Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1962-09-20
School Building

N A0Seo anu AS uICc
by both Sheldon and school
facilities director Lester j.
WEIGH.
OF unnecessary" installation
of a $4,000 tile draining sys-
tenn at what Coyle termed "a
new junior high school," Shell
don disclosed the actual cost
was under $4,000 and that it
was built in accordance with
general specifications of both
the Washington Suburban SAM
tary Commission and State
Highway Department.
This assumes, of course, Mr..
Coyle is referring to the new
White Oak Junior High School,"
said Sheldon. "Otherwise. 1
can't visualize using 10000 feet
of tile draining-that's almost
four miles-at a dollar a foot,
in one school"
Much of Coyle's criticism CEN
tered on construction of the
new West Rockville Junior
High School, where, he charged:
The schools sewage line was
condemned for faulty joints by
the engineer and an inspector
during construction; that "the
engineer was dismissed from
the job" and the sewage line
later approved by a successor
"who is alleged to have refused
to make a visual check"
At West Rockville, Coyle
continued, footing preparation
for a portion of the building
wall was declared faulty by the
county structural inspector,
"but construction continued
later anyway"
Sheldon admitted leaky flush
pipe connections were found on
inspection, but said the inspec-
tor-not the engineer-who left
the job was not dismissed but
simply transferred to another
project in favor of a man who
had experience working on
bigger schools"
He said all other defects in
the building were corrected by
the builder without cost to the
county before construction
moved on.
WEIGH pointed out that school
construction in the county is
subject to strict inspection by
as many as five agencies-the
WSSC, the county, the city of
Rockville where applicable, the
School Board and federal in.
spectors when buildings are put
up with federal aid.
OF a report of a column in
side the front entrance at
West Rockville supporting
heavy overhead stress on a
faulty footing" Sheldon said:
Tf it's there, let 'em dig down
and find it."
Coyle charged hollow rather
than solid cinder block zap
peared to have been used" in at
least one elementary school
below grade. This, he said,
could mean a profit margin to
the builder of $4,000 on a 81
million school.
Sheldon questioned whether
Coyle was not confused be.
tween. hollow block and the
"semi-solid" block often used be.
low ground in accordance with
the county's building code, and
denied hollow block is used UNI
derground.
A "honeycomb" effect noted
by Coyle in photos of a concrete
beam at Gaithersburg Junior
High School, said Sheldon, is
formed by an air pocket which
normally is corrected by engi
neerS.
Costly duplication" of coun
ty and school board inspection
of construction referred to by
Coyle was described by Welch
as a Safeguard that the tax
payer is getting his moneys
worth"
"A little extra cost now as
sures greater value in the
future" said Sheldon.
Both disclaimed Coyle's refer
ences to double billing" by con
tractors in the early stages OF
construction jobs, pointing out
the only item for which build
ers are paid totally in advance
is their insurance charge.
Otherwise, Sheldon said, pay
ments are made monthly cor
the basis of work done ano
materials stored"-all of which
are double-checked by the archi