Land stabilization will soon begin on Riverside Avenue, almost one year to the day the bank gave way and temporarily displaced one Trail homeowner.
The job recently went to tender through BC Bid with a pre-budget approval of $285,000. The city received two submissions, and on Monday, Trail council awarded a $212,380 contract to low bidder Hil-Tech Contracting, a local company.
“It’s brought forward with some urgency given the fact that we are getting into the spring,” Chief Administrative Officer David Perehudoff explained at the Monday night meeting. “And recognizing that the slope stabilization needs to be done prior to the soil getting too saturated with water.”
The landslide occurred the morning of March 29. A large amount of debris came down and washed onto Riverside Avenue, temporarily closing the road to traffic.
Over the course of a few days immediately following the slide, the city hauled out 420 metric tonnes of material for disposal at the McKelvey Creek Landfill.
A ministry assessment soon determined the slide was caused by oversaturation of the slope, which stemmed from subsurface water flow caused by increased snowmelt.
City crews performed checks on all water and sewer infrastructure upstream of the slide area to ensure there were no infrastructure failures contributing to the groundwater flow, Public Works Director Chris McIsaac reported.
“All systems inspected were found to be in good working order,” he said. “And it was determined that city infrastructure was not a contributing factor to the increase in subsurface water flow.”
The job includes the installation of a concrete buttress wall, drainage, a graded slope above the MSE (mechanically stabilized earth) and backfill.
The project represents 11 per cent of the total capital funding available in the city’s 2019 budget.
Other infrastructure contracts awarded at the Monday governance meeting include; $75,000 to Trainor Mechanical Contractors for improvements to the chlorine system at the Trail aquatic centre, and $110,000 for Redwood Engineering to oversee demolition of the old Union Hotel.
“As a local company, Redwood Engineering has successfully completed a significant amount of work for the City of Trail over many years,” noted Perehudoff. “The demolition of the Union Hotel brings with it various engineering challenges and risks whereby Redwood’s past work and familiarity with the earlier phases of the demolition should prove to be beneficial and supports the recommendation to continue to use the firm for the next phases without seeking further proposals.”
In 2018 the City completed the first phase of the Union Hotel teardown, which included the demolition and disposal of 1140 Cedar Avenue (small house in the alley), and hazardous material abatement from 1144 Cedar Avenue and the Union Hotel. A small portion of hazardous material abatement work has yet to be completed, such as asbestos removal from the roofing membrane, roof drain seals, and window glazing/chalking. This work is scheduled for completion over the next few months.
“We are really looking forward to completing the Union Demolition Project and getting that land ready for re-sale in this fiscal year,” said Mayor Lisa Pasin.
City council also gave Trail’s incrEDIBLE Farmers Market official authorization to close the 1300 block of Cedar Avenue in downtown Trail every second Saturday to host the seasonal events, beginning April 27.
“We wish to congratulate the market on their success, they just won the award for best farmers market in B.C. in the small market category, ” Mayor Pasin said.
“We wish them much success in their market season going forward, and I hope people come out and support their farmers market.”
Finally, council entered into a three-year contractor agreement with low bidder Cora Canada Wide for HVAC maintenance in the Trail aquatic centre and city hall as well as the Trail Memorial Centre and Trail Riverfront Centre.
