The owner of a Morris County apartment building built over an abandoned mine — and located near three I-80 sinkholes — is telling residents their building is safe after some raised questions about cracks in ceilings and walls.
AvalonBay Communities, owner of the Avalon Wharton apartments in Wharton, said two engineering firms inspected the 250-unit complex in recent days and found no evidence of damage attributable to sinkholes.
“We understand the genuine fear and stress some of you have experienced as result of the I-80 sinkholes, and we appreciate the feedback you’ve provided. We take your concerns very seriously and are pleased to share not only the results of these inspections but also our ongoing commitment to your experience as Avalon Wharton residents,” AvalonBay said in the email sent Wednesday evening to residents, which was provided to NJ Advance Media.
The building remains safe to occupy without restrictions, the company said.
MORE: New sinkhole opens up on I-80, sparking more delays
Officials in Wharton previously asked the company to retain an engineer for a closer look at the building. The borough’s construction official did not uncover any sinkhole-related damage during a four-hour inspection March 6 undertaken at the direction of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs.
“They are doing a lot of construction over there with jackhammers and drills that are going underground hundreds of feet from this building, and my concern is the vibrations from all of that construction could be affecting the structure of this building,” resident Anthony Colonna, told CBS News New York.
A resident of the Avalon Wharton apartment building says this is a crack that appeared along the wall of a residential unit.Submitted photo
All westbound I-80 lanes near the Route 15 interchange in Wharton were closed Wednesday after a hole opened during drilling operations along the highway median, the state Department of Transportation said. Work crews at that time were repairing a sinkhole on the eastbound side.
The location is near where sinkholes opened up on Dec. 27 and Feb. 10. All three I-80 sinkholes were attributed by authorities to collapsing mine shafts.
MORE: Nearly 600 abandoned mines are hidden beneath N.J. towns. See the map.
At the Avalon Wharton apartment complex, reports from Bowman Consulting Group and Veitas Engineers noted cracks, gaps, bumps and wearing. But the engineers found that all were consistent with the expected loading settlement, shrinkage and general wear of the building.
None of the cracks appeared to have recently developed, AvalonBay said.
The company said it will retain a geotechnical engineer, at the recommendation of Veitas Engineers, to review the site conditions as they were at the time of construction in the early 2010s. That engineer will compare the new survey data to the original conditions and establish an ongoing monitoring plan.
“This will help us track any potential signs of future settlement or vibration effects, particularly given the nearby construction on Route 80, to ensure your continued safety and peace of mind,” the company wrote to residents.
Wharton Mayor William Chegwidden previously told NJ Advance Media that he had no concerns about the safety of the building’s 250 residential units.
“I wouldn’t let anyone stay there if I thought the building was going to collapse,” Chegwidden said, prior to the findings by the engineers.
There are approximately 588 abandoned mines beneath the surface in nine northern counties, primarily in a band across northwestern New Jersey that includes Wharton.
Avalon Wharton was built in the early 2010s atop a 120-foot-deep mine shaft closed since 1886, Chegwidden said. For that reason, the location required mine shaft remediation, which took place prior to placing any concrete footings for the structure.
The remediation work was approved by multiple engineers and received a compliance letter from the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development Office of Safety Compliance in April 2013, according to the borough.
AvalonBay said the inspection reports will be available for viewing by residents in the leasing office. The reports will be submitted to Wharton’s construction department and the state Department of Community Affairs.
“We also acknowledge that the construction on I-80 is expected to continue for several weeks, which may cause additional inconveniences. We are in close touch with town and state officials and will keep you updated on future developments,” the company said.
AvalonBay Communities is based in Virginia and is among the nation’s largest owners of apartments, with 93,518 units in New Jersey, 11 other states and Washington, D.C.
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Rob Jennings may be reached at [email protected].
