Press release from UNC Asheville:
UNC Asheville led the way in developing a plan to address the safety improvements beyond code that were contained in the 8/17/18 Agreement between the North Carolina Department of Insurance and the university regarding The Woods residence halls. One day after receiving the signed copy of the agreement, UNC Asheville called together representatives from the State Construction Office, the N.C. Department of Insurance, the City of Asheville Fire Department, the architect/engineer, and the contractor handling the issues outlined in the agreement, and university representatives.
During that first meeting, a game plan was developed to have the parties meet on the next day, August 22, to visually inspect the site and develop preliminary recommendations, and to report back to the group in a conference call on Thursday, August 23. Those preliminary recommendations were discussed on Thursday, August 23 in a call with all parties involved, and actions are now being taken to implement those additional safety recommendations. Detailed minutes were developed for those meetings, and were circulated to all parties on Monday, August 27 with a Wednesday, August 29 deadline for feedback.
The plan addresses the additional safety improvements outlined in the Agreement: repositioning of the valves on the water supply pipes in the stairwells, and installing sprinklers in the attic of each of the five residence halls in The Woods.
The ultimate time frame and costs will be determined based upon detailed plans, having those plans reviewed, and receiving quotes from trade contractors. We appreciate the cooperation of all parties involved in these actions subsequent to the 8/17/18 agreement, and look forward to this cooperation in the execution of the plans, as we seek to resolve these matters as quickly, safely and effectively as possible.
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.