MISSION VIEJO : Slope Shift Blamed for Cracks in Homes

Diane Venstrom first noticed the cracks inside her Mission Viejo house about 18 months ago. Then, the concrete patio began slowly breaking away from the foundation of the home. And finally, Venstrom learned that at least three neighbors had similar cracks in their houses.

This week, Venstrom and her neighbors received more troublesome news when Converse Consultants, an Irvine-based geological firm, told the City Council that a water-saturated slope along Campo Moro road is sliding toward houses on Ayamonte.

After receiving the geological report, the council approved $600,000 to ensure that the homes are not threatened with collapse, Mayor Christian W. Keena said.

“We’re not sure who is responsible for the problem,” Keena added, “but we want to take the right measures before a disaster happens.”

Venstrom said that she and her neighbors contacted their homeowners association when they noticed the cracks inside their houses and in the retaining wall that runs along Campo Moro. The association patched the cracks in the road, planted additional shrubs on the slope and reduced watering, she said.

The city-commissioned geological study revealed that excessive watering of the slope had caused cracks in the roadbed extending at least six feet deep in some places.

Keena said the city plans to install several layers of non-expansive soil in its planned reconstruction of Campo Moro, and noted that the problem was becoming too common in Mission Viejo. Several weeks ago, a slope at the Mission Viejo Mall collapsed, triggering a mudslide near Interstate 5. Keena said the city would also spend almost $400,000 to repair road erosion along Alicia Parkway.

“Sometimes you have to wonder if there’s a problem with the design of our streets,” the mayor said. “My biggest concern is that we’re not sitting on a major problem here. . . . You have to make a special effort when you put houses on hillsides.”

Venstrom said her house is “very livable” and that she is not panicking. But she said she hopes that the city moves quickly to correct the problem.

“This is my home. I don’t have money to move or fix it,” she said. “I hope they do something because it’s the only thing I have.”