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Water problem appears to be under control at YMCA site
The wet soil problem at the site of the Wellness Center/YMCA appears to be in the rear-view mirror.
That’s the word after testing at the site on Friday and installation last week of underdrains along the north and east sides of the building site west of Ballard Lane and east of the Walmart store along the south side of State Road 240.
Mayor Bill Dory assessed it Monday as “a pretty positive position,” saying that “as far as I know as of a quarter to 12 (noon) today,” the news is good.
That is following a proof roll test Friday where a tri-axle loaded with rock was rolled across the site to test the stability of the soil. The purpose of the proof roll test is to look for any deflection in the dirt, the mayor explained, with the weight of the loaded dump truck more than what will be on the surface of the property.
At a special meeting of the Greencastle Redevelopment Commission (RDC), Eric Wise, vice president of the Central Indiana Region of Tonn and Blank Construction, Indianapolis, said three field tiles running north and south through the property were discovered and had been causing some of the water pressure that has contributed to significantly wet soils at the site. All were tied into the drain rotation area for the property, he added.
“Seventy-two hours after pumping, the water hadn’t come back up yet,” Wise eagerly reported, adding that he anticipates finding more field tiles and wants to put another drain on the south side to intercept any further water and “protect the property from any other field tiles that are unknown.”
RDC member Brian Cox, running the meeting in the absence of President Erika Gilmore, asked pointedly, “Is the water problem gone?”
Wise was quick to respond, “To our knowledge, yes. We’ve eliminated tons and tons of water off that site since Monday (July 31).”
Part of the water issue comes from the fact that the 73-acre site the City of Greencastle purchased from the Ballard family for $1.4 million was once part of the large Ballard family farm.
“The whole area from roughly Ballard Lane to the Walmart Distribution Center was originally part of the Ballard farm,” Mayor Dory added.
The rediscovered field tiles undoubtedly were installed years ago to help drain water from those fields.
“Given the age of it,” Dory added, “some of it looked like it’s fairly old and may have been put in around the 1950s.”
The mayor has tried to hunt down local field tile maps to help pinpoint the locations on the property but so far has been unsuccessful finding any.
The addition of another field drain on the south side of the property, as Wise proposed, is part of a $166,926 changeorder approved by the RDC. It will involve 900 lineal feet of six-inch perforated underdrain. Its $28,600 price tag includes tie-ins and repairs at five anticipated existing field tile locations at a depth of five feet.
Other work that’s part of the changeorder is:
-- Bushhog mowing of the location due to the site sitting idle and weeds taking over previously stripped areas, $2,024.
-- Restripping and scalping the site due to it sitting idle and weeds taking over previously stripped areas, $32,230.
-- Cement stabilization of the current building pad subgrade, $71,167 (although cost would be less if the decision is made to go with lime instead of cement).
-- Addition of 800 lineal feet of six-inch perforated single-wall polyethylene pipe underdrain and excavation lined with fabric and backfilled with stone, $24,905 (already completed).
-- Repair of field tiles discovered running through the site during underdrain excavation and tying into new underdrain, $1,518 (already completed).
RDC member Cox was a bit perturbed at having to pay $32,230 for scalping work “just to do what we’ve already done.”
“Is this the last time we will have to scalp?” he asked and received an affirmative response from Wise.
Regardless, RDC member Stacie Langdon wasn’t a fan of the expense either, noting “$32,000 seems like a lot of money.”
Overall the guaranteed maximum price on the 70,995-square-foot YMCA/wellness center project -- with 11,000 square feet being the Putnam County Hospital space -- has been listed as $27.9 million
Wise estimated that by Sept. 11-12 the building pad will be built up and the subdrains will be in. Tonn and Blank will also be ready to put the concrete footings for the foundation in next month, he added.
“There’s good potential that we won’t have further stabilization needed,” Wise continued. “We’ll build the pad up and start to build the property. I couldn’t have been more happy when we saw videos of the equipment moving dirt and we found those field tiles.”
Mayor Dory agreed with the progress report.
“They were pushing a lot of dirt,” he told the Banner Graphic Monday as work concentrated on what would be the parking lot site. “Enough of the site has been graded that water probably flows better than it did.”
Meanwhile, the RDC also agreed to pay K & S Engineering $29,016 for work done on the project before its contract with the city was terminated.
Mayor Dory said city officials were “disappointed in the services to us” but said the amount of money involved wasn’t worth taking the matter to court.
Alt & Witzig, who has replaced K & S on the project, was not required to redo any of the previous work, Dory said, “so we’re not paying twice.”
RDC members Cox, Langdon and Gwen Morris attended the 30-minute special meeting. Gilmore and Gary Lemon were absent.