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Fire and rescue station 4, which will service the busy Four-Mile Fork area in Spotsylvania County, remains empty after a ribbon-cutting ceremony four months ago. County officials are struggling to get the new contractor to meet deadlines for the $4 million facility
By DAN TELVOCK Four months after Spotsylvania County officials held a ribbon-cutting for a $4 million fire and rescue station in Four-Mile Fork, not one fire truck or ambulance has moved in. Last year, county officials pulled the plug on Manning Construction, leaving a 35-page list of unfinished items--from caulking to the air conditioning and heat not working. "What really surprises me more than anything else is it is basically the same punch list month after month after month," said Supervisor Benjamin Pitts. "Why has it taken four years to get to the stage we are at now?" The project bond insurer, Travelers Bond and Financial Products, is now in command. It hired Virginia Building and Structures (VBS) of Chesapeake to finish the job. But since a Feb. 29 completion date was missed, county officials are considering litigation, and may have to take over the project. The station has hit many roadblocks in its short history. In February 2007, Manning Construction representatives attributed most of the delays to a subcontractor delivering roof steel that didn't meet specifications. But when problems with Manning persisted, they were fired, said Deputy County Administrator Doug Barnes. "[Travelers] agreed to take over the project and deliver the project in a timely manner, and it hasn't been done," Barnes said. He said some of the major items that need to be finished for the station to open are the air conditioning and heating system, alarms, bay doors and ventilation. Barnes said the project is still within budget. County Administrator Randy Wheeler sent Travelers a letter April 9 that urged the company to finish or "we will seek an alternative resolution to the project." Wheeler sent another letter Wednesday. "I am disappointed to have not received a response to last week's correspondence, which adds to my already heightened concern that this project will not be completed in a timely manner," he wrote. A VSB representative at the station Wednesday declined to discuss the project, but said: "I hope that the Board of Supervisors will respect their role and responsibility out here, too." An update of the project is scheduled for the supervisors' April 22 meeting.
The original plan for station 10 was to replace station 5, then that got changed to the staff from 5 moving over to 10 until station 5 was rebuilt. They are having trouble with obtaining the land for that station. Now they want both open and are having problems with staffing station 10, that is why it is not open at this time.
Regarding the earlier comment about the new station on Gordon Road - that station isn't a replacement for the station at Rt.3 and Andora. The Gordon Rd. station is an additional station to serve the Salem Fields area, not a replacement for an existing station. The Gordon Rd. station was expected to open in December 07, but its opening is also behind schedule, for whatever reason. The old station on Rt. 3 is supposed to be replaced, but I don't know if construction has started on the replacement.
I think all the local governments should require the company selected to construct a public building to put its name in large letters on a sign at the construction site. If the project has delays or other problems, people in the private sector will know who the contractor is and will be wary of hiring that company for their own projects. That may put more pressure on the contractor to get the job done on time and with minimal defects.
We live near the firehouse and are really hoping the county will get someone over there to cut the grass and pick up the trash!
allows for staffing because I'm sure there's not money elsewhere.
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