It’s difficult to say whether the Squamish Nation or anyone else will ever be allowed to develop housing in the area around Government, Depot and Ross Roads, a.k.a. the Cheekye Fan. But one thing is certain: The possibility didn’t get any nearer to reality with the release of a new report on debris-hazard mitigation presented last week to the District of Squamish.
Let’s back up a bit. More than three years ago, DOS and Squamish Nation officials signed an “historic” intergovernmental agreement in which the DOS agreed to support, to whatever degree possible, Squamish Nation aspirations on some 1,200 acres of land the Nation planned to purchase from the Crown in the Squamish area. Included in that total were 200 acres in the southern part of the Cheekye Fan area.
More than half of the property in question — bordering Arrowhead Drive, Government and Ross roads — was once the site of a mobile-home park proposal that saw roads built before construction was halted over concerns about the potential for flooding and debris from the Cheekye Fan geologic instability. The hazard was first identified in 1991 by the late Frank Baumann, the much-loved local geotechnical engineer.
At the time of the intergovernmental accord’s signing in 2011, the figure tossed around about the cost of mitigating the hazard enough to allow for development there was $25 million.
The latest figure, tossed out by Coun. Ron Sander during last week’s presentation to council of a report prepared by BCG Engineering, was $100 million for a suggested 35-metre-high dam and sediment basin. While that’s not an official estimate from the engineers, even if it’s in the ballpark, it’s a staggering amount in these days of fiscal restraint.
Failing to build the structures could put homes and lives at grave risk in the event of a slide that could be as large as 5.5 million cubic metres, the report said. Infrastructure — including Highway 99 and the Squamish Airport — could also be affected, shutting down access to Whistler and areas to the north for weeks, the report states.
Taking the suggested measures would probably help downstream residents rest a bit easier. But until senior governments are brought on board, this writer would be surprised if development plans for the area were to get past the discussion stage.
— David Burke
