Police station almost ready for PTC cops

Peachtree City police will return to their headquarters this fall after a yearlong exile prompted by the need to fix “construction deficits” in the 7-year-old building.

The 13,600-square-foot building started showing signs of moisture problems — including bubbling in the floors — within a few years of its 2001 completion by Leslie Contracting Inc., said Mayor Harold Logsdon.

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KATHY JEFCOATS /kjefcoats@ajc.com

City engineer Dave Borkowski, Peachtree City police Chief H.C. ‘Skip’ Clark II and Capt. Stan Pye at the back of the renovated station.

That turned the relatively simple project of opening a new police station into an expensive and long-running issue for the Fayette County city of 35,000 people. It also forced the 60-person department to move to rented space in an office park last fall.

The cost of repairs and related work is expected to be $1.6 million when all is said and done, said city spokeswoman Betsy Tyler — almost as much as the original $1.75 million price tag. Leslie Contracting agreed last May to do some of the work at no cost, shaving $175,000 off the cost to the city, she said.

But warranties had expired when the problems were identified, so the city will have to finance the rest, she said. Tyler said the loan will be repaid over the next 15 years through the city’s debt service fund.

Tyler said inspections found water was getting into the building through “construction deficits.” In 2004 and 2005, flooring was repaired, the building was sealed and the site was re-graded to help deflect water from the building.

City engineer Dave Borkowski said he’s satisfied the repairs will prevent moisture from being a concern in the future. Tyler said moisture testing will continue after officers and workers return to ensure their safety and health.

Borkowski said the problems had no single cause.

“This was a perfect storm of problems,” he said. “Whatever could go wrong, did.”

One theory commonly aired was that the building sits on an old dump site. Logsdon said that’s not true.

“Testing confirmed some landfill debris — concrete, rubber, plastic containers, glass, asphalt and compost — on the back side of the property, but not where the building is sited,” Logsdon said.

Testing showed no contaminants in the ground where the building was erected, he said.

A receptionist at Leslie Contracting said only owner Wayne Leslie could comment on the matter and he is out of town this month. She said she would convey a message, but he had not responded as of Monday.

Borkowski said the problems included grading that allowed standing water, and a foundation, exterior walls and roofing that permitted moisture inside the building. There was evidence of mold in the paper backing of insulation, he said. Mold can contribute to respiratory infections and aggravate bronchial conditions such as asthma.

Capt. Stan Pye said he is unaware of any health problems caused by the moisture issues, but he said fabrics and other soft materials were discarded to make sure any mold is gone when officers and workers return in November.

Pye said the department “hasn’t missed a beat” in providing public safety for the golf-cart community.

“If anything, we’ve started some new programs such as beefing up our golf cart patrols,” he said.