Hammers and saws heard again in the land as construction resumes

The welcome sounds of saws and hammers are once again being heard across the Peninsula, as construction work resumed on several major projects.

The ramp-up of construction began with Gov. Jay Inslee’s announcement April 24 that current construction projects could be completed with safety precautions. He followed that with an announcement May 15 that new construction could resume.

Gig Harbor Community Development Director Katrina Knutson said projects that have restarted include the remodel of the old Fred Meyer store, construction of a commerce center at Latitude 47, and Courtyards at Skansie, a 18.8-acre single-family home development.

Construction projects at elementary schools Number 9 and Number 10 were deemed essential and continued work through through the shutdown with strict safety guidelines, Knutson said.

Knutson said any construction work that received local government approval prior to March 23 is allowed to continue, as long as COVID protocols are being followed.

“I appreciate the contractors reaching out for guidance,” Knutson said. “Our inspectors report the contractors are following the guidelines.”

Precautions on site

Safety precautions are key now, said Bill Steward, site superintendent for RCA, Inc., which is working on the conversion of the former Olympic Village Fred Meyer, 5500 Olympic Dr. NW. It is set to become the home of a Ross Dress for Less store and Ulta Beauty.

Every morning RCA inc. employees must sign in, take their temperature, wear masks, stay six feet apart to the best of their ability and use washing stations, Steward said.

“In order to come back to work, the guidelines we are using right now is the only way we can work,” said Steward. “I have a great, respectable crew of guys out here, and nobody walks in my trailer unless they are geared up.”

The governor’s guidelines for construction sites include 6-foot distancing, frequent handwashing, lunch breaks in shifts to avoid gatherings, tailgate training of returning workers, posted notices and instructions, and a COVID-19 strawboss to make sure instructions are followed.

Workers must wear masks, eye protection and gloves, and frequently wipe down shared tools, machines and other “high-touch” areas like handrails, doorknobs and portable toilets.

Little damage during shutdown

The Ross/Ulta project was not deemed essential work, and was halted during the stay-home initiative. Steward said the project, which began in December of 2019, was initially set to be finished at the end of July, but is now projected to finish in January of 2021.

“The last thing we will do on this site is the asphalt outside,” Steward said. “I have to demo the whole parking lot, it’s caged off right now for public protection.”

Steward was happy to report that no damage occurred at the Ulta/Ross site while it was closed.

“When I got back to work, everything was fine except for some of the mud outside,” Steward said. “A bit of water came inside, but nothing that affected anybody. Nothing that hindered the work.”

Steward said workers haven’t had much difficulty in keeping a safe distance, as he has only a small crew working at the moment, split up between outside and inside work. The challenge will come, he said, is when all work must be done inside.

“Inside is where it will have to be totally organization,” Steward said.

The state guidelines require that only one trade or subcontractor — such as plumbers, electricians or drywallers — be on a job site at the same time. That will take some coordination.

Steward said there hasn’t been any shortage of materials, either.

“Some materials were brought in months ago, like February,” Steward said. “I ordered everything up just to have it all ready to go per the schedule.”

Distributing stores such as Harbor Teak, a supplier of specialty decking material and wood, said the supply chain is intact.

“If someone comes in the front door looking for a certain type of wood, I don’t think we would have a problem getting it for them,” said Justin Freed, the owner of Harbor Teak.

For a full list of construction protocols, visit http://cdhd.wa.gov/wp-content/uploads/Phase-1-Construction.pdf