Clif Knight

Hartselle Enquirer

The new Priceville High School opening remained under question November 3 after a 30-minute discussion between school officials, Alabama Building Commission Director Katherine Lynn and Volkert Inc. Vice President Leon Barkam ended without an answer to a dispute between the design team and builder.

The architect, GBW Inc. and its engineer and the builder, Baggette Construction remain at odds with each other about the safety of certain walls in the building. Neither company was represented at the called meeting

In her opening remarks to the school board, Lynn said it’s not unusual to have deviations between the design and actual construction.

“The independent engineering firm the school system hired is well qualified,” Lynn stated. “I trust their opinion.”

In a four-page report. Blackburn Daniels O’Barr acknowledged that some deviations from the building’s design were found but didn’t constitute a “life safety issue” as claimed by the design team.

“You can take this building and match it against the design and find many deviations,” Lynn pointed out. “But that doesn’t mean you have to go back.”

“I’m not going to make a recommendation on this issue,” Lynn said. That’s your decision.”

Barkam said the contractor has made good on a number of deviations that have surfaced during the construction process.

“Normally, the design team, contractor and other entities come together and work out any deviations,” he pointed out. “In this case, contention between the design team and contractor surfaced in late spring or early summer.

He said the school building is about 93 per cent complete but when asked declined to make a recommendation on how to resolve the Impasse.

The board made a motion and a second to go into executive session to further discuss the issue. However, the motion failed four votes to three after media representatives objected to the motion.

“This needs to be resolved,” said board chairman Billy Rhodes. “If we’re not careful, it may be next fall before the school is opened to students.”

The project was initially targeted for completion last July; however, the opening was later moved forward to December.