As the rain continues to fall and the streams continue to fill, officials of the Rubio Canyon Land & Water Association are looking nervously at the illegal wall in Rubio Creek.
The wall spans halfway across Rubio Creek, a blue line waterway (which means no construction on it is permitted). It was constructed this summer by the property owners, Moninder and Ruchi Birdi, supposedly to protect their buildings from water damage and discourage a bear that was entering their property. However, the wall was constructed without permits from any of the numerous agencies that have an interest in the creek, and the county ordered construction halted in September.
But it’s easier to build an illegal wall than to tear it down. Since the stop order, the wall has been mired in the jurisdictions of different government agencies that have a stake in it. Mitigating the effects of the wall — meaning tearing it down, modifying it, or leaving it up but minimizing its effects — requires plans to be drawn up, mitigation measures proposed and approved, and all agencies agreeing. The wall has been given several deadlines to come down, but it remains up as mitigation measures are proposed and historic levels of rainfall are well underway.
As the rain continues to fall and the streams continue to fill, officials of the Rubio Canyon Land & Water Association are looking nervously at the illegal wall in Rubio Creek.
The wall spans halfway across Rubio Creek, a blue line waterway (which means no construction on it is permitted). It was constructed this summer by the property owners, Moninder and Ruchi Birdi, supposedly to protect their buildings from water damage and discourage a bear that was entering their property. However, the wall was constructed without permits from any of the numerous agencies that have an interest in the creek, and the county ordered construction halted in September.
But it’s easier to build an illegal wall than to tear it down. Since the stop order, the wall has been mired in the jurisdictions of different government agencies that have a stake in it. Mitigating the effects of the wall — meaning tearing it down, modifying it, or leaving it up but minimizing its effects — requires plans to be drawn up, mitigation measures proposed and approved, and all agencies agreeing. The wall has been given several deadlines to come down, but it remains up as mitigation measures are proposed and historic levels of rainfall are well underway.