ACCIDENTS & INJURIES

Draper homes evacuated after two houses collapse, slide down hillside

Apr 22, 2023, 10:11 AM | Updated: 5:21 pm

KSLTV.com

DRAPER, Utah — A pair of homes in a Draper neighborhood were destroyed after the hillside they were built on gave way overnight, leading to the evacuation of nearby houses.

Chief Clint Smith with the Draper Fire Department said no injuries were reported and the homes that slid were previously evacuated.

“Engineers, building officials, and public safety personnel are on site and have determined that two additional homes, one on each side of the previously evacuated homes, need to be evacuated.” Draper city officials said in a statement. “The residents of these homes have been notified and are evacuating.”

City officials said other homes in the neighborhood will be evaluated for safety concerns as this winter’s record-breaking snowpack melts. They also said Ann’s Trail and Clark’s Trail are being closed to public use due to current conditions. Debris from one of the homes also slid onto the trails Saturday morning.

“People should be aware to stay clear of the trail due to dangerous conditions and not circumvent the closure notices,” city officials warned.

The KSL Investigators previously reported on the collapsed homes, which were built by Edge Homes in 2021. Eric and Carole Kamradt’s home and their next-door neighbor’s home had their certificates of occupancy revoked last October after Draper officials told us by email “the residences were inspected and determined not to meet building code.”

Eric Kamradt told KSL TV he could hear the sounds of his new home cracking throughout the day and night while lying in bed or trying to work from home.

“It made me think of a two-by-four snapping in half,” he said.

The KSL Investigators requested emails about the Hidden Canyon Estates Phase 5 development through a public records request. In June, Draper building officials sent an email to Edge Homes indicating they had begun investigating the sinking homes, and there were “definite signs of [retention] wall and slope failure.”

In response to our questions in December, Edge Homes sent KSL a written statement from President Gordy Jones, reading in part: “We have worked diligently with the homeowners and Draper City to identify the cause of the problems and determine the appropriate permanent remedy.”

The moment a Draper homeowner sees her home for the first time since sliding. They’ve been evacuated since Nov. They are just grateful no one was hurt. Full story on @KSL5TV at 4:30 p.m. pic.twitter.com/eDVQ2nQUa7

— Ashley Moser (@AshleyMoser) April 22, 2023

After the homes collapsed Saturday, Edge Homes sent out the following statement:

“Early this morning, two (2) of the homes we built in the Hidden Canyon Estates subdivision were destroyed when they slid backwards down the hillside. Early reports indicate that heavily saturated soils and subsurface earth movement contributed to their collapse. These were the same two (2) homes that were evacuated in October 2022 due to evidence of structural damage and earth movement. Edge has been working closely with Draper City and professional engineers to monitor these homes since they were evacuated, but due to record snowfall and winter conditions, efforts to stabilize and repair the homes were put on hold until after the Spring runoff. Obviously, the homes are no longer salvageable. Fortunately, no one was injured from this morning’s events.

“In January 2023, Edge Homes bought back one of the homes for a price that was acceptable to the owners. We have been working with the owners of the other home for several months, and we are confident that a resolution will be reached with them as well in the near future. From the outset of the concerns with these two homes, Edge has remained fully committed to fairly compensating the homeowners for the inconvenience and disruption they have experienced. We stand by our products and take care of our buyers even when problems arise from circumstances outside of our control.”

Engineering plans are provided by the developer. If they meet state standards the City has to approve. There are limits on local control. https://t.co/p6Ts4jxRT9

— Draper City (@drapercity) April 22, 2023