It will cost the City of Richmond $1 million to fix the Bath Slough Canal and adjacent pathway off Vickers Way.
City council approved the funding at Monday’s council meeting, but the city has also filed a lawsuit against a company located next to the canal, claiming their negligence caused the bank to fail.
The city’s claim is Tile Club Home Supply had a fence along the property line with skids of tiles piled against it, causing the fence to “significantly” encroach on city property, that is, the walking trail along Bath Slough.
The lawsuit was filed in January, at which time the city claimed “full repairs” would cost $465,000.
However, in a report that went to city council this week, city staff note the bank has further eroded, bringing the estimated cost now to $1 million.
In its defence, the company claims it had “express or implied consent” from the city to build the fence on the pathway. Furthermore, they claim the fence was on their own property, and therefore claim they weren’t trespassing.
The response to the city’s claim further states the “alleged loss, damage or expense was caused solely by the (city)’s own negligence … (or) the negligence of the (city) was a contributing cause.”
Tile Club Home Supply is located on Vickers Way, just south of Bridgeport Road near No. 5 Road.
