DRAPER, Utah — The images still leave jaws dropped one year after two homes slid off a Draper cliff and into a canyon below, causing evacuations of nearby residents who wondered if their houses would be next.
On the morning of April 22, video showed the homes on East Springtime Road shockingly dropping off the cliff and leaving behind a large debris field hundreds of feet long.
Drone video below shows aftermath of Draper home collapse:
Because the homes in Hidden Canyon Estates subdivision, which sat on a 25-30% slope, had been previously fenced off due to structural concerns, no injuries were reported. However, the incident caused alarm with many wondering who was responsible and whether the area was safe to live.
Weeks later, a geologist with the Utah Geological Survey said he wasn't surprised that the collapse had occurred.
"The area has kind of been known for having the geologic material that is prone for landsliding," said Senior Geologist Ben Erickson. "And so if you look over the area, and look at the geologic units, those are consistent with what we kind of expect to have the potential for sliding."
In a busy, construction-filled year since, two homes next to the slide-off area have been demolished, trails in the canyon below have mostly reopened and the developer, EDGEhomes, has worked to fortify the neighborhood.
On Monday's anniversary of the collapse, the Draper City government sent a letter to residents claiming, although unverified, inaccurate reporting and "possible misperceptions" about the incident, specifically the city's involvement in regards to inspections during the building process.'
The city said it is not "feasible" for local officials to have inspectors on construction sites on each day of a construction project, and that while cities are "responsible for conducting all inspections required by the code," it's up to developers to make sure "approved plans are executed properly."
In the letter, Draper claims "at the time of the inspections, everything met code standards," and that the fill where the collapse occurred had been "inspected and approved by the design professionals hired by the developer."
The city says it was the responsibility of EDGEhomes to investigate what caused the homes to collapse and that copies of the report showed officials that "contractors may not have followed the approved plans to their specifications."
At the end of the letter, the city claimed "a delicate balance between the City’s interest in protecting the health, safety, and welfare of its residents and private property rights."
EDGEhomes additionally gave an update Monday about their efforts in the area over the last year.
"EDGEhomes has finished Phase 1 of the project, which involved stabilizing the slope with soil nails and shotcrete," a company statement reads. "After we finalize the design with our consultants and Draper city officials, we can begin the final phase of construction. We intend to begin construction in the coming weeks as the weather improves. We anticipate the project will be completed this year. We would like to thank all of those involved with this process during the past year and look forward to continuing to provide an outstanding lifestyle for our residents for years to come.”
