Reader comments
Draper neighborhood again hit by mudslide

Blame game | 8:41 a.m. June 21, 2009

Build your house on the hillside and blame everyone else and make them pay...this is becoming the "American way."
"So far, Maylett has spent his own time and money on the "slippery slide" in his yard, he said. But the homeowner blames the city and U.S. Forest Service for failing to fix a water culvert pointed directly at his house."

Old Draperite | 11:23 a.m. June 21, 2009

Having grown up in Draper in the 50's and 60's, I'm very aware of the area where so many people have unwisely built homes. Draper is made of sand. Sand is unstable, especially when the plants have been burned, as in last year's fire. This will happen over and over, as it has for many years/decades, probably centuries. Sand also gets saturated quickly and then it slides, because there's nothing to hold it together, as heavier soils do. I hope the neighborhood, city, and perhaps other agencies can get together this summer and plant some kind of quick-growing, dense ground cover there to help with the next time there's a lot of water. Removing the sage and scrub oak in order to put houses there didn't help, and their roots go deep. The view is nice, but not if you slide down the hill, or it slides down on you. Best of luck to all!

Davic | 1:06 p.m. June 21, 2009

Build on Sandy hillsides and then act surprised when they slide. Can you spell STUPID?

Comments continue below

Deseret Dawg | 4:38 p.m. June 21, 2009

Before blaming the homeowners, ask who gave them the building permits to construct homes there in the first place. Greedy public officials with visions of windfall property taxes dancing in their heads.

Public officials who give permits to build in vulnerable areas need to be held accountable. We simply must stop building on the benches and on the hillsides of the Salt Lake Valley, or this scenario will recur endlessly.

MiP | 4:56 p.m. June 21, 2009

Good comments, but I'll just throw this out there, too: environmental problems can occur just about anywhere.

Salt Lake for instance is built on a fault line---and if a big one happens can I say "Fool, it's an earthquake zone. You knew that, why did you build there."

OR

Utah is semi-arid, so when the drought comes can I say "Fool, it's really dry there. Too bad your crops are failing and you're dying of thirst--it's your own fault!"

Food for thought.

David Montgomery | 8:36 p.m. June 21, 2009

Lived in Sandy for 30 years, and when the planners did the Traverse Ridge plans, many of us shook our heads at that time, knowing of the unstable ground there, having hunted and ridden horses in the area.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know what happens in areas like that. Still waiting to see what happens to all the homes they built on the Utah Lake flood plains, when the next flood comes along. I assume all the home owners are too young or not from the area to remember the water came under the freeway, etc.

one who knows | 9:47 a.m. June 22, 2009

Too bad all of you making comments don't know everything! Maybe your time would be better spent helping your neighbor instead of judging them. Don't be so quick to make assumptions when you don't have all of the facts. Hope your day is spent doing more than negatively blogging about things you truly just don't have all of the facts about.

Lucky to be alive... | 9:58 a.m. June 22, 2009

they are all very blessed that no one was hurt. mudslides are bad news. I hope everyone affected can recover.

TO: one who knows | 10:03 a.m. June 22, 2009

Your comment was just as negative. Is everyone else the pot or the kettle?

The truth is people are helping their neighbor. That doesn't mean it was a wise choice to build a house on a hill made of sand.

Guy | 6:14 p.m. Sept. 17, 2009

Hey, I have an idea. Let's just stop bashing on each other, okay?

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