Lehighton Area School District has received a temporary certification of occupancy for its new elementary center to open next week.

Lehighton Borough Council on a 5-2 vote Monday also approved an amendment to the land development improvement agreement requested by the district.

Council members Joe Flickinger and Lisa Perry were opposed.

In a letter from Superintendent Jonathan J. Cleaver dated Aug. 21, Cleaver said easements and being reviewed and the gymnasium/stage area is not finished.

The district has allowed additional time for the wood in the area to acclimate to the permanent building temperature before being installed, he said.

“This was done to ensure that the district does not have issues with floor movement in the future,” Cleaver said. “Due to this additional time allowance, to assure there are no unforeseen deficiencies, it has caused a delay in the completion of the gymnasium area.”

Cleaver asked for a 90-day temporary certificate.

“The gymnasium/stage area is able to be completely isolated so that no students or staff can have access to this area,” he said. “Once the area is reviewed and all code compliance met, we would then allow access to this area.”

More work is also needed.

‘Inferior workmanship’

Borough engineer Bruce Steigerwalt said the situation basically boiled down to “inferior workmanship.”

“There were deficiencies observed to exist in the paving of the parking lot in front of the elementary center building as well in areas of the driveway connecting Mahoning Street and Union Street,” Steigerwalt said. “This will have no ramifications or financial impact to the borough itself, since none of the improvements are to be dedicated to the borough.

However, I in good conscience cannot accept or approve this portion of the work as meeting the specifications and details shown on the plans.”

Steigerwalt noted there were 13 cores that were drilled across the front parking lot by Advantage Engineers on Aug. 9 and 10 that resulted in deficiencies.

“In addition, there were areas of alligator cracking in the base course that were not repaired before placing the wearing course,” he said.

Other deficiencies Steigerwalt noted:

• The base course was installed back on Dec. 14, 2016, and tack coat was to be placed on the existing base course after it was cleaned of all dirt and other materials that were deposited during construction. This was not totally completed, and tack coat as placed was inadequate to bind the wearing course to the base course.

• A few curb sections have cracked, as well as a few section of new sidewalk.

• A grade issue remains where new sidewalk ties into the existing sidewalk at the high school.

• Various areas need final grading and seeding, as two inlet grates are covered by dirt and rocks.

• The No. 3 infiltration system might not be functioning properly, as evidenced by the need to install a base drain along the base of the block retaining wall west of this system, while numerous under drains were added to the project to handle groundwater coming to the surface at various locations.

“I am not certain that these under drains will adequately prevent future damage from groundwater of the overlying pavement structure,” he said.

Inspection

However, Karl Kauffman, of Quandel Construction Group, the district’s construction management firm, countered that the issues in front of council were land development issues, and not building code/construction issues.

Councilwoman Autumn Abelovsky said 1,000 children will be attending the facility.

Flickinger said he’d hold off on the district’s request.

“I honestly don’t have any confidence they’re going to do what needs to be done,” Flickinger said.

There are three issues pertaining to the UCC inspections — roof ladder bolts, fencing at the playground, and correction of signs for ADA parking — which will all be completed and reinspected this week, borough manager Nicole Beckett said after the meeting.

Beckett said the borough’s building inspector will complete the final inspection this week for the issuance of temporary certificate of occupancy, and added that the attorney will amend the land development improvement agreement.

The district’s new elementary center is scheduled to open Sept. 4 for all K-5 students in the district.