The Virginian-Pilot
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CHESAPEAKE
The Chesapeake Board of Building Code Appeals on Tuesday ordered a developer to remove drywall made in China from a hotel that was on the verge of opening its doors.
After the panel announced its decision, developer Dilip Patel said he wonders why the city hadn't taken action against other builders when the drywall has been used in other projects in Chesapeake.
"I feel that I was singled out," Patel said. "Why haven't they gone after anyone else?"
Some homeowners claim the drywall emits a sulfur-based gas that causes minor respiratory problems and corrodes electrical systems.
Before he was issued a building code violation in May, Patel and his company had been working with a city task force to move along the building of the Comfort Inn & Suites near the corner of South Military Highway and North George Washington Highway.
He said the opening will be delayed by at least six months while the drywall is removed from the already completed second and third floors.
Patel's attorney, James T. Zelloe said the hotel only has about 100 or 200 sheets of the drywall. It came from Norfolk-based Venture Supply Inc., which sold the China-made drywall to Hampton Roads builders and installers between March 2006 and 2008.
At least 50 Chesapeake homes are suspected of having the drywall. Norfolk officials have made it illegal to use it in any new construction or renovations.
"He's the only one we've seen installing it," said Robert R. Smalley, the Chesapeake's code compliance manager. "We had no idea until we ran into this that it was still being used."
The city alleged that using the drywall violated building codes. Patel appealed. On Tuesday, a five-member board voted unanimously to deny the appeal.
"I don't think they gave us enough data or information to override the codes and our concern for public health," said the board's chairman, Stephens Johnson.
Mike Saewitz, (757) 222-5207, mike.saewitz@pilotonline.com
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Would be a dump anyway
Every hotel/motel Ive seen or been in that is owned by a Patel has been a dump. Im sure this one will be no different. Thats why he doesnt care about the quality of building materials in his building.
Venture Supply
If you do a search, Venture Supply destroyed all of the Chinese drywall that they had in their warehouse. It was purchased from them before all of the issues were identified. How about pinging on the drywall installation contractor that installed it in the hotel?
will we learn
is this the first time we as a NATION! have delt with poor chinese product?no, so when will we learn!
What's the PROBLEM????
follow the link to... http://consumerist.com/5307422/radioactive-chinese-drywall-is-stinking-up-us-homes and read what consumer's reports says about the drywall. Whether it's made with slightly radioactive waster or not, it is damaging the internal mechanisms of the homes and places it is used in. It ios corrosive to electrical items and wiring and it is harming the health of individuals.
The problem has been identified...now...go back...eat the profit you had hoped to make...and don't buy defective...chinease products. Take a look at how unreliable and poorly made the products are that are coming out of china. Forget the greed factor and build something with pride with products that have some degree of quality control.... History has proven over and over....chinese manufacturing is way below par or standard for much of the worlds engineering needs.
just a question
has anyone seen ANY credible scientific evidence of what the problem is? How can the city do this if the issue is just ancedotal?
The fact that he doesn't
The fact that he doesn't want to remove the defective product that makes people sick and creates a fire hazard when copper corrodes (resistance) goes to show the greed.
Ditto
I thought the same thing. Mr. Patel is worried about the fact that the hotel isn't going to open on time but he's not concerned with the health problems people might develop who use his facility. And then to add to it by saying he's the only one being singled out. Why doesn't he report the other law breakerss to the city? Wouldn't he be doing his civic duty? Mr. Patel is only interested in his own bank account and nothing else.
You could not have said that
You could not have said that better!!!
Test the drywall
It would be nice if the City gave the developer the chance to test the drywall for sulfur based compounds. Probably not all drywall made in China is bad just as not all Tylenol made in the USA was tainted some years ago. Scientific data should over rule emotions and knee jerk reactions.
The very fact that...
This developer thought he could go to the board of zoning appeals and get out of the order. Actions like this make make me wonder just how much goes on between City officials and developers behind closed doors. Actually...I don't wonder...I've seen enough after being involved with the so called Great Bridge Village Plan "guidelines". All the talk about creating a new look to match the historical importance of the Battle of Great Bridge, and what does the City allow? A giant red chilli pepper at the GB Shopping center! Give me a break! The City was just trying to develop the adjacent wetlands and reduce parking area size requirements to help out their developer buddies cram in even more buildings into an overburdened high traffic area. It