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Board weighs winter options for Gateway subdivision building; delaying to spring favored
Summary
After IDOT-related delays left a partial slab and no onsite heat, Davis Junction staff presented four options — stone base ($55,000), LP heat ($104,000), electric heat ($247,000) or delay until April ($57,000) — and several members favored delaying to April to reduce risk of slab heaving.
Board members and staff spent an extended portion of the Nov. 25 meeting discussing construction sequencing and winter protections for the Gateway subdivision building after delays related to IDOT and utility relocations.
Staff (S10) described the site conditions and testing completed to date and said the contractor has completed foundation work and some curb and grading. The central question was how best to prevent winter heaving and protect the partial slab while construction is incomplete. "Their fear is that over the wintertime, it can heave," the clerk (S1) said. Options presented were removing unsuitable soil and placing stone (~$55,000), temporary LP heating (~$104,000), electric heating (~$247,000), or delaying the remaining work until April (estimated $57,000) to allow settling. Staff also reported potential savings of about $53,100 under some scenarios.
Several board members recommended delaying the surface asphalt and other work until spring to avoid repeated mobilizations and the risk of damage from construction traffic. One member quantified the immediate increase if delayed for asphalt at about $8,463.82 — a figure later used in a separate change-order vote — and asked whether locking in a price now or deferring to spring would better protect village finances. Legal and contracting considerations, including whether a contractor would honor a quoted price after a requested delay, were raised by counsel and staff.
The board did not adopt a final construction method that night but directed staff to continue price collection and consolidate change-order paperwork for clearer numbering and future approval. The conversation emphasized trade-offs between short-term expense and long-term risk to the foundation and future asphalt work.
