HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE >> Recent flooding in the Hidden Valley Lake area has revealed some illegal home usage.
Kirk Cloyd, General Manager of the Hidden Valley Lake Community Services District said homes built in the flood basin were constructed to withstand high waters by allowing flow around the foundation. Consisting of two levels, residents occupy the upper floor while the lower floor acts as storage or garage space.
Cloyd said residents cannot occupy the first floor of the home, run open electricity to it or close it up in any way that impedes water flow. Given recent flooding, some “closed-in” homes have taken on damage.
“People don’t get permission,” Cloyd said. “They close it in as a basement or man-cave.”
This violation of intentional design usually means insurance companies won’t cover damages.
These flood-basin homes exist anywhere water can potentially pool, especially in Hidden Valley Lake, where around 20 homes were evacuated during heavy rains in January, according to Cloyd.
A building inspector in the Hidden Valley Lake area said they’ve discovered some of these homes and handed the issue off to code enforcement. Typically, code enforcement gives the homestead 30 days to correct anything that would affect the home’s original ability to avoid flooding.
However, the inspector said they’ve been going easy on these violations due to the loss of homes in recent fires. He figures the sudden lack of housing may account for the need for new living spaces.
He said one occupant had even enclosed the space and was renting it out to others, a violation that most certainly wasn’t overlooked.
