Live Oak High School students are not yet able to use the new theater due to ongoing construction, however they are able to utilize the amphitheater located in front of it.
Poor workmanship has stalled the Live Oak High School theater project, according to state documents.
Loose screws, dirty drinking fountains and upside-down installations brought the project to a halt last week, and the flurry of infractions -15 in the past three weeks, 35 total - resulted in a second state inspector being assigned to the project, Sept. 8, according to state Department of General Services spokesman Jeffrey Young.
Most of the problems regard missing details and portions of the project being done without the Division of State Architect's approval, according to recent Notices of Deviation served to the $5 million renovation project's construction manager, TBI Construction.
Other problems included screws being loose on the amphitheater drinking fountain, which was hooked up and ready for use without having been cleaned and disinfected, according to an Aug. 27 notice. An Aug. 22 notice notes "the recessed hose bibbs in lockable boxes are installed up side down in two places" and that the "door is broken off and leaks water into wall."
The notices reached a fever pitch on Sept. 4, when seven notices were doled out and infractions ranged from changes not being approved by the state architect to installations not being done properly.
Young said that less than 1 percent of projects in the Oakland region, which stretches from Del Norte to Monterey counties along the coast and includes Santa Clara County, end up with a second inspector.
Acting Superintendent Bonnie Tognazzini said it's a very tense time on site, as workers are nearing the end of the job. Aside from the infractions, delays have been caused by project vendors going out of business midway through the project, she said.
Most of the notices list the trade contractor as Sanchez Inc., which received a Notice of Intent to Cancel in September when district officials thought the project was moving too slowly. At the time, Sanchez Inc. President Nancy Sanchez said it was a misunderstanding, and pointed to the project's engineer and architect as being the real problem.
It is unclear when construction officially began, but construction bids for the project, paid for with the remainder of the bond that paid for Ann Sobrato High School, were approved by the board during their April 2008 meeting, and Tognazzini said then that the project would take about a year to complete.
Tognazzini said Tuesday she expected the project to be complete in another 10 days.
"It's been a struggle, but we're very close," she said.
At a recent board meeting, Jeff Salvotti, business representative of the Santa Clara County Sheet Metal Workers Union Local 104 and parent of two Live Oak band students, said roof workers were improperly trained. He said he was concerned for his children.
Tognazzini said that the first inspector, Charles Stewart, has had concerns, but he had confirmed the workers were licensed.
Natalie Everett
Natalie Everett Natalie Everett is the education and city reporter for The Times. Reach her at (408) 779-4106, ext. 201, or neverett@morganhilltimes.com.
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