By ROY WOOD
The town building official is expected to re-inspect the Oliver Landing project Wednesday as part of the process of lifting a stop-work order imposed on the project just before Christmas.
Wayde Bliss posted the order to stop work December 21 on two units in the 12-unit first phase of the low-to-medium cost development at Co-op Avenue and Sawmill Road.
The order cites “No insulation inspection in Unit 5 or approval in Unit 8” as the specific violation of the town’s building bylaw.
In an interview today, Oliver chief administrative officer Cathy Cowan said, “Wayde is going out to do an inspection tomorrow.”
At issue is the spray-foam insulation being used in the complex. According to Cowan, in one of the units drywall was installed over the insulation before the inspector could even look at it. In the other, there was a problem with the insulation that the builders were told to fix, but before it could be re-inspected, that was also dry-walled.
When Bliss goes in tomorrow, “(They) will have to open up some areas so that he can measure to make sure it meets the requirement,” said Cowan.
Oliver Landing senior project manager David Perehudoff was unavailable for comment today. He is apparently holidaying in Mexico.
In a telephone interview last week, Perehudoff said work would continue on the site despite the stop-work order. ‘We have no choice,” he said at the time. “As per our lawyers, we have to mitigate damage. … If we were to comply with the stop-work order it would cost us $10,000 a day.”
He indicated he would not be deterred by the fine of “fifty dollars per day.”
However, Cowan said today that as far as the town is aware, the builders are complying with the order. This morning an ODN reporter saw work proceeding on some units, but not on the ones subject to the order.
Cowan also clarified that the fine for non-compliance with such an order is $500 per day. The fifty-dollar fine is for tampering with or removing a stop work order from a building.
Cowan described the issuance of stop-work orders in Oliver as “not very common … not even (one a year).”
Oliver Landing is planned to eventually include about 130 residences in the $300,000-plus range. Units along the canal on the eastern edge of the former horse farm will be somewhat more expensive.
The company has claimed that the first 12-unit phase of the development is sold out.