A Falls Township landmark needs some work.
Three Arches, built in 1712 and once the historical home of John Sotcher, is in desperate need of preventive maintenance and repair. The problem is an expensive and detailed job to undertake for any ordinary local contractor.
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“We knew there was repair work that needed to be done, I think before I was ever even on this board,” said Vice Chairman Jeffry Dence during an October 6 Board of Supervisors meeting. “We looked at people to repair shutters, the rain gutters was a big thing, and just finding people to do the work is a project itself.”
Dence noted that the board has talked a few people that do restorations during his time on the board, those contractors either weren’t interested in completing the work at the historical site, or the project required work they couldn’t complete.
Last year, Dence, along with Brian Andrews of Parks and Recreation and Wesley Sessa of 18th Century Restorations Inc. met at Three Arches off Trenton Road. Sessa pointed out a number of issues with the property, including loads of leaky windows, broken shutters, roof issues which were causing leaks into the second floor, and cosmetic changes.
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Sessa later prepared what Dence called a “Chinese menu of sorts,” detailing all the work that needed to be completed. “Some of it’s stuff you wouldn’t even notice, but it needs to be done,” said Dence.
Due to the Responsible Contractor Ordinance (RCO), enacted by the township, any job, including specialty projects done by a contractor, which amount to more than $25,000, all contractors must be paid at a prevailing wage. That prevailing wage is currently set at $64.50 an hour. Since Sessa doesn’t normally pay workers such a large rate, he had to increase his plans for the township from $71,000 just last year to $92,000 this year.
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“The prices I don’t know, we don’t have anything to compare it to,” said Dence.
While no one on the board disagreed that the work needed to be done, they didn’t agree that it should come at just an enormous cost.
“We don’t want just anybody that has a power saw in the back of their truck,” said Chairman Bob Harvie.
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While the board decided not to award the job to Sessa, they have decided to advertise the project for proposals, which will not require they accept the lowest responsible offer and will allow each contractor to visit the site and come up with their own specification sheet for work that needs to be done.
Solicitor Lauren Gallagher noted that while sub pump and painting services will have to go out to bid, since they are not specialty services, a proposal can be written to ensure all that apply are recognized by the State of Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, and that they have required expertise in carpentry, masonry and roof work.
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“Sometimes this work is just too tedious. You have to be a company of a particular size to be able to make it through quite an endurance test. And of course, you have to have to skill set and the track record,” said Sessa, who said he often bids on projects and waits at pre-bid meetings for other viable contractors to show up.
Although Sessa offered the board to take his name and prices off his proposal and then put that proposal out to bid, the board rejected his offer, stating that other contractors should have to put in the same leg work he has.
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18th Century Restoration has been in business since 1984 and currently operates out of Chester County.
