SUN VALLEY, Idaho — Elkhorn Springs residents were startled to find a message from management reading "injury or loss of life may result from the occupancy or use of any Elkhorn Springs Residential Condo".
- Thursday, November 30, residents returned to a notice warning them against entering
- Lochsa Engineering found the structure may be compromised.
- There will be a meeting Friday, December 8 to provide more information
- Lochsa Engineering, the City of Sun Valley, and Overwatch Management have declined to comment at this time.
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
Enter at your own risk. This is the current situation for residents of the Elkhorn Springs complex in Sun Valley.
Last Thursday, November 30, residents returned home to find signs that advised them not to enter their homes:
INJURY OR THE LOSS OF LIFE MAY RESULT FROM THE OCCUPANCY OR USE OF ANY ELKHORN SPRINGS RESIDENTIAL CONDOMINIUM
Molly Mendelson, a homeowner explained, "There's signs all over the building that say 'Enter at your own risk'."
Phyllis Blackburn, another resident, elaborated on her concern, "There are a lot of people here who have no place to go … and I would be one of those."
Blackburn is one of the many residents at Elkhorn Springs who was surprised to come home last Thursday to a notice essentially urging them to pack out and get out.
The timing is less than ideal. "Right before Christmas? When people have family coming? And people have these places rented and they say now to pull it out now? Very poor timing," said Blackburn.
I got a copy of the engineering assessment that shows an evaluation of the existing structures in three complexes that were damaged due to water intrusion.
While the architectural drawings indicate floor drains in the planter and under the paver system, Lochsa Engineering stated, "It was unclear how this drainage system was constructed" ... where they observed, "first floor walls that are structurally compromised and need to be shored to prevent them all from collapse."
The report also found this may not be an isolated case.
Overwatch Management's response is telling residents it's in their best interest to go somewhere else. And if they choose to stay, they're doing so at their own risk.
While Mendelson is making the decision to take the warning seriously by staying somewhere else, some residents, like Blackburn, say they're not going anywhere.
"I'm not going to move out until I find out what the damages actually are and how vulnerable these buildings really are," says Blackburn.
People who live in the complex will learn more from management at a meeting on Friday at noon. I've reached out to the City of Sun Valley, the complex management, and the engineering firm involved and all declined to comment.
We'll be following this story and will bring you updates as we get them.
