Community Corner

Pavilion's July 4 Reopening Back on Track After $136K in OT Approved

Money to Come Out of Project's Contingency; Could be Recouped Through Concession and Rental Fees in Summer Months

The reconstruction of Penfield Pavilion is once again scheduled to be done July 4 after the building committee overseeing the project approved $136,040 in overtime Monday night.

James Gallagher, chairman of the Penfield Pavilion Building Committee, said Tuesday that the money would come out of the project's contingency account and that the committee wouldn't have to request additional money from town boards. Gallagher added that most of the overtime expense hopefully would be recouped by leasing the concession stand and a function room in the pavilion during the summer months.

"This is exactly what contingency funds are for - unexpected problems," Gallagher said. He said the project fell eight weeks behind schedule due to last winter's major snowstorms, which forced town Department of Public Works' crews off the project for snow removal, and a large amount of peat underneath the old pavilion that had to be excavated. He said the peat removal caused the project to fall three weeks behind schedule and the snowstorms caused the project to fall five weeks behind schedule.

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DPW crews were responsible for demolishing the center and westerly sections of the pavilion and building a new foundation for those sections. The easterly section was demolished and rebuilt in 2008.

"When we handed it over to the general contractor, we were already eight weeks behind schedule. That was going to put us until the end of September. The original idea was to have it up in the beginning of July," Gallagher said.

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Richard White, the DPW's director, said Tuesday that the pavilion should be finished by July 4, though punch list items on the function room, which will be built last, may be outstanding. But White said the goal was to have a certificate of occupancy for the new pavilion by July 4.

Gallagher said he'd spoken with First Selectman Ken Flatto and other town officials and that most agreed the overtime expense, which will be paid to A. Secondino & Son, Inc. in Branford, the contractor, should be paid. He said the job of building a new pavilion will now be done in two shifts - from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. He said he'd spoken with Deputy Police Chief Christopher Lyddy to ensure workers don't violate any town ordinances related to noise levels and that the committee would work with neighbors to minimize any disruptions.

The overall cost of the project is $3.28 million. A Secondino & Son, Inc. submitted the low bid of $2.53 million for contractor-related work; the balance of the cost was for demolishing the center and westerly sections of the pavilion, disposing of the rubble, building foundations for the replacement sections, the purchase and installation of kitchen equipment, electrical costs, and installing porous pavement in parking spaces to reduce flooding and asphalt in travel lanes in Penfield's parking lot.

Gallagher said the building committee saved $40,000 by having DPW crews build footings and foundations for a handicapped-accessible ramp by the upcoming pavilion.


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