Langford tenants still in limbo due to structurally unsafe building

There's still uncertainty in the air for tenants of a Langford, B.C., apartment building who were advised to leave after it was found to be not structurally safe.

Danbrook One resident Connor Larmour said he originally felt safe enough to stay despite the city of Langford's warning but has now found another place to move into.

Larmour told All Points West guest host Kathryn Marlow he understands the building's owner, Centurion Asset Management, and the city are trying to resolve the issue as quickly as possible but also said there's been a lack of direct communication with residents. 

"I would say frustrated is a good way to put it," Larmour said while adding no one expected a newer building to have problems like this. 

"You would think that all the due diligence would be done so this sort of situation wouldn't come up," he said. The tower was built in 2018.

The city of Langford revoked the occupancy permit for the 90-unit development on Claude Road on Dec. 20, 2019 following an independent engineering report that confirms the tower doesn't comply with the B.C. Building Code. 

In December, Langford Mayor Stewart Young said the tower's seismic integrity had been compromised because of some faulty support beams on the first and second floors. 

Since then, the building owners have been on site, shoring it up temporarily. But there's no word yet whether the repair is enough for people to move back in. 

The city of Langford's acting mayor Lillian Szpak told On The Island host Gregor Craigie the city hasn't received a report on how well the repairs are going and doesn't have a timeline for when it will be safe for people to return.

In the meantime, the city paid for residents to stay in a hotel up to Jan. 3 and is also paying a rent differential for three months up to a total of $1,200. It will also cover moving expenses for those now leaving.

In terms of taking on more responsibility for what happened, Szpak said under the city's legal framework, its staff rely on the project engineer's stamp of approval and depends on that professional integrity to guarantee the building is safe.

"When the engineers sign off on that project the engineer is not employed by the city," Szpak said. 

Centurion Asset Management said in a statement on Friday they are awaiting calculations and reports from the engineer detailing whether or not the building meets building code requirements.

It said until the company has the report and has their own engineers review it, there is no timeline for when residents can return. 

Larmour hopes any builders planning on constructing similar buildings in Langford can learn from this debacle so future residents aren't displaced.

Click the links below to listen to both interviews: