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City updates residents: shallow landslide on Fifth and Commercial will be monitored before reopening street
Summary
The city reported a shallow landslide on Commercial Street between Fourth and Sixth streets; public works removed trees, a geotechnical review found no immediate danger to nearby structures, and the street will be monitored through wet season before partial reopening.
Director Harrington told the council on Jan. 21 that a shallow landslide occurred on Commercial Street between Fourth and Sixth on Jan. 7 and reactivated Jan. 14, causing trees to fall toward the street. The fire department removed the trees the night they reactivated.
Harrington said the geotechnical engineer’s assessment indicates this is a shallow landslide in weathered siltstone, not a reactivation of a deep-seated slope failure. The consultant found little groundwater seepage and no immediate danger to adjacent structures. Harrington said the first priority was removing hanging trees; the city will monitor the slope through a wet season to observe whether movement recurs before reopening the street.
If monitoring shows the slope has stabilized, the city intends to install concrete “econo blocks” behind the sidewalk to catch falling material and partially reopen the street, then pursue more substantial stabilization work in a later dry season. Harrington said the geotechnical consultant recommended not disturbing material until drier months. A press release will be issued the following day to update the public.
Councilor Davis asked about a ballpark timeline for partial reopening; Harrington said monitoring must cover a wet period and that any larger remedial work would likely occur in summer or fall when conditions are drier. Councilor Adams asked about hydroseeding; Harrington explained hydroseeding is a mix of seed varieties sprayed with an adhesive to stabilize soil and that the city uses seed mixes similar to ODOT’s.
