More Wells to be Added to Station Plaza Flood Project

Work continues to progress on the at Station Plaza.

Mineola Superintendent of Public Works Tom Rini reported that as of the June 6 meeting of the parking field no. 1 has been fully excavated.

The original plan also called for the installation of 14 10-ft. by 20 ft. diffusion wells, 10 of which are currently installed with the interconnected piping for parking field no. 7.

“We did run into a couple of problems with this project,” Rini reported to the village board, noting excavators encountered 2-feet of earth which was not suitable to be put back into the excavation since it would not cause proper drainage. Below that layer crews found sand, which was able to remain in the excavation.

“The problem is having a two-foot excavation like that, there’s a cost of taking it out and if we did allow it in the contract – it’s a unit priced contract – we did estimate a quantity, however, it wasn’t quite as much as two feet; we didn’t really anticipate having to have to remove two feet of unsuitable material,” Rini said.

There is also a cost relating to bringing in the material necessary to create a sub-grade for the new parking lot. The four remaining existing wells in the parking field no. 7 in front of the elevator and closer to “are not draining,” Rini added. “Basically they’re a catch at this point and they run.”

The original estimated cost of the project as $600,000, but no credence was given to replace those four basins due to the rising cost. However, the contractor did bid at such a low dollar amount that Rini recommended to the board install an additional two wells in the area.

“We would leave those existing basins – especially the two right up against that elevator touchdown for the railroad; I really don’t want to be excavating down 25. feet right next to that,” he said. “They are a solid structure, they will hold water and allow water under head pressure – rain – to pass through.”

The the new costs will add $32,839 to the cost of the project: $8,888.50 for the pools and the piping while the other additional items will total $23,950.50.

“You’re never going to see a price like this again for a 10 ft. by 20 ft. diffusion well, two of them with interconnecting pipe,” Rini said. “It will give us additional capacity, additional storage and additional diffusion in that area at a very good price.”

The board approved the additional expenditures associated with the expansion of the project.