Renters who left the Danbrook One building in Langford due to safety concerns have received an additional $150 for expenses, says Mayor Stew Young.
Tenants have moved out of about 60 per cent of the 86 units that had been occupied in the 2766 Claude Rd. building, after the city warned them Dec. 20 of structural safety issues in the new building. The building has 90 units.
Langford staff and volunteers have pitched in to assist renters, using a $400,000 fund to pay for hotels and essentials. As well, a fundraising page for tenants has topped $32,000, with several developers chipping in.
“The community was really good,” Young said.
Residents of vacated units received $250 vouchers a few days ago. Young said another $150 per unit was distributed Tuesday.
Langford is concentrating on helping residents until Jan. 3, two weeks from when tenants were notified of the problem, he said, since that’s the period renters’ insurance would typically cover.
If it gets to the point where Langford can no longer afford to help, Young said he hopes the province will step in.
Langford is hoping to recoup money it has spent helping renters and will be speaking to its insurance company, he said.
The building’s occupancy permit has been revoked, and it’s not known how long repairs will take.
The 11-storey reinforced concrete building was constructed by Langford’s Design Build Services and is owned by Centurion Property Associates of Toronto.
As soon as two independent engineers from different firms sign off on remedial work, the city will approve a new occupancy permit, Young said.
The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists notified Langford this year about a complaint relating to the structural integrity of the building, the city said in a document posted on its website. Langford hired engineering firm WSP to examine structural documents for the building.
An overview of WSP findings, also posted on Langford’s website, said its “report highlights elements of the gravity system design that indicate a lower than code stipulated factor of safety and where the likely failure mechanism can occur with very little warning.”
The report recommends immediate installation of temporary supports at level two.
Gravity load refers to the weight, including materials, people and their belongings, and elements such as snow, in a building’s structure. A gravity system is the vertical loading support structure for a building, said Dr. Lina Zhou, an assistant professor in the department of civil engineering at UVic.
A spokeswoman for the Engineering and Geosciences organization, which is governed by B.C. legislation, said it was unable to disclose more information regarding the Danbrook One situation.
“We are required by law to keep confidential any ongoing investigations and therefore I’m unable to share anything,” Megan Archibald said in an email.
“When it comes to our investigation and discipline processes, our role as a regulator is to determine if a professional engineer or geoscientist has failed to meet the professional standards or ethical obligations of the professions. Our investigation will focus on whether those standards of practice were breached.”
