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Weather damage may cost millions

October 22, 2005|By By Mark R. Madler

City estimates heavy cost for repairs to Wildwood Canyon from damage due to Monday's heavy rains.HILLSIDE DISTRICT -- The city could be looking at a $1-million price tag to repair Wildwood Canyon following mudslides into the park area from heavy rainstorms on Monday.

The park -- an area of mostly hiking trails and picnic tables operated by the Park, Recreation and Community Services Department -- will remain closed until further notice and could remain off limits for several months.

"There was some mud slippage and loose soil from the burned areas," Deputy Director of Park Services Jan Bartolo said. "We know people love to hike and exercise up there, but right now we need to regroup and clean up the mess."

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The mudslides occurred on hillside areas left bare due to recent brush fires.

Assistant City Manager Mike Flad described the park areas as "devastated" with many of the amenities such as benches and tables put in by the city having been damaged.

One metal table could be seen stuck in mud pushed to the side of the road leading to the park's interior.

"The major infrastructure -- the road, the gateway, anything done with stone -- that all held up," Flad said.

Repairing the park -- which would include re-sodding the park, replacing damaged equipment and stabilizing the hillside -- could be in the range of $1 million, Flad said.

On Thursday, city crews were in Wildwood and Stough canyons cleaning out on debris basins and on the De Bell Municipal Golf Course cleaning up the muck left behind on the fairways.

The golf course's back nine should be open on Monday, said Scott Scozzola, the course's head professional.

The front nine, which sustained damage on the second through eighth holes, will be closed a bit longer, Scozzola said.

A tournament scheduled for the weekend with 120 players had to be rescheduled for March, Scozzola said.

City crews, meanwhile, were winding down their clean up of Country Club Drive, a narrow, winding road leading into the hillside. A rush of water, mud and debris washed down the road Monday leading fire officials to prevent residents from returning to their homes for several hours.

No homes were damaged due to the mudslide.

In the days after the brush fires were contained Oct. 3, city officials knew that erosion from the hillside was a threat. But that it would happen so soon came as a surprise.

"We are fortunate we did not have more rain and that we have a very stable hillside," Mayor Jef Vander Borght said. "We definitely need to be as prepared as we can."

To prepare for the winter rains, the city is cleaning out its debris basins that filled to the top from the recent rains, interim Public Works Director Bonnie Teaford.

"We'll probably be doing that several times during the winter depending on how much rain and the intensity," Teaford said.

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