- HOMEOWNER HILLARY Jeffery has a gham expression and plenty of photographic
. evidence of the problems the Jefferys have faced since moving into their home. While they

| MEWS photo Terry Petera

' have general agreement on what the problem may be, there’s still wrangling over the ques-

, lon of who will pay for the corrective seeasures.

‘

a

SUNDAY
cloedy with showers

Flooded basement

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irks N.V. homeowner

A NORTH Vancouver couple who have experienc-
ed flooding problems since moving into a newly
constructed home at 4669 Underwood Place last
June have been advised by the District of North
Vancouver to regrade their boulevard behind the

curb to end the problems.

But whether the District,
the family or the company
responsible for building the
house will foot the bill has yet
to be resolved.

Rick Jeffery told the North
Shore News he and his wife
Hillary have been forced to
shovel sand at their home a
total of 15 evenings since last
June in order to combat
flooding.

“On June 23 we had our
basement flooded out. The
water rotted the drywall and
wrecked the entrance hall
which had carpet in it,’” said
Jeffery. ‘*The butider
repaired the symptoms, but
not the cause of the
symptoms ”’

Jeffery said he has spoken
to and also written to the
builder, Leonard Noort, Sr.,
owner of Noort Develop-
ments Ltd but said Noort
has refused to do anything
further to rectify the pro-
blem, claiming the situation
is now the responsibility of
the District of North
Vancouver

A tepresentative of
Noort's company, George
Grunau, who was to meet
with Distnct staff Thursday
afternoon, said in an inter-
view the flooding 15 being
Caused by ‘‘water from adja
cent propertics being damm-
ed up by the curb and not be-
ing able to get out onto the
street "’

Grunau added he personal
ly feels the municipality
should take responsibilty tor
any corrective measures sance
the Jefferys’ flooding pro
blems took on serious dimen
sions Only when the curb was
placed in the subdivision

‘The basi policy regas

By JOANNE MacDONALD

ding lot drainage is for the in-
dividual homeowner to look
after the runoff. Before the
curb was placed, there owas
some runoff, but since the
curb was installed the
flooding problems have been
compounded,’’ said Grunau.

The District’s Deputy
Director, Engineering Ser-
vices, Harry McBride told the
News the District would only
be responsible for water run-
ning off the road, a situation
which would require a study
of the paving and curbing in
the subdivisign. He added the
District would not do any on-
site landscaping or regrading
of properties as that would be
the responsibility of the
home-owner, and the abut-
ting owner.

Grunau disagrees in this in-
stance. ‘‘Basically, the
municipality put in the curb
too high ... the problem
could be the company’s
responsibility if che driveway
was not put in two inches
above the cxisting asphalt
But our company did what
we were required to do and
put in the lots at the grades
requested. And the problem
is definitely not Mr. Jeffery’s
responsibility at all,"' he said

“Fhe municipality must
recognize there is a problem
because they are now con.
structing curbs before houses
are built, whereas before they
did it after.”’

Grunau added he expected
the situation to be resolved
onee he has studied the pro
blem in greater depth and
met with District staff to
discuss the tssuc.