By Marshall Tempest
Reporter
Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) announced Tuesday that the new Apopka High School baseball and softball complexes will not be ready for occupancy for home games scheduled for softball this Friday, March 7, and baseball on Monday, March 10.
The news came from Rory Salimbene, the school district’s acting chief facilities officer for the baseball and softball projects, who sent a message to softball families regarding the team’s first scheduled home game on Friday.
“After reviewing the status of outstanding issues, remaining inspections, and remaining documentation requirements today, it is unlikely we will be able to achieve occupancy at either field in advance of the scheduled home games for softball on Friday, March 7, and baseball on Monday, March 10,” Salimbene wrote in a message obtained by The Apopka Chief.
Salimbene went on to say both the softball and baseball teams would need to make accommodations to hold the games at “alternate locations.” He concluded his comments on the opening of the facilities by noting that they could still be operational by Thursday, March 13.
Salimbene also listed unfinished construction and remaining issues to be resolved. The first item he mentioned was roof installation. After an investigation on Tuesday, March 4, he stated that the roof installation for both fields needed “necessary corrections” and “corrective work.” The work was expected to be completed and inspected on Wednesday, March 5, which Salimbene said should have allowed the final building inspections for baseball to be scheduled for later in the week.
However, Salimbene said that’s not the only problem.
“Final building inspections for softball are also dependent upon resolution of electrical installation issues…” he wrote.
Salimbene said that the documents required for “embedded conduit” require a resubmission regarding electrical installation issues. The updated documents were expected to be delivered late Tuesday or Wednesday. He also said that other documentation related to lighting contractors is currently under review after being previously submitted.
“Once these documents are approved, final inspections of the electrical installation can occur,” Salimbene wrote to parents.
The third issue on Salimbene’s list was bleacher installation. Details for the original installation are needed to confirm that the additional concrete for the new bleachers was poured correctly for safety. Salimbene said that the previous details provided were “insufficient.” On Tuesday, they located the required information and gave it to the contractor for resubmission.
“Following approval, bleacher inspections can be completed,” Salimbene wrote, without giving a date for when those inspections would be done.
Fourth on Salimbene’s list was the bleacher ramp for the baseball facility. He said this was similar to the softball bleacher issue and noted, “…details regarding the previous ramp installation are needed to confirm that reinstallation is safe.” Salimbene said documents are ready and will be provided to the contractor for submission but did not give a date for when that would happen.
Salimbene’s final issue concerned the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) clearance for water and wastewater.
“…as-built survey documents for the wastewater system for baseball require corrections prior to submittal for clearance,” said Salimbene.
Salimbene said that the corrections are in progress and that once the engineer approves the documents and the city of Apopka reviews them, they must be sent to FDEP.
“While clearance will not delay final inspections, it may delay certification of occupancy,” Salimbene wrote.
The message to parents came four days after a contentious meeting between concerned Apopka baseball and softball families and OCPS at Apopka High School to discuss the status of the two complexes. Parents raised many issues at the meeting, including player safety, lost revenue from gate fees and concessions, and construction inconsistencies.
According to meeting notes circulated among parents and shared with The Apopka Chief, when parents asked if Salimbene had been down to the field to inspect the projects, he answered that he had not seen it in person.
One of the more significant issues raised at the meeting was that varsity baseball players have to drive to three or four games a week because buses were not available to take them to games that started before 7 p.m. On Tuesday, head baseball coach Bobby Brewer informed parents that OCPS would provide a chartered bus for the team’s Wednesday game at Timber Creek.
According to the meeting notes, parents also inquired about the lost revenue from gate fees and concessions at home games. Those revenue sources are vital for fundraising for the team’s necessities each year. Salimbene stated that the school and the county would address the lost ticket revenue and concessions and allocate funds to cover the lost revenue.
Salimbene was also asked if the home dugout, which resembles a cage, will continue construction or reconstruction to look consistent with the visitor’s dugout, which looks nothing like the home side. According to notes taken during the meeting, the answer to that question is still to be determined, and some parents heard that the home-side dugout will not be redone until after the end of the regular season.
Another question among parents concerned the extended and overhead foul ball netting that stops foul balls from hitting fans, nearby homes and vehicles. The baseball complex previously had a net, but the renovated field does not include one, sparking concerns about potential property damage and injuries.
The Apopka Chief is an award-winning weekly newspaper serving the greater Apopka area in Central Florida since 1923.
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