A much needed facelift for Northampton County's 290-space parking deck is scheduled to start this Saturday. Public Works Director Stan Rugis told Council yesterday that it will be an "accelerated" construction, meaning that contractors will work weekends and holidays, with an estimated construction period of 60 days. Work will be done in four phases, in which no more than 50 or 60 spots will be lost at any one time.
First built in 1975, the deck had an estimated life of 35 to 40 years. County Executive John Stoffa was able to add a few years to its life with a $1.7 million repair job in 2010. But there was also a $513,767 cost overrun Worse, defects like cracking, misaligned joints and defective overhead patches eventually led to litigation in 2012.
While everyone sued everyone, water began leaking onto cars, depositing a salt that is difficult to remove. Falling pieces of concrete have been damaging cars, too.
Mat Benol suggested the County place "Park at your own risk" signs throughout the lot and use Lehigh and Lafayette engineering students to solve this problem. Executive John Brown decided instead to fix the deck.
The county allocated $1 million for repairs, but the bid came in at under $500,000. Rugis predicts that the repairs will extend the life of the deck by 10-15 years.
Council will be asked tonight to approve a $25,600 increase in the contract with Timothy Haas for additional work that Rugis wants completed in a stairwell and along the sidewalk.
Let's hope that they are not using any of the Bethlehem Twp or Forks Twp engineers, contractors or architects! You get what you pay for...
ReplyDeleteYou should have shown a "band aid" with $500,000 typed across it because that is exactly what this is.....a five hundred thousand dollar band aid. Let's see.....Stoffa spent almost two and one half million on his band aid, and Brown is spending another half million on his band aid, and back in the nineties when Seyfried or Brackbill was Executive they spent another half million. Aw shucks....don't worry about it, it's only taxpayers money.
ReplyDeleteMaybe they are using Gorilla Glue! Sounds like we are throwing more money away!
ReplyDeleteDefinition of insanity is doing the same dumb thing over and over and expecting a different result. What is the status of the lawsuit????
ReplyDeleteSettled.
ReplyDeleteIs that where this money is coming from?
ReplyDeleteDon't know. Sorry.
ReplyDeleteSounds like it should be torn down and built new.
ReplyDeleteIt should be torn down and rebuilt. The main pillars are not adequate to build on although when initially constructed it was supposed to handle additional levels. It should be at least five stories high but that would block the scenic view of the Judges. The whole project of expanding the courthouse at its present site was a huge screw-up. They should have moved the judges downtown and kept the historic Courthouse the way it was. More good planning would have been the salvation and the shot in the arm that Easton needed to for their revitalization. Tens of thousands of people would have been brought to the downtown area and Easton could have paid off their parking deck and made a huge profit from the people who came their to do business. Nope, that kind of planning makes sense. Lets screw the taxpayers. that makes more sense.
ReplyDeleteMat Benol suggested the County place "Park at your own risk" signs throughout the lot and use Lehigh and Lafayette engineering students to solve this problem. Executive John Brown decided instead to fix the deck.
ReplyDeleteThe only Elected official worse than Seth Vaughn
Please don't run again next year, every time you open your mouth the whole county cringes!
7:18. Downtown Easton, where exactly? In the flood plain? Tear down blocks of old buildings and displace poor people? It should have been moved to Gracedale land, the entire county seat. That is the only answer
ReplyDeleteStop hating on Mat (that's with one T dammit!) He is the Mensa on county council. The other baboons are jealous of his superior intelligence and insight.
ReplyDeleteThe county has money hidden that the public don't know about ! They always plead poverty and get grants handed to them all the time !! When it time to negociate a new contract with the guards that protects the neighborhood from drug dealers & murderers< the county is always broke ?? When it comes to fixing offices in the courthouse <<done Face lift on the courthouse DONE!!Lets go buy new car & trucks to drive around !! The money is there ,don't be fooled !!
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