The Drawing

Below is a never utilized 2005 Platinum Properties Engineering Plan, which is about a year before their building 109 Platinum Drive started its process of lifting up out of the ground.

Central to this plan was the implementation of a support slope designed to utilize commercially purchased well-graded riprap, ranging from 3 to 18 inches in diameter. This riprap was to be secured using a "can use shot-rock base," effectively anchoring the support into the hillside's foundation, ensuring stability for the developing structure.

The Engineering Plan for 109 Platinum Drive states "P.S. The building has incurred no damage to date as a result of Current Slope MVMT (movement); however, during the same period, significant warnings arose regarding extensive rutting in the rear lot area for both Buildings 109 and 113. Experts repeatedly advised that large vehicles, particularly garbage trucks, should refrain from accessing the rear lot until repairs were made, with these alerts communicated to Platinum Properties multiple times by various parties. Unfortunately, these crucial warnings were disregarded.

A Notated Copy

My notated copy of the same 2005 Platinum Properties Engineering Plan.

Triad and Contractor Meeting

Although drainage considerations were not part of the original Triad Draft Plan, they gained importance during a February 2006 Meeting, where Laurita Construction sought to address pressing water drainage issues, including relocating a fire hydrant from 113 Platinum Drive to another side of the parking lot. At the time, awareness was limited to surface water problems, while the underground drainage issues became clearer later. The Triad Engineer insisted on prompt action, but Laurita Construction preferred to wait for drier weather, ultimately agreeing to perform the necessary work in the upcoming spring and summer months. Despite this understanding, it's important to note that Platinum Properties did not utilize the contractor or Triad Engineering for these efforts and just let it all go.

Seven Months Later

In October 2006, small tractors were observed at the front of 109 Platinum Drive, and by December 5 of the same year, both 109 and 113 Platinum Drive had been Quitclaimed to Platinum Leasing. However, by February 2007, the Consequences of Platinum Properties' neglect became evident, as crushed underground drainage lines from heavy vehicle traffic led to significant water backup.

This rainwater encountered the coal seam beneath 109 Platinum Drive, causing it to swell and lift the building due to the hydrophilic nature of coal. Contractors eventually identified the damaged drainage lines and released the accumulated water where my aunt Mavis Lacaria then discovered three feet of clear water in her basement, despite no recorded rainfall. A February 26, 2007 news article noted that remedial work had started about two weeks earlier, highlighting the urgency of the situation.

Terradon Engineering

The 2007 Terradon Plan resulted in the floor areas and inside walls of 109 Platinum Drive to be dug out where as no original pre-construction perimeter core samples were taken. Costs of said operations exceeds the cost of constructing a new building. However; The Terradon Engineering Plan does not illustrate the underground roof drainage system. (Mentioned in the Henderson Engineering Report).

The Roof Drainage System - The Way It Was

Both 109 and 113 Platinum Drive feature extensive roof areas, collectively totaling 31,070 square feet, resulting in significant rainwater runoff that converges into a common underground drainage line with a six-inch outlet. The numerous downspouts for these buildings are positioned at the rear footer area, where the drainage line extends from the rear corner of 113 Platinum Drive into what was the sole drainage inlet (A) of the rear parking lot.

This corner lot area is characterized by minimal width, extreme encroachment, and notable lateral instabilities, which raise concerns about the effectiveness and integrity of the drainage system under heavy rainfall conditions.

The Roof Drainage System - The Reroute. The Way It Is Now

The developer added two new drop inlets, N1 and N2, and removed the original six-inch underground roof drainage line from drop inlet A. However, the newly installed six-inch drainage line was not connected to either N1 or N2, but instead, it was integrated into a twelve-inch underground drainage line extending from these new inlets. As a result, the roof drainage outflow for both buildings is no longer visible, potentially complicating monitoring and maintenance of the drainage system. Said Roof Drainage Reroute Was Also Not Shown On The Terradon Engineering Plan.

A Forty Five Degree Image Is Provided For Perspective

Drainage History

In 2003 and 2004, our barn area had experienced surface drainage runoff, leading to our barn being Repaired And Repainted by my wife and I. However, by February 2007, the barn faced Extensive Underground Drainage from the Platinum Buildings marking the first measured and documented case of any, exacerbated by rainwater runoff from 109 and 113 Platinum Drive funneled into a ruptured underground drainage line situated above the barn.

2014

The 2007 Terradon Support Slope Plan lacked a legitimate lock-in-base feature, a critical element of sound engineering design, which contributed to the failure to address issues related to large truck traffic, including garbage trucks. This oversight led to severe rutting along the full rear lot of both buildings 109 and 113 Platinum Drive.

Additionally, in 2013, a tenant of 109 reported water supply line breaks to myself and an onsite PSC regulatory agent, raising concerns about a Dominion Natural Gas utility line and its meters located underground along the rear footer of Building 109, which had already experienced documented structural upheavals in 2001 and late 2006 into 2007.

Next; Zoning