Park Place residents on McKinney Road are anxiously awaiting the results of an engineering report on some structural damage that could have resulted from past earthquakes in the Okanagan.
Strata owners at Park Place in Oliver are anxiously awaiting an engineer’s report to determine the cause of mysterious structural damage to the building.
Strata secretary Stuart Syme said they hired a geotechnical engineer to pinpoint what caused cracks in the floors and drywall – problems they suspect occurred at the end of 2011 and beginning of 2012.
The 43-suite, self-managed strata on McKinney Road (next to Oliver Suites Hotel) was built in 1987. The problems surfaced when the strata investigated a potential water problem since it appeared that the building was not handling water very well.
This investigation led to other issues that required the keen eye of a consultant.
Syme said there was evidence of structural damage that nobody noticed except an expert.
“The task is to determine cause and determine insurability. We’re almost complete the investigation and now awaiting the engineer’s report.”
Syme said the building has sat undisturbed for 24 years. Maintenance records show a large spike in work orders in the last two weeks of November, 2011 when the Okanagan was hit with a 4.6 magnitude earthquake.
“It rattled Oliver pretty hard,” Syme said.
Another minor earthquake hit in January of 2012, which shook the South Okanagan.
Maintenance records indicate failing window seals, wall cracking and even doors that weren’t closing properly.
Syme said Park Place does carry earthquake insurance.
Despite the fact this situation can be stressful on the owners, there is a general air of calm, Syme noted. He said the strata corporation has kept the owners up to date with regular notices.
“Our number one responsibility is the safety of the people. Number two is communication,” Syme said.
Lyonel Doherty
Oliver Chronicle
