The slate shingles used to sheathe the Williamsburg-James City County Courthouse roof should have lasted at least 50 years, if not longer.
Instead, problems with the shingles began cropping up around 2004, just a few years after being installed prior to the court’s spring 2000 opening, James City County’s General Services Manager John Horne said.
Horne gave a presentation on the problem at the Board of Supervisors’ meeting Tuesday, offering cost estimates for some of the options to fix the roof that reached up to $1.2 million.
About six months ago it became apparent the failing roof would need to be replaced. Though shingles had fallen off and leaks occurred over 10 years, county staff was unaware of the issue’s magnitude.
Before coming to the conclusion the roof should be replaced, Horne spent the past several weeks consulting with eight contractors, architects, roofing and consulting companies, and speaking with representatives from the College of William & Mary, the City of Williamsburg and the courthouse.
The reviewing group determined the main installation issues: The improper spacing and attachment of the shingles.
Some slate tiles were attached using nails that were too short, which did not hold the shingles in place or caused the tiles to break. Other shingles were not nailed down at all because of the location of metal bands on the roof covering. The concrete roof panels underneath the slate tiles were “an unusual/nonstandard product” and contributed to the issues. The shingles that were not spaced correctly have allowed water to seep through, causing leaks in the building.
Since the problem has been ongoing for about 10 years, attempts have been made within the past several to repair the roof leaks. There is no interior roof access, so contractors have to erect scaffolding and walk on the slate tiles to perform repairs. Slate roofing is “not designed to withstand significant foot traffic,” which caused additional shingles to break.
The repair work performed on the roof has been covered by the Courthouse Maintenance Fund, which court fees fund and Williamsburg manages. About $117,000 is in the fund now, and an undetermined portion could be used to cover a replacement roof, Horne said.
“It is very unlikely that the existing roof can be effectively repaired or salvaged,” Horne wrote in a memo to the supervisors.
James City County and the City of Williamsburg will now have to decide whether to replace the roof with faux slate tiles, asphalt shingles or another type of roofing material.
Supervisor Michael Hipple (Powhatan) asked Horne to look into pricing for a metal roof, which he said can last 50 to 70 years and can be purchased with a finish that would make it look like aged copper. The asphalt shingles come with a 50-year lifespan, but Hipple — a builder — said the area’s climate can cause them to age faster.
Horne came ready with cost estimates for the faux slate tiles and asphalt shingles. He estimated the 50-year asphalt shingles would cost about $550,000 and synthetic slate would cost $1.1 million. The estimated costs include all materials and installation work.
Additionally, the seams between the cupolas and the roof need to be repaired, which will add $60,000 to the cost of any new roof.
Acting County Administrator Doug Powell included $500,000 in funding for a replacement roof in his proposed fiscal year 2015 budget, which the supervisors approved in May. The cost would be borne by the city and the county, and the funding split has not yet been determined, Horne said.
JD Miles and Sons, a subcontractor, installed the now failing roof, and the warranties on the work expired two years after the installation, Horne said. The county has no course for seeking reparations from the company.
Horne recommended the county move forward with a plan to use the asphalt shingles and put the project out to bid. He estimates it will take six to eight months to complete the bidding process, hire a contractor and install the new roof, but the project may not be completed all at one time due to weather.
After receiving the update about the courthouse roof and hearing two other presentations, Hipple brought forward a plan to repurpose funding the county had previously set aside to protect land from future development. He said he spoke with staff prior to the board meeting to have a resolution drafted to transfer funds from the county’s Purchase of Development Rights budget, which has a current balance of $744,551.67, to cover the roof installation.
“It’s a shame we’ve got a courthouse with a chain-link fence around it in James City County,” Hipple said. The county has known the roof was an issue for a while, but has “kicked the can down the road year after year.”
Repurposing the funds sitting in the PDR account would free up the $500,000 planned to pay for the new roof for other costs in the county. Supervisor John McGlennon (Roberts) suggested earlier in the evening to reimburse the roof replacement costs with the Courthouse Maintenance Fund, which he said replenishes at a rate of about $15,000 per month. Hipple said the PDR funds could be replenished in the same way as the already budgeted money.
Because the roof replacement has not been put out to bid for a final project cost, Supervisor Jim Kennedy said the situation was like “trying to kill a mosquito with a cannonball.” If the roof ends up costing about $550,000, there is adequate funding available now without drawing from the PDR account.
When the board was going through its budget planning process earlier this year, Kennedy said he asked the other supervisors if they wanted to dismantle the PDR program. He said he never received a response. If the board wants to use the PDR funds for anything other than protecting land, he said it should be made clear during a budget process. He also asked county staff to look into putting the issue before citizens for a guiding vote.
As the discussion progressed into land protection and away from the courthouse roof issue, Supervisor Kevin Onizuk (Jamestown) asked for the issue to be deferred in an effort to allow additional conversation. The board voted 3-2 with Hipple and Chairwoman Mary Jones (Berkeley) opposed to defer the discussion.
No date has been set for the supervisor to resume the conversation.
