Some residents are still asking what’s up with a large pile of rocks dumped beside the Boundary Bay seawall.
The City of Delta last fall issued a stop work order on a new, single-detached house under construction at 126 Centennial Parkway after a large pile of rocks and boulders was deposited over the fronting seawall.
Nearby residents raised the alarm about the rocks being dumped onto the beach as a previous house on the site was being demolished.
According to Delta’s planning department at the time, the city issued a permit to construct the new house in September 2023. In conjunction with the building permit, an additional permit was issued for repair works to the existing seawall, which was limited to manual repairs of cracks in the seawall and, if needed, access through the beach by foot.
No modifications to the foreshore were permitted without the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) approval, but in October, the city received a complaint about rocks dumped on the beachside.
The city then posted a stop-work order for works contravening the building permit.
The planning department at the time noted the city was working with the DFO to receive approvals for the rock material to be removed from the federal seaside land.
In an update this week, the planning department noted that the city received feedback from the assigned DFO officer in November.
That officer indicated that the city could proceed with removing the stop work order for the construction on the private property, as the DFO’s assessment would take some time to complete.
The investigation into the placement of the rocks, as well as any remedial actions required, remains ongoing, while Delta staff continue to monitor the construction site and respond to concerns by residents.
According to BC Assessment, the total value of the property, as of July 1, 2024, was $3,286,100. Now demolished, the old house was valued at under $20,000 of that amount.
