District increases Rose Avenue reconstruction budget after contaminated soil discovered

District construction staff told the board on April 15 that excavation at the Rose Avenue Elementary reconstruction uncovered soil contamination deeper or more extensive than earlier testing indicated, requiring extensive remediation and additional site work requested by the City of Oxnard.

Emilio Flores, the district’s finance/construction lead, reported that roughly 189,000 cubic feet of contaminated soil were removed and clean soil imported so the site’s future playfields and grounds can be certified safe. Staff said the additional scope also included revisions requested by the city (fire riser re-engineering, retention-basin revisions, additional surveys) and ongoing site surveillance during demolition and construction.

The board approved an amendment to the construction contract and an allocation of $1,587,660.75 from the project allowance to cover remediation, surveillance and other close-out requests, leaving a balance in the allowance. Flores and project staff said they believe this represents the last budget increase for the project and that a replacement roof and other long-term repairs are planned to address ongoing site issues.

Trustees asked about the contaminants and whether the community could see the hygienist’s report; staff said they would provide the environmental testing and clearance documentation and noted that agricultural pesticides and petroleum runoff are commonly found in local soils. Staff also described work to reconcile grades and easement issues with neighboring properties to avoid drainage problems.

Trustees expressed concern about controlling costs and asked staff to report back on the remediation findings and any lessons for future site investigations. Construction staff said they will provide the consultant’s field report and clearance testing results to the board and public upon receipt.