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The new Fairbank Community Center is in the homestretch of the construction process, and that means there’s a lot of effort going into remedying issues that have cropped up over the course of construction. Technically the contractor’s last day is today, June 21. But there may be more work required…
The Permanent Building Committee discussed an “acoustic” issue during their June 18 meeting. According to the Owner’s Project Manager, sound is traveling from one room to the next and causing problems for users. That may sound vague, but it turns out they were just being modest.
Though the participants in the meeting held back most of the details on what exactly the acoustic issue was, eventually they emerged: the sounds of all the business happening in the bathrooms isn’t staying in the bathrooms.
During the discussion, the project’s architect indicated that the Superintendent’s office is the top priority to get fixed. Nothing lightens the mood of a parent meeting with the superintendent like the authoritative flush of a commercial-grade toilet. But the acoustic issues can pose a serious privacy problem for everyone involved, particularly since schools need to preserve privacy for students and families. (29:20)
The project architect also went on to say the recreation-level bathroom toilets echo through the hallways when flushed. The “acoustic issue” likely creates uncomfortable situations for bathroom users and anyone within earshot.
Combined Facilities Director Sandra Duran characterized the acoustic issues, and the work involved to solve them, as significant challenges, and major disruptions to the users. She felt it would be costly to remedy.
Duran and members of the Permanent Building Committee voiced a desire for a “forensic” analysis to determine who is responsible for the acoustic issue. That analysis might determine if there was a flaw in the design or construction of the walls, or other aspects of the new building. For now, the PBC is focused on developing a road map for solving the issues, and getting a price. The first step was to get the current contractor to provide a price for the work.
The Owner’s Project Manager (OPM) indicated that they have about $250,000 in remaining contingency at the top of the meeting, though that’s a conservative estimate based on some assumptions about various line items. When the price comes in for the bathroom fix, the Permanent Building Committee will have to decide if they want to take the plunge.
Toilet water isn’t the only water causing trouble at the community center. Residents have noticed significant pooling of water in front of the building during storms. The Town is moving aggressively to address that problem. Duran noted that they’re hoping to put the drainage work out to bid in July, with a goal of completing that work by the end of September. During a recent heavy storm, pooling water reportedly entered the building through the doorways. The drainage work is expected to take about four weeks to complete.