Santiago Boulevard, a very busy stretch of road between Nohl Canyon Road and Nohl Ranch Road, at the far western edge of Anaheim Hills, will be closed for nine months, from January 1998 through September 1998, while Caltrans works to stabilize a slipping hillside. Emergency work seems to have temporarily stopped the landslide. Caltrans will begin a hopefully, more permanent cure to the problem they caused when they first built the road, when they removed the lateral support that kept the hill from slipping. This hopeful "cure" will cost at least $784,000.00 -- and that does not include the homes they will have to buy from the unsuspecting landslide homeowners.Interestingly, the City of Anaheim, in a recent article, stated that Santiago Boulevard "has deteriorated and is in need of realignment and upgrades to meet current design standards." Never once in their article did they hint at the "L" word. Never once did they let truth interfere with their constant message of misinformation. Never once did they mention the February 1997 landslide induced by Caltrans work and the ensuing litigation. As usual, Mayor Daly and the City of Anaheim were trying to disguise nuclear fallout as smog.
This major earthworks project calls for extensive excavation of the landslide-prone hill to hopefully create a safe, secure new slope that will be firmly buttressed by a concrete retaining wall. Caltrans will be reshaping the slope by hauling away 2.6 million cubic feet of dirt and then raising Santiago Boulevard 16 feet in an attempt to relieve the pressure on the hill.
During this past rainy winter, the hillside began to further erode and slide as the waters saturated the earth -- causing still more damage to at least the five hilltop properties on Maple Tree Drive (Caltrans is presently in the process of purchasing these homes). The ex-owners have now moved from their homes, which suffered the standard landslide damage, such as cracked walls, ceilings, floors, patios, pools, block walls, etc.
Caltrans says that they bought the homes because they needed easements to conduct the work. Yeah, right. Well, even if they don't admit the whole truth, at least they paid the homeowners the fair-market value for their residences, prior to the landslide.
After these major earthworks have been completed, Caltrans plans on repairing the homes to mask the damage done by the landslide. And, then put them up for sale.
One has to wonder: Will they or won't they follow the law? Will they or won't they disclose that it is landslide-prone property?
If Caltrans is anything like the City of Anaheim, the answer is an emphatic no! The disclosure laws be damned!
Related Story
- January 18, 1998
Landslide Closes Santiago Blvd. for Nine Months
- February 22, 1998
- April 16, 1998
- May 10, 1998
- May 17, 1998
- June 14, 1998
Landslide
