North Penn SD says high school renovation advancing; permits, bids and site work moving forward

CHA project manager Jamie Lynch told the North Penn School District Facilities & Operations Committee on June 30 that work on both phase 1 and phase 2 of the high school renovation is progressing and that the project team expects key permitting and bid milestones this summer.

"We're continuing the land development process, on both, phase 1 and phase 2 of the high school project," Lynch said, and added that the civil team has received a technical review and is responding to final permit comments. He said the project team is "still looking at a permit coming in September of 20 25." Lynch also reported coordination with utilities including PECO and the North Penn Water Authority and said installation of water meter pits and water lines is expected to start late in July.

The project team discussed off‑site items tied to roadwork and pedestrian access, including plans for a sidewalk and pedestrian crossing near Snyder Road and a separate crossing associated with a road‑widening project; Lynch said placement and final details are still under discussion with township and county engineers. He described the Sunnytown/Somnley Town crossing as more complex because it could require mast arms, ADA ramps and sidewalk work, and said cost estimates are not ready until sketch plans are developed.

On construction progress, Lynch said K Pod site work and roof replacement are under way, natatorium demolition and platform work are advancing with an aggressive schedule (platform removal targeted for mid‑August), temporary classrooms are being built in the auditorium lower level, and contractors removed three underground fuel tanks without incident. Lynch reported the demolition of several radio towers last week and said the contractor demobilized after completing the work.

Committee members reviewed several contract amendments and change orders tied to ongoing work. The committee approved, by voice votes with no recorded opposition, recommendations to place the following items on the July 17 action meeting and to approve related adjustments:

- A $5,498 change order to GEM Mechanical for leak testing and repairs on Condensing Unit No. 2 (Circuit 4) related to Penn Dale Middle School HVAC work (recommended and approved by the committee).

- A $26,390.78 change order to GEM Mechanical for replacement of a compressor found noisy on Condensing Unit No. 2 (Circuit 4) (recommended and approved by the committee).

- A deduct change order to TAMCO Construction for unused allowances on the radio‑tower demolition project, reducing the contract by $3,310 (work complete; recommended and approved).

- A $33,315 amendment to CHA to cover additional geotechnical work (infiltration testing) required by Montgomery County Conservation District and the township; the firm passed the cost through with no markup (recommended and approved).

- An $8,262.70 amendment to Cowen and Associates for additional feature survey, radio‑tower survey work and requested elevation/invert points required by the county review (recommended and approved).

Committee members repeatedly asked about schedule and escalation risks. Lynch said contractors reported they remain "on schedule" and that the new pool dehumidification unit is expected to arrive in September. On tariffs, Lynch said the project has seen no material cost impacts to date but cautioned the landscape is uncertain and bidders have asked about escalation provisions; he noted that lump‑sum contracts typically limit owner options for escalation adjustments.

Why it matters: the high school renovation is a multi‑phase capital project with on‑site safety, traffic and utility impacts, and its schedule and change orders determine near‑term construction activity and district capital spending. The committee’s approvals clear items for the district’s July action meeting and preserve the project’s construction momentum.

Clarifying details from the presentation and committee exchange: - A final supervisors meeting on land‑development approval was scheduled for Aug. 4, 2025 (Lynch). - Water meter pits and water‑line work at the site were slated to start late July (Lynch). - As of May payments, phase 1 was reported about 5.3% complete (monthly dashboard summary). - Natatorium platform work is underway with contractors scheduled to begin follow‑on work and the platform targeted to come down in mid‑August (Lynch). - Phase 2 design documents were in circulation; a pre‑bid meeting took place and bids were due later in July (Lynch).

Ending: Committee chair Director McMurtry and committee members thanked staff and the consultant team and moved the listed change orders and contract amendments forward to the July 17 action meeting for formal ratification.