Landslide forces evacuation of Strasbaugh Apartments on Gastineau Ave. for second year in a row
- Mark Sabbatini
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Residents of seven-unit building owned by St. Vincent de Paul Juneau ordered to leave late Wednesday, allowed to return Thursday
By Mark Sabbatini
Juneau Independent
A seven-unit low-income housing complex on Gastineau Avenue was evacuated late Wednesday night after a landslide caused two trees to fall next to the building, the second straight year the building has been evacuated due to a landslide.
Strasbaugh Apartments at 231 Gastineau Ave. appears to have avoided significant damage and the evacuation order has been lifted after the residents were relocated to a hotel overnight, said Jennifer Skinner, executive director of St. Vincent de Paul Juneau, in an interview Thursday morning. One large tree fell alongside one exterior wall of the building and a second tree fell just above the structure at about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday.
"It did hit our electrical box," she said. "We had to do a significant amount of repairs last year because of the mudslide and so thankfully those repairs held. Our electrical boxes were reinforced with (a) large casing…AEL&P has already assessed that there's no damage to the actual infrastructure of the electricity."
A landslide last year on the same side of the building caused far more extensive damage that resulted in residents being displaced for more than two months, Skinner said. She said insurance premiums for the property doubled last year as a result and, while this year’s damage doesn’t appear as if it will exceed the $50,000 mark that would result in her organization filing another claim, a significant cost is still likely.
"We still have to hire a contractor to get out there and do the tree removal, and all of that," she said. "And I'm sure nothing like that is inexpensive."
Skinner said the organziation is seeking donations to help cover the costs.
The Strasbaugh building was acquired by St. Vincent de Paul in 2013 through its merger with Housing First, according to SVDP’s website. A retaining wall was built for protection during construction since the property is in an at-risk area for avalanches, which the organization states saved the building from a 2009 mudflow.
This year’s landslide occurred after heavy rain and gale-force winds overnight Tuesday and during the day on Wednesday. Similar conditions triggered last year’s landslide, and in 2022 three homes were damaged and a dozen people displaced by a mudslide.
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.
