An East Greenville official issued a temporary Certificate of Occupancy for the Upper Perkiomen School District's newly renovated 4^th & 5^th Grade Center last week.

Stop signs in, both directoins of Montgomery Ave. at eighth st. at the Pennsburg borough Upper Hanover Twp. line, will greet travelers past the new Upper Perkiomen Middle School on Thursday.

Jim Fry, the borough's manager and code enforcement officer, issued the certificate after touring the school at 510 Jefferson Street on Friday, Aug. 30.

            The permitted work involved only a small percentage of the area of the building, according to a Sept. 3 email message from Fry. He identified those areas as the main entrance, office/administration area, chairlift and auditorium.

            According to the manager, construction crews need to finish the installation of the ceiling, flooring, and some of the finishes in these areas, as well as one set of backordered doors in the entrance foyer and finish the school's secure entrance.

            According to the manager, the area at the chairlift was opened to increase its handicap accessibility. He wrote that when the wall was opened near the chairlift, a structural issue was found that required extra time to repair. The fire detection and alarm systems were tested and checked, and the emergency generator was tested.

            New carpeting and countertop, which was inspected for compliance with the handicap requirements, was installed in the library. Fry wrote that most of the work in the classrooms involved new cabinetry and painting. No bathrooms were included in the work area and the gym was painted, according to the manager.

            Additionally, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency determined that asbestos discovered at the school originated in a type of glue – known as mastic – utilized in past construction work. Inspectors from the agency located the glue on the floor and walls in parts of the auditorium and one office, according to Roy Seneca, a press officer with the agency's Philadelphia region.

            Air testing conducted by a contractor showed asbestos levels below the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) levels set by the agency, according to the email message from Seneca.  

            Contractors have begun to encapsulate the material with a layer of plywood and carpeting in the auditorium so that it does not pose an environmental threat. They also removed small amounts of mastic from old tiles in the office area, the Aug. 29 email states.

            In Upper Hanover, township officials issued a conditional use and occupancy permit Tuesday for the new middle school on Montgomery Avenue that allows full occupancy of the school by teachers and students. The permit – signed by Keary Bortz, the township's building inspector – is set to expire Sept. 20.