The lifeguards long-awaited move to their new Pacific Beach facility was recently realized, though small fixes are still in order and the construction contract has yet to be fulfilled.
The guards spent four days testing the three-story station before officially abandoning the double-wide trailer that had housed staff and equipment for two years on May 25.
According to Lt. John Greenhalgh, director of training for the San Diego Lifeguard Service, the move has improved staff moral and performance.
“It’s been great,” Greenhalgh said. “Our elevation now is much higher, which gives us a better view.”
Though the facility is occupied, the city and contractor still have a lot of details to iron out. A notice of the project’s completion cannot be filed until the punch list of roughly 20 small, outstanding items is finished, said Mike Feuersinger, senior construction manager from the Department of Engineering and Capital Projects.
“The notice of completion can go on for long, long periods of time after the building appears to be all done,” Feuersinger said.
Instead of subtracting the remaining items from their contract, EMS Construction has opted to work with their bonding, or insurance, company to complete the punch list. According to Feuersinger, issuing a credit for incomplete work is not attractive to either parties because it involves guessing at costs and hiring another contractor to finish the job.
The city maintains that EMS has been very cooperative since the bonding company stepped in two months ago, despite an admittedly difficult relationship throughout the course of the project.
“The destruction is over,” Feuersinger said. “They are interested in making sure the project ends successfully.”
A combination of heavy rains, miscommunication between EMS and the city, design malfunctions and slow response to fixing problems all contributed to the delay of the station’s opening. EMS broke ground at the end of Grand Avenue in March 2004 and continued working almost one year past the initial deadline of May 2005.
In January, the city issued the first in a series of ultimatums that culminated in the banning of EMS from the construction site on April 17. The contractor’s bonding company and lawyer are now handling communication with the city and facilitating the completion of the punch list, Feuersinger said.
The Pacific Beach Lifeguard Station will be officially dedicated in the presence of Mayor Jerry Sanders on Wednesday, June 28, at 11 a.m. For more information on the project’s history and problems, visit the Beach & Bay Press link at www.sdnews.com.