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Contractor alleges unpermitted work and asbestos removal at Lowell community center; city enforces stop order
Summary
A local contractor told the council he found extensive structural damage and alleged that work at the community center proceeded without required permits and included removal of ceiling tiles later identified as asbestos. City staff said inspections were scheduled and stop orders issued.
Lowell — A local contractor’s testimony at the June 9 council meeting raised immediate questions about procurement and permit enforcement at the city’s community-center renovation.
Licensed contractor Michael Spargo described structural wood rot and said he found that some crews had removed ceiling tiles that may contain asbestos without following required permitting and abatement procedures. “I told them these are asbestos; you need to do it the right way,” Spargo said. He told the council he called the chief building inspector, who responded and placed the job on stop order.
City staff and the building inspector confirmed in the meeting that a stop-work order had been issued and that permits were being reviewed; inspectors subsequently scheduled electrical and other inspections. Staff said certain work performed by contractors had been paused pending resolution and that permits were now in process for the follow-up work.
Contractors and bid documents were a recurring theme. Spargo criticized uneven bid specifications and argued that the city should require uniform scope documents and permit compliance during solicitation. Council members urged the city manager and building-inspection staff to tighten bid specifications and to ensure permits and required testing (specifically, asbestos sampling) are completed before work proceeds.
Why it matters: Public-construction projects that proceed without proper permits and hazardous-material controls can create health risks and expose the city to liability, delay and higher costs. Residents and contractors urged more robust procurement and inspection practices.
What’s next: Staff said they would work with the building inspector to document the permit status, clarify the contractors’ scopes of work, and return to council with any required enforcement actions or contract remedies.
