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Soil issue costs estimated $450,000 to high school project

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By Meagan Engle, Staff Writer 6:10 PM Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Talawanda schools will spend an estimated $450,000 budgeted to chemically remove moisture from wet soil at the site of the new high school.

Construction manager Bob Pollitt told the school board the soil cannot be used as it is to compact it enough to construct a building pad – which is what the foundation sits on.

Pollitt said there is a chance the soil could be usable in the summer by turning the dirt and letting it dry in the sun, but a wet summer would eliminate that option and would result in a long delay in construction.

The school board voted unanimously Monday, Nov. 16, to approve the chemical drying.

The $450,000 is not an additional cost because it is covered in the existing budget under contingency money.

Lime kiln dust will be mixed into the soil on the spot where the high school will be constructed. Additional drains also will be installed as needed to prevent future water issues.

Board members spoke favorable of the project, with member Michael Crowder giving the go-ahead to avoid delaying construction and possibly getting into a bidding war with other nearby districts that have an upcoming construction project.

Board member Mark Butterfield said he was not worried about delays, but just wants the building to be the best it can be.

Pollitt said the construction team agrees chemically drying the soil is in the best interest of the project.

“We feel confident this is the best solution,” Pollitt said.

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I agree with Trapper. This site was picked based on what? The site stinks. How could something so major be overlooked? I think there should be an investigation into this whole situation. Chances are there will not be, and the corrupt "buddy buddy" sytem that is in place will continue to degrade the fabric of this community.

Samantha
6:50 AM, 11/19/2009

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We do use a similar chemical method. But for a different reason. We have to dry our fields to be able to plant at a certain time or we go broke. To spend that kind of money to keep people from getting mud on their boots while building a foundation is outrageous. "hey engineer" obviously has no clue.

farmer
6:44 AM, 11/19/2009

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The fact that the treatment is available and the fact that it is mandatory are two different things. I am also an engineer. This treatment is avoidable. There are many cost effective alternatives. I am going to provide an example for "hey engineer" to illustrate. If you have a gravel driveway that is muddy, one fix would be to pave the driveway in gold. That would fix the problem, but at a very high cost. Another solution would be to add new gravel. That solution is reasonable.

sad
6:41 AM, 11/19/2009

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What this shows is another example of failure to check out the site before proceeding. It is well known that a considerable amount of the site is unsuitable for any construction. What the article does not share is that there may also be a problem with the needed easement across private property, possibly for the sewer connection. And since the school board does most of its business in executive session, with limited public input, no wonder the public gets frustrated. Transparency????????

trapper
6:38 AM, 11/19/2009

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Since Nobody is so smart, maybe he/she should attend a board meeting and enlighten the board about how to build a school. I am sure that he/she knows better than architects and contractors, who have built over 50 schools in the last 10 years, on how to build a school. I suspect that Nobody is a lot like a lot of people around here who spout off but know nothing. What is even sadder is that he/she won't spend two seconds trying to get the facts -- facts mean nothing to him/her.

response to Nobody
7:47 PM, 11/18/2009

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