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RidgeView Place
Uses: rental, commercial
Address: 2770 Claude Road
Municipality: Langford
Region: West Shore
Storeys: 11
RidgeView Place is an 11-storey, 90-unit residential complex with ground floor commercial space in the 2700-bl... (view full profile)
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[Langford] Danbrook One / RidgeView Place | 11-storeys | Rentals, commercial | Built - completed in 2019


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#181 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 07 January 2020 - 09:30 AM

we can probably agree that the thing is only subject to collapse during a significant seismic event.  



#182 Jackerbie

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Posted 07 January 2020 - 09:55 AM

Oh I'm quite certain the residents know more than the average Joe does. I can see five, maybe ten suites remaining occupied by individuals who are riding out the free rent thing, but not 60. This speaks volumes.

 

Without speaking to the residents who are staying put, you can frame the issue a couple ways. Does it speak volumes about the real versus perceived risk of structural failure, or does it speak volumes about the rental vacancy rate in the west shore? Frankly, I'm surprised that the media hasn't jumped on this tidbit of information. I can see the headline now: Families defy City evacuation order due to lack of affordable homes in Langford



#183 spanky123

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Posted 07 January 2020 - 09:55 AM

Oh I'm quite certain the residents know more than the average Joe does. I can see five, maybe ten suites remaining occupied by individuals who are riding out the free rent thing, but not 60. This speaks volumes.

 

According to various local media reports, the residents know nothing more than anyone of us do.

 

$1500+ a month in your pocket is compelling enough that some people will take chances.


Edited by spanky123, 07 January 2020 - 09:57 AM.

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#184 spanky123

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Posted 07 January 2020 - 09:56 AM

we can probably agree that the thing is only subject to collapse during a significant seismic event.  

 

I don't know if we can agree to that or not. There are both lateral and vertical issues and several building code violations.


Edited by spanky123, 07 January 2020 - 10:09 AM.

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#185 Mike K.

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Posted 07 January 2020 - 10:01 AM

Without speaking to the residents who are staying put, you can frame the issue a couple ways. Does it speak volumes about the real versus perceived risk of structural failure, or does it speak volumes about the rental vacancy rate in the west shore? Frankly, I'm surprised that the media hasn't jumped on this tidbit of information. I can see the headline now: Families defy City evacuation order due to lack of affordable homes in Langford

 

There are several buildings in the immediate area actively in the initial rent-out phase with more units available for rent than the 90 suites at Danbrook, so in terms of timing this ended up being relatively ideal for residents who have chosen to move.

 

Danbrook is also (arguably) at the top of the pack in terms rental rates, so the issue of low-income or entry level residents being forced into higher-tiered inventory isn't there to the magnitude it could have been.


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#186 Rob Randall

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Posted 07 January 2020 - 10:55 AM

I wouldn't be surprised if most remaining residents are dog owners. That adds an extra level of complication when finding decent accommodation. There can be a 50% vacancy rate in the city but if places don't allow dogs you're screwed.


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#187 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 07 January 2020 - 05:03 PM

Tammy Crayne, a former Danbrook resident, said her landlord told her it could take up to four weeks to process her damage and pet deposit. According to TAPS, landlords are legally obligated to deliver the deposit back within 14 days after receiving the address of a tenants’ new residence.

 

She now pays $1,680 for a one-bedroom unit at The Star at Goldstream, $135 more than her one-bedroom with den previously. She’s still waiting for her deposits to be returned.

 

To date, residents of 20 units have taken advantage of the moving financial assistance from the City, while those in more than 60 units have received pre-paid gift cards worth up to $350. But the City has only received three applications for rent differential, available up to three months, with a cap of $1,200 per unit.

 

https://www.vicnews....-all-residents/

 

 

 

 

 

so they took the $350 gift cards and didn't move.  nice.  


Edited by Victoria Watcher, 07 January 2020 - 05:04 PM.


#188 rambaldi

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Posted 07 January 2020 - 08:32 PM

Damn, has anything like this ever happened before locally?

 

Not local but something similar recently happened in Surrey... 

https://www.cbc.ca/n...-code-1.5154712

 

There, "The city also said it doesn't double check engineers' designs once they're submitted as staff are "legally obligated" to rely on design professionals to be honest about abiding by building codes when they submit their paperwork. "The city relies on letters of assurance provided by the professionals who designed the building, such as architects and engineers, which confirm the building had been designed and constructed according to the B.C. Building Code"

 

As far as the process, municipal inspectors are typically not qualified to second guess an engineers design.  Their job is to ensure construction is up to code and does not deviate from the plan.  The only way you'll get past an error like this is to have a 3rd party or peer review from another qualified engineer and require two or more stamps.

