Daybreak has submitted to the town a rezoning request to construct a 400-unit apartment complex on the corner of Shea and Palisades. Their application included a geotechnical report submitted by Copper State Engineering, dated Jan. 26, 2019, commissioned by Daybreak. The report concluded that a more current analysis should be made of the makeup of the ground under the hill that Daybreak wants to cut 30 feet from.

The report itself was simply a paper study that recapped a seismic study made by another firm, Western Technologies, in 1999 (yes, 20 years ago) and another backhoe study made in 2005. The maximum depth of those very old studies was to a depth of only 10 feet. Mind you, Copper State Engineering made no tests whatsoever, but strongly urged Daybreak to do so. Daybreak does not appear to have done that.

At a community meeting Daybreak held in Feb. 2019, when asked if blasting would be required, the Daybreak people categorically stated no blasting would be needed. How could they possibly know that to be the case if they have no idea what the ground makeup is between 10 feet and 30 feet? They don’t. Mind you, Copper State made no tests because they were not asked to by Daybreak.

What if they run into solid rock below 10 feet and they need to blast; and what if that blasting causes structural damage to the houses in the nearby, surrounding neighborhoods? What if it damages Palisades? Regardless of what some people say, you never know what the results of this type of blasting will be until it goes “boom!” Then it’s too late.