NORTH SALT LAKE — The land beneath a group of besieged North Salt Lake homes is on its way to becoming open space.
With help from a federal disaster grant, city officials have purchased four of the homes caught in the Springhill landslide on the city’s west side. The city plans to purchase all 11 of the homes still standing within the landslide boundaries, and demolish each soon after its purchase. Afterward, the land will be deemed permanent open space.
“Nothing ever goes without a glitch, but it seems to be going well so far,” said North Salt Lake Mayor Len Arave.
The landslide, which is caused by the soil’s gravel layer sliding on wet clay located beneath, is 40 feet deep in some places.
Wet conditions beginning in 2005 meant that the landslide started moving more rapidly. Starting in 2010, there were periods when it moved several inches in a single month.
Though the summer of 2012 has caused the landslide to slow again, in many cases the damage had already been done.
Several homes have been demolished based on decisions made by whomever was holding the home’s title.
The city is now buying all the remaining homes affected by the slide, an effort funded in large part by a Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant from FEMA.
The grant will cover 75 percent of the projected costs, approximately $1.8 million, according to Arave. The city’s portion of the cost will be about $600,000.
“We’re looking at ways to raise money to help in that,” said Arave.
For more information check out the Oct.11 edition of Davis Clipper.
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