood HousingSer- Salt Lake Neighborhood Hous- 1995andbuilt thesix homesnear- est the highwayoverthree years, says Bruce Newman, the agency’s assistant director. Like the eventual owners, Newman did not know there would be a tall embankmentor potential earth settlement until it was too late, he says. That notification came in a Nov. 17, 1997, letter from Wasatch warning against continued construction. By that time, four of the threatened homes were occupied andthe finaltwo were 80 percent complete and would have to be A13 sold to buyers willing to accept Newmanfound thetone of the ‘That good advice cametoolate, Newmansays. “We never would have inten- ers should have heeded earlier notices — notices Newman says tionally built a home on land we knew wasgoingto settle,” he says. If a UDOTreview of Wasatch’s the risk, Newman says. “It’s like, thanks for telling us now,” hesays. letter disturbing because it seemed to imply the homebuildnever came. “It has come to our attention that building construction of new residences in the Argyle Court area is continuing,’ wrote Michael Moore, then Wasatch’s project manager for that segment of the highway. “We need to advise you that new construction will very likely be subject to settle- mentresulting fromlargefills being placed along the old north- bound 1-15 Our recommendation would be to wait for this settlement to occur.” public-relations program finds complications from construction. Argyle Court residents say the earliest meetings were about con- struction nuisances, not potential damage Wasatch spokeswoman Carol Provenzano says the consortium has been aggressive about informing residents of hazards, even vis- iting with homeowners more than that the construction consortium 330 feet from the highway who borhoodsfor the realities of road building, it could cut into cash bonuses that otherwise would be lems. UDOT’s litigation coordinator, Randy Hunter, remembers his neglected its duty to brace neighawarded, says Lindsey Ferrari, who assesses public relations for UDOT. She credits Wasatch for conducting neighborhood meetings to inform residents of potential fear they may experience probcrew hand-deliveringletters asking permission to survey every threatened property “Anyone who says they were unaware of this, I have a hard time buying that,” he says satch insist they gave ample warning to thousands of property owners — everyone within 165 feet of the planned 12-lane highway — beforeconstruction started. But to people such as Dorst — who lives in northwestern Salt Lake City’s Argyle Court, so far the most-affected residential area — the warningsin theletters were too generic, if they were warnings at all. “Dear Community Member,” the letter begins. ‘‘As part of the 1-15 reconstruction project, Utah Department of Transportation personnel will be in your area conducting pre-construction property surveys. The surveys will be performed to document theexisting, conditions of properties which maybeaffected by the 1-15 reconstruction.” It goes on to say surveyors will photograph, each property in the neighborhoodto document its condition. It's almost as if, ‘We're just doing this as a service to you,’” Dorst says. There was no mention of potential damage, he says, and certainlyno hintthat the damage would be structural. And that damage is compounding now that Dorst’s wife has taken a job in Chicago and he is waiting for Wasateh or subcontractors to finish repairs and declare the homesafe STOREWIDE so he can sell Correspondence: The Dorsts’ file of all contact with UDOT, Wa- satch and subcontractors shows that the letter indicating an impending property survey came in mid-August 1997, a month after they ‘ht the home. In October 7, Wasatch widenedthe roadbed to within 17 feet of the Dorst You'll find great choices at 50% off all over the store home, piling up tons of dirt to compress what eventually would be a 30-foot-high embankment plus save at our stock-up sale, too! yard, Personal contact with a subcontractor for Wasatch the next HURRY IN WHILE QUANTITIES LAST! jutting up fromthe edge of the monthbroughtthe first word that adjacent property would sink, Dorst says. Sinking foundations eventually led Wasatch to pay for 70-footdeep stabilizing pilings under six 50-70% Off Women’s Accessories uffected homes, and to jack up the foundations until they were level. The work last summercost upwardof $10,000 per home. But residents have yet to receive the 25-50% Off Juniors’ & Women’s Apparel ir warranties. knew from the 25-50%Off Menswear start that such damage was pos- sible at Argyle Court but they expected that onlythe yards would sink, recalls John Bourne, UDOT’s deputydirector of 1-15 25-50% Off Kids’ Apparel reconstruction, Because Wasatch is repairing the damage that reached farther, “We believe they fulfilled their contractual obliga- tion,” Bournesays Stock upSale* Stock up Sale© Stock up Sale Settlement is like traffic engi- neering. It's not an exactscience.” ‘Typical’: UDOTengineer K.N (Guna) Gunalan says soil settle- ment is expected onlots within a distance equaling about half the height of an embankment. This is typical, especially whenyou're lookingat theheig of embankment that’s going in,” Gunalan says. Argyle Court, near the 600 North interchange, is in an areaof particularly softsoil, Gunalan says. Other such areas that UDOT andWasatch are monitoring are at 400 South, 500 South and 1300 South. But settle- 25-50%Off Bras and Panties at our Semi-Annual Lingerie Sale 25-50% Off Men’s Boxers ¢ Save On Men’s DressShirts ‘Plus, Shopour Buy More, Save More Homie Sale & save on Window Coverings, Luggage and Bed & Bath 30% Off reg. priced purchases of $500 & Up 25% Off reg. priced purchases of $100-499.99 20%Off reg. priced purchases of $30-99.99 ment could occur anywhere along the corridor. Bill Gordon, a consultant with Agra Earth & Environmental who studied the corridor as part of a competingbid, says everyone who bid for the construction project knewdamagewas likelyat places including Argyle Court. It happened when the freeway was built 30 years ago, and it was sure to happenagainin areasofsoftsoil Gordon says Wasatchisn't neg- 25-50%Off Semi-Annual Shoe Sale & Clearance ligent to set aside a fund for dam. age and wait to see how bad it is. Forthe people who never knew of the risk, though, fair compensation is no substitute for fair warning. After all, Dorst says, he still is waiting for a warranty that would let him sell, and his letters Rgular and onginal Prices reflect offering prices which may not have resufted In actual sales. Sale merchandise effective Visit JCPenney on theinternet at www.jepenney.com and phonecalls to Wasatchin recent months have gone swered unan- ® “It gives you the sense they're basically flipping you the bir You'rejust a gnat.” Jim Fisher, a doctoral commu- _ _ Perey Aa LS" |e nication student, bought into Ar- © 1996, gyle Court just before the damage was apparent Fisher's home has buckles in the roofing andsiding and a sunken semi-circle covering a large portion of his:concrete driveway 9 Company, re I LOVE YOUR STYLE" through on ric markdowns may have been taken on original prices. Reductions on orighnal-priced merchandise effective until stock is depleted. Any event designated as a “Sale” always excludes Special Buys, tems old every day in muttipies of two or more and Valve Right items, which are sold at our best price every day. jaction cleerance varies store famos, sos women's coordinates and men’s sutts avaible only at larger JCPenney Retail Stores |
