PARK CITY — Stillwater County officials have capped three sewer lines next to the Homestead Apartments in Park City after a 911 caller reported raw sewage leaking into the ground Saturday.
“Today we're in the process of securing a safe work environment to plug off another sewer line,” Stillwater County Commissioner Roger Webb said Tuesday.
Watch the latest of what is going on with the Homestead Apartments:
Webb said the situation has been developing for years. The Homestead Apartments, reportedly 100 years old, and all structures on the property have caused problems for the past two decades.
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“We're in litigation. We were in court on the 13th,” Webb said.
He said the county stepped in to protect its $10 million sewer system.
“Do I protect 600 residents of Park City or six people in the Homestead?” Webb said.
Property owner Gary Weitz said Monday he has tried to work with the county to fix the issues. He brought in inspectors from Utah as recently as September.
The contamination is the latest incident tied to the property, which has been the subject of ongoing legal disputes between the county and Weitz. The Stillwater County Board of Health sued Weitz, seeking an adequate inspection of the building, which residents have repeatedly described as unsafe. Stillwater County Judge Matthew J. Wald heard arguments Thursday but delayed a ruling.
“Hopefully he sees that I’ve made a valiant effort in getting these properties to pass the government-required inspections that I had agreed to,” Weitz said in a phone call with MTN.
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A judge is currently reviewing those inspection records, but the county is moving forward with the sewer disconnection.
Weitz said he has moved several renters into other properties he owns and is offering rent money back.
“Yes, any rent that they had paid in advance will be returned. In fact, I offered to give them that to immediately so they could find alternate housing,” Weitz said.
