Council authorizes urgent geotechnical testing after architects warn public safety building may be unsafe

McGill Associates and Mosley Architects presented a building assessment that identified active settlement, floor cracking and basement flooding at the town’s combined public safety building. The consultants said visible indicators — exterior veneer gaps, bowed walls and interior floor settling — and evidence of water ingress through a retaining wall suggested the building’s foundations and soils require immediate investigation. Mosley recommended geotechnical borings (interior and exterior locations, including near cracked slabs and the north side) and core samples that should extend below the basement level to determine subsurface conditions and inform design options.

Architect Kevin McDade told the council his professional judgment is that the building is not safe for continued occupancy without further study and that staff should consider temporary relocation of personnel until the borings and subsequent evaluation define scope and cost. The consultants recommended the town hire a geotechnical firm to perform several borings and hand auger cores; staff estimated the cost for the testing at roughly $5,000–$10,000 depending on access.

Council action: by motion the council authorized the town manager to execute a geotechnical testing agreement as an addition to the feasibility scope; staff noted funds are available for initial investigations but that the testing is an additional unanticipated expense. Council asked staff to secure a firm proposal within one to two weeks and, if necessary, to execute it to expedite work.

Next steps: town staff to obtain and present the geotechnical firm’s proposal and begin sampling to clarify remediation options and cost ranges, after which council will consider repair or replacement alternatives.