TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON—After volunteer firefighters and several public officials raised issues over the new emergency services building (ESB) on Washington Avenue, the roofer admits to a faulty installation and promises to tear out all shingles and tar paper down to the plywood and redo the work at its own expense.
That’s according to two local officials we spoke with, and it follows complaints from volunteer firefighters who work in the building trades and others in public session at recent council meetings.
The project is a sheer rise of cinderblocks, framing, and roof trusses next to the current firehouse, at 656 Washington Ave. When all is said and done it also will be the new home of the Washington Volunteer Ambulance Corps, now at 354 Hudson Ave.
The contractor requested extra time to complete the project. Project architect Robbie Conley said delays also were pegged to inclement weather and Covid-related supply bottlenecks. He said he was reviewing the request.
At last word, in a memo from Conley to the town administration, the firehouse/ambulance headquarters was due for a late December 2021 to early January 2022 move-in.
The roofing re-do was spurred by reports by firefighters that the roofer was seen using rotted plywood as a base below some shingles, and reports from council members of workers working unsupervised and large roof portions being installed on wet plywood during a downpour on a recent weekend.
The issue of poor construction was raised at the July 12 Township Council meeting.
Conley, who also designed Montvale’s new firehouse, said he monitors on-site activities every two weeks. He told Pascack Press on July 27 that the roofer admitted it installed roof shingles on wet plywood, which can cause the shingles to fail prematurely.
Conley said properly installed shingles are backed by a 50-year lifetime guarantee. “They installed all of that over wet plywood and we had questions about the plywood prior to that.”
He said last week that the roofing subcontractor did not have permission to work on Saturday, and was not properly supervised, when much of the roof was installed. He thanked firefighters and officials who had alerted them to apparent deficiencies in workmanship and materials.
Without the critical observations from firefighters and public officials, the roof likely would have not been replaced—neither would it have stood up to the elements for long, relative to its expected lifespan, he said.
Conley said the roofer would be removing the roof the week of Aug. 2 and that he was likely to observe the plywood underneath on Aug. 5 or 6.
Following his review, the roofer will install a new roof on the approved plywood.
Conley said he was planning to attend the Aug. 9 council meeting, along with representatives from Boswell Engineering and general contractor Tekcon Construction of Somerset, to discuss concerns with residents.
Tekcon, which says online “We are personally invested in each of our projects,” did not return our call seeking comment.
Conley said he has confidence in the roof trusses, saying they passed inspection by Boswell Engineering’s project engineer and a third-party engineer. He said the trusses’ installation met manufacturer specifications.
Conley has 35 years experience in fire service, 30 years experience in architecture, 10 years as chief of the Woodbury Heights Fire Department, three years as a councilman, and four years as mayor of Woodbury Heights.
In 2019, consulting for the township, he found significant issues at the current firehouse to do with operations for firefighting, administration, and livability.
With a committee representing the fire and ambulance teams, the administration, and the town’s engineer, he came up with a plan he said would serve the town well for the next 50–75 years. The replaced firehouse will be razed.
Mayor Peter Calamari helped break ground at the site in a Sept. 27, 2020 ceremony attended by local volunteer firefighters and ambulance crews, weeks after the Township Council awarded a $5,329,183 base bid construction contract to Tekcon, as recommended by Conley.
Councilman Michael DeSena said at the July 12 meeting of the governing body that he was told in February—during discussion on a $206,000 change order for additional retaining wall work—that Business Administrator Robert Tovo would be the council’s liaison to the contractor.
To that, Tovo said he was “primary representative” with Conley and Tekcon, but, “There’s never been a commitment from me to be there on a daily basis. I don’t have time for that.”
Meanwhile, some neighbors have suggested the building appears to exceed its proposed height. Conley said his measurements show the building under current township height code.
Calamari and Councilman Tom Sears—himself a volunteer firefighter looking forward to the dedication of the ESB—told Pascack Press that the roofing subcontractor admitted he wrongly installed large portions of roofing shingles atop wet roofing underlayment and wet plywood sheathing during a recent project meeting.
Sears told Pascack Press on July 27 that he raised roof concerns right away when he saw roofers working on a Saturday, and in a rainstorm to boot. Generally, workers are only allowed on site with a supervisor from Monday to Friday.
“All I know is that the Township is not paying,” he said. He noted that the subcontractor will replace poorly constructed roof sections and that the work should allow the township to qualify for a long-term roof wear-and-tear warranty.
Sears said that the approximate $6.1 million being spent on the ESB shows “You’re talking the future here,” and noted that the required roof repairs bode well for the building’s future.
“You can’t put up a roof in a rain and ice storm, with ice balls falling all around you. I had a big problem with this,” he said.
DeSena and fellow councilman Steven Cascio said recently they were shocked to see roofers installing sheathing and shingles on a Saturday during a pounding rain and hailstorm.
Concerns about the new ESB exceeding its approved height were raised by neighbors at the June 9 and June 21 council meetings and left unresolved.
Calamari told Pascack Press on July 27 that roofing will be replaced and the replaced areas reinspected. “Everything except the roof is being done correctly.”
He said beyond Conley checking in on progress, the township did not need a full-time inspector at the works.
On Facebook on July 26, he said, “Since the project is a function of the town government, it did not require Zoning or Planning Board approval.”