Weak support

Over the past ten years two large residential subdivisions aimed at the five to fifteen million dollar home market have been built around Park City, generally on a steep terrain, using a low-cost technology for its network of private access roads, bridges and retaining walls. The system consists of a retaining wall system using steel wire mesh that – from a distance - is a reminder of chicken wire fence. From the very beginning, I have been skeptical about the longevity of such a construction and over the years have observed cave-ins and other deterioration of these walls through pressure from the rocks and breakage, bending or corrosion of the rusted wire mesh. A newspaper article I had recently read stated that these systems were guaranteed for some 75 years, which to me is not that long, but I doubt that they can even last that long. This is a typical illustration that “you get what you pay for” and after developing the site and selling the lots, the developer has lined up his pockets and doesn’t care anymore. However, if I were one of these rich homeowners, I’d be extremely worried that pretty soon I’d have to come up with a huge amount of money to cover the assessment needed the day – in a not so distant future – when the massive infrastructure will have to be entirely demolished and redone, using this time conventional and expensive construction methods!