Main utility line, deep ash force redesign at Smith Vocational horticulture building

The Board of Trustees heard a detailed construction update on July 23 after site work for the new horticulture building unexpectedly uncovered a main electrical service running through the exact footprint and several feet of ash-like material in the soils. Superintendent Dr. Lincoln Hooker told trustees the discovery requires rerouting the line and excavating unsuitable fill before the building foundation can be completed.

"That main power line is literally Bullseye through the middle of where the new building's going to be," Dr. Lincoln Hooker said, describing how the line was revealed during site prep and why leaving it under the structure is not acceptable for future expansion or repair access. The team laid out three routing options and said the electrician and engineers favored running the service around the base of the hill adjacent to the new building.

In separate testing of site soils, consultants found several feet of material identified as ash rather than petroleum contamination. "The organic matter that we identified was basically ash," Dr. Lincoln Hooker said; consultants concluded the material lacks the structural stability required to support a foundation and must be removed and replaced with structural fill or otherwise mitigated.

Staff told the board they were obtaining formal quotes for the electrical relocation and earthwork. An early, unofficial figure discussed in the meeting placed combined costs for the electrical movement and site improvements at about $50,000; Dr. Lincoln Hooker said the project has a budgeted contingency in the roughly $235,000'$250,000 range. He also noted offsetting credits under consideration, including a shorter fiber-optic run and alternative sprinkler-design estimates being priced by the architect.

Trustees asked whether switching conductor material (from copper to aluminum) was being considered to reduce cost; participants cautioned that aluminum has significantly different conductivity and that engineers should vet any material change before approval. Board members also discussed disposal options for the excavated ash and mixed debris: on-campus reburial of screened material could avoid off-site disposal testing and costs if it complies with regulations, while off-site disposal would trigger additional testing and higher expense.

Next steps: staff expected contractor cost estimates within days and said they would report back to the board. No motion or vote was required at the meeting; trustees requested continued updates as remediation and rerouting options are priced and finalized.