 

 

^ All too often engineers sign off their own work. The engineer that designs the instalation is the same engineer that signs the Schedules B and C that accepts that the work was installed in accordance with the plans, specifications, and addenda.

If the work is not deigned properly in the first place and the contractor performs the work exactly as specified....the engineer doesn't have much choice but to accept it.

The municipal inspectors more or less just make sure that this flawed process is followed.

 

Without the legal requirement for independent third-party engineering reviews and stamps, it appears the process is flawed, or at least, not matching the public's expectations for building construction in 2020.

 

 

Recent incidences in Australia have shed light on building quality issues there and efforts are in play "to create an official registry of engineers who would then be used to provide independent third-party certification of designs and on-site inspections during construction".

https://www.theguard...n-engineers-say

 

Is it time for similar reforms in Canada?


Edited by rambaldi, 07 January 2020 - 08:33 PM.


#189 Mike K.

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Posted 07 January 2020 - 08:37 PM

Certainly sounds like it.

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#190 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 08 January 2020 - 03:10 AM

no it’s not necessary. it would be a ridiculous third layer and level of expense. engineers will lose their accreditation over this they have a way to sanction themselves. it’s ultra rare.

#191 spanky123

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Posted 08 January 2020 - 07:38 AM

no it’s not necessary. it would be a ridiculous third layer and level of expense. engineers will lose their accreditation over this they have a way to sanction themselves. it’s ultra rare.


I think what this is going to boil down to is who knew what when. It is quite possible that the whistleblower only shared their concerns with the engineering association but in my opinion that would be unlikely. Did the City know back in April that there were issues and did they then subsequently issue an occupancy permit and provide assurances to Centurion? How many other buildings have the same or similar problems?

In my estimation Centurion is losing $150k a month in rental income plus whatever it is going to take them to rectify the building if it is even possible. As a taxpayer I wouldn’t want to be on the hook for any of that
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#192 On the Level

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Posted 08 January 2020 - 06:16 PM

we can probably agree that the thing is only subject to collapse during a significant seismic event.  

 

If it is, I wonder how different it is than the conditions of other older buildings in the CRD, especially ones downtown made of brick.  Is this issue more legal than actual?



#193 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 08 January 2020 - 06:20 PM

If it is, I wonder how different it is than the conditions of other older buildings in the CRD, especially ones downtown made of brick.  Is this issue more legal than actual?

 

probably.  if view towers or orhcard house or empress hotel falls over in a quake no big deal it's old.  nobody can be sued but people are still dead.  but new buildings ought not to fall over.  



#194 aastra

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Posted 09 January 2020 - 10:02 AM

 

Is this issue more legal than actual?

 

A cynical person might wonder if this is going to be the next narrative in the ongoing housing crisis*: many brand new buildings can't be occupied because they don't satisfy some aspect of the latest safety codes (even though they're otherwise perfectly safe buildings, much safer than thousands of existing buildings built in prior decades).

 

*everywhere, not just in Victoria



#195 spanky123

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Posted 09 January 2020 - 11:24 AM

A cynical person might wonder if this is going to be the next narrative in the ongoing housing crisis*: many brand new buildings can't be occupied because they don't satisfy some aspect of the latest safety codes (even though they're otherwise perfectly safe buildings, much safer than thousands of existing buildings built in prior decades).

 

*everywhere, not just in Victoria

 

A cynical person might ask that if this was an otherwise safe building, why is Langford refusing to release details of the engineering report? One would think that they would be in a rush to do that to show that this was a very minor issue.


Edited by spanky123, 09 January 2020 - 11:24 AM.


#196 Mike K.

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Posted 09 January 2020 - 12:35 PM

Lots of questions, for sure. Perhaps their legal council is recommending nothing be released until the owner has a chance to conduct their own investigation?

Many aspects of municipal going ons never make it out of municipal halls and remain sealed, even if they affect taxpayers. Even something as basic as a development-related sale of a municipal-owned property can remain totally off limits to the public.

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#197 Rob Randall

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Posted 09 January 2020 - 12:41 PM

All municipal business must be public unless there is a compelling legal reason to withhold it, either to protect themselves or another party.



#198 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 09 January 2020 - 12:43 PM

well maybe "made public if asked".  when i go in to talk to the building inspector that conversation is not public.



#199 Mike K.

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Posted 09 January 2020 - 12:49 PM

Exactly. Plenty of stuff is held back for that reason.

Information is also redacted by municipal halls. Consider the Elsner case and how much information was redacted that seemed innocuous.

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#200 Nparker

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Posted 16 January 2020 - 01:44 PM

Last of the tenants have been told to leave: https://www.vicnews....te-immediately/



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