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The developer for upscale gated community The Palisades plans to appeal violations, which include a $1.7 million fine, issued by government regulators over the Oct. 15 East Hagåtña landslide. Tasi Vista Development, in a Friday media statement, said it “stands by its record of responsible development and commitment to the highest standards.” The developer said it will pursue “all available administrative avenues to appeal” notices of violation from the government of Guam and ensure “a fair resolution.” Both the Guam Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Public Works in recent weeks issued notices of violations to The Palisades for inadequate stormwater controls in the lead up to the heavy rains and landslide in the early morning hours of Oct. 15. DPW ordered the developer to immediately regrade the site to deal with runoff, while Guam EPA assessed a $1.7 million fine and analysis of coastal waters that saw 750 cubic yards of debris dumped into them. A slew of other requirements have also been ordered. It was not immediately clear whether a formal appeal would halt the compliance orders or fine. The Pacific Daily News has inquired with Guam EPA and DPW. In the days after the landslide, Tasi Vista asserted that stormwater mitigations required by Guam EPA were in place at The Palisades for months prior to the incident, and that there was no visible erosion at the site that morning. “Upon receipt of the notices of violation...Tasi Vista Development immediately launched a comprehensive site inspection with its contractors and engineers,” the developer stated Friday. “It also coordinated with GEPA to further develop a stormwater mitigation plan that has been installed and approved." Guam EPA on Oct. 31 did lift a stop work order at the Tiyan-Mongmong-Toto-Maite construction site, following completion of some additional mitigations, the PDN reported. Tasi Vista on Friday stated it's confident that a thorough review of factual findings from its inspections will confirm that the Oct. 15 events were caused by “circumstances beyond its control." The review would find that the events are not attributable to The Palisades, it stated. While the appeals process moves forward, the developer stated it “remains dedicated” to constructive dialogue with Guam EPA and DPW. DPW, in a violation notice last month, found that “inadequate” stormwater controls at The Palisades project site contributed to the Oct. 15 landslide that dumped sediment into Hagåtña Bay. An Aug. 22 inspection by Guam EPA found that all but one basin meant to catch stormwater and sediment at the site was filled in, with approval from the agency, a notice of violation from Oct. 31 shows. Construction work at The Palisades was flagged previously when the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, OSHA, discovered safety violations by contractor Giant Construction last year, the PDN has reported. Giant Construction in April 2024 faced a potential $1 million fine after OSHA found employees working without proper safety equipment in sewer installation trenches. It's unclear whether those fines were paid, with the federal government shutdown now for over a month. Sales on house lots at The Palisades opened on Aug. 1, at between $280,000 and $1.2 million for the land alone, the PDN reported. As of Sept. 15, a number of home lots were already reserved by interested buyers, with just 35 of 62 still available.
