Legal action sought against Don Cobb and Associates of Peachtree City; Repair authorized by 3-2 council vote; city to pay Leslie Construction $177K for $345K work

Peachtree City’s police station will get a new exterior and other related repairs after the project was approved on a 3-2 vote of the City Council tonight.

And on a unanimous vote, council agreed to pay Leslie Construction $177,000 as part of a legal settlement with Leslie providing an additional $168,000 in work on the repairs free of charge.

Also, after meeting in executive session, council voted to pursue legal action against Don Cobb and Associates over the design of the building. That vote was also unanimous.

According to the settlement with Leslie Construction, the original contractor on the project, Leslie will perform all its work under the supervision of consulting architectural firm Leo A. Daly.

Leo A. Daly previously informed the city that it was shoddy construction of exterior walls that chiefly led to the moisture problems in the police department. Leslie Construction, which was responsible for that work, agreed to perform specific repairs that were recommended by Leo A. Daly.

Prior to the settlement the city’s tab for the latest round of fixes was estimated to be $720,000.

City will pay Leslie $177,000 for the work, but will save an estimated $168,000 given what the scope of the work would have normally cost the city, said City Manager Bernie McMullen.

The structure cost $1.8 million originally when it opened more than a year ago. It has also undergone $538,000 in repairs to the heating, ventilation and cooling system in recent months in a bid to further stem the problem with moisture and mold accumulation.

A number of groundwater monitoring wells that have been installed on the site, including some as late as 2006 that were continuously monitored since then, showed that groundwater was not the problem with the moisture entering the building, said City Engineer David Borkowski.

Council member Don Haddix disagreed, saying there were “other experts” that have spoken to council members who said they didn’t think the proposed repairs would fix the problems.

Councilman Doug Sturbaum, who ultimately voted with Haddix against proceeding with the repairs, had asked for a delay to find a better housing solution for the police department. But Councilwoman Cyndi Plunkett noted that the police can’t stay in their current rented facility forever.

Haddix said he believes that the presence of some groundwater in the wells when they were tested in 2006 indicates that groundwater is a problem. Borkowski said those results happened because of the poor grading around the building, which caused water to enter the wells instead of moving away from the facility.

As part of the 3-2 motion to approve the building repair, Council dictated that a mold inspection be performed before the police department moves back in, and that re-inspections be done at the most intense interval recommended by experts.

The scope of the work includes the removal of drywall and the remediation of mold inside the building.

Under the agreement, Leslie will perform four tasks free of charge:
— Remove existing metal trellis and stone walls along walkway to entrance on right side of building;
— Replace coping;
— Replace the top EIFS (stucco) band to include proper removal of old material and painting of EFIS as specified by Leo A. Daly; and
— Seal bottom track of all outside walls as specified by Leo A. Daly.
The $177,000 Leslie is charging for includes:
— Demolition and replacement of all exterior wall finishes (from plywood out) with EIFS to include proper removal of old material from site and painting of new EIFS and specified by Leo A. Daly; and
— Replacing all exterior glass block with aluminum storefront windows with insulated glass, seal and flash.

The latest approved repairs are on top of the $538,000 in repairs to the building’s HVAC system, flooring and ceiling. Those repairs were so extensive the department had to move to a temporary headquarters so the project could be completed. The department is currently operating out of a rented building off Commerce Drive near Ga. Highway 74.

The police headquarters has suffered from moisture entering the structure, creating mold and mildew and causing flooring to separate from the foundation. An architectural firm hired by the city last year has determined that poor design and poor construction attributed to the problems.

In the agreement, Leslie asserts that it “properly performed its prior work on the reject and ... has no legal responsibility to perform any repair or other work on the project at this time.”

The agreement requires Leslie to provide a full one year warranty on the work. Also the warranty shall be declared void if the city “does not create positive drainage away from the building on all sides, and where feasible to tie the roof drains into the storm drainage system.”

City engineering consultant Integrated Science and Engineering of Fayetteville is drawing up the new grading plans, McMullen said. If the storm drain pipes don’t have to be placed too deep, the city may be able to do the grading work with city employees instead of hiring a contractor, McMullen added.