Sandstone Manor, the affordable living apartment building run by the Drumheller Housing Authority, has undergone shifting which has caused cracks in the foundation and other cosmetic problems to the building.
“It’s bad enough that we’re definitely working on solutions at this point,” says Jay Garbutt, board member of the Drumheller Housing Authority.
“We’re still trying to get to the bottom of what caused water saturation under the building.”
Town CAO Ray Romanetz told council on Monday that the town had de-watered the area as they waited for an architectural analysis. They served notice to the contractor should repairs be needed. Romanetz said even if the weeping tile was fixed, the building would still have water issues as the storm sewer was not extended close enough to the building when it was constructed in 2009.
Building on the bentonite clay in Drumheller is difficult, Garbutt says, and shifting is something every resident is aware of.
“It sounds like the issues that Sandstone Manor is facing are beyond the normal circumstances.”
He says the weeping tile, the pipe used for underground drainage, appears to have been damaged while under construction, and grating to keep water away from the building appears to have not been completed to standard.
“If we know that water saturation has caused all this, then fortunately they are relatively simple fixes.”
With all major construction projects there is a holdback, they don't pay the contractor until time has passed, to ensure work has been done properly.
“We still have that, and certainly the people who are responsible will be held to pay for repairs. We’re confident we’ll proceed with the repairs and proceed to get monies back from them. We’ll get things fixed then recover our money,” said Garbutt.
