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Avery County withholds payments over defects in Avery High kitchen renovation
Summary
Project manager Mike Buchanan told commissioners the Avery High kitchen is roughly 90% complete but has multiple construction defects — wrong serving bars, a crooked ceiling grid, floor problems and insufficient heating — and the county is withholding funds pending repairs.
Mike Buchanan, who provided the renovation update, said the Avery High kitchen is about 90% complete but has ‘‘quite a few problems’’ that the county is pressing the contractor to fix. ‘‘We went with the low bid on this and I think it was a mistake,’’ Buchanan said, adding that the county is withholding payment to motivate corrections.
Buchanan detailed specific defects: serving bars were ordered incorrectly, the ceiling grid is crooked and the floor has been a ‘‘disaster,’’ prompting the contractor to send crews back to work on the floor. He also said the pass-throughs as designed do not allow the kitchen to be secured as intended.
Commissioner Dennis Aldridge asked whether the kitchen is usable and whether the work would hold up over time. Chair Tim Phillips asked if the county would need to repeat the work. Buchanan said money is being withheld and that the county has a punch list; he also said there was limited oversight from the engineering firm, which visited one or two times per week, and that he personally checked the site daily and consulted the school attorney.
Buchanan reported a heating problem in the new school commons, saying the space registered about 42 degrees at one point because there were not enough pumps to circulate hot water; the deficiency is documented with photographs. Interim Superintendent Terry Worrell confirmed there remains a punch list and that funds are being withheld pending resolution.
Next steps: the county has retained funds and asked the contractor to correct defects identified on the punch list; the timeline for final acceptance depends on corrections and completion of outstanding work.
