The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
Construction of the Franklin Park branch of the Franklin Township Library will cost about $80,000 more than anticipated, thanks to an unexpected discovery by construction workers.
Construction workers who were preparing to put a sewer line in place discovered that there was already a water line owned by NJ American Water in the way, Library Director January Adams told the Library Board of Trustees at their November 16 meeting.
The line serves customers in North Brunswick, she said.
The line could not be moved, she said, so workers were left with three options.
“They could have gone under (the pipe), but the pitch was too steep,” she said. “They could have gone over, but that would have meant using two pumps and would have cost $70,000.”
“The third choice was to take the long way, around the back of the building, behind the Board of Education building,” she said. “That’s the reason for the overage.”
“It’s unfortunate that it happened, but it did,” Adams said.
The Board in December 2021 awarded the $2.6 million contract to build the branch to Garfield-based Pal-Pro Builders.
About $1.3 million of that amount will come from a state grant.
The 5,580-square-foot building is being built on a 2.3-acre plot of land adjacent to Franklin Park School.
