Calls for a flood risk assessment of the Salmon River delta before development occurs on the site is expected to prompt a response from SmartCentres.
The Neskonlith Indian Band wrote to the City of Salmon Arm on June 3, reiterating its concerns about flooding and explaining that its legal counsel had retained an expert, Prof. Michael Church, to determine if flood risk was being properly assessed for the proposed shopping centre.
Church states in his report there’s a consistent trend of increasing flows in the Salmon River, and the development in the form currently proposed doesn’t meet criteria to be above flood construction level. He recommends the flood profile be reanalyzed using current data and the flood hazard be reassessed.
“If the development was to proceed in its current form it is expected to flood in the near future,” states the letter from the Neskonlith to the city. “This would result in the implementation of flood mitigation measures, which in turn could have a significant impact on neighbouring ecological values and adjacent properties, including the Neskonlith Indian Reserve Lands.”
Mayor Marty Bootsma told the Observer Friday that Corey Paiement, the city’s director of development and planning services, is going over the Church report and he thinks he has asked SmartCentres to prepare a response.
“It’s a wait and see,” said Bootsma. “We’ll see their response.”
He noted that the environmentally hazardous area development permit application is expected to come to council shortly.
“We’ll get the reports and staff input on it, and go from there.”
Paiement stated Friday that SmartCentres is providing a response but the city hasn’t yet received it.
On June 17, the Observer asked Carl Bannister, the city’s chief administrative officer, what the city’s approach to flood assessment is, given that the province in 2004 downloaded the responsibility for flood hazard area land-use management to local governments.
He said a flood hazard assessment of the delta is not currently being planned.
“We don’t have any plans at this point and have not been given any direction from council to do any broad study of the Salmon River delta,” he said, confirming that the city has received the Church report as well as the Matthias Jakob report commissioned by the Wa:ter group and is reviewing them, as are SmartCentres engineers.
“If there’s a disagreement between professional engineers, that’s something they need to sort out amongst themselves within their own association.”
He said staff are reviewing all reports in view of local, provincial and federal regulations.
“If we have concerns that none of those are being met, we’ll go from there.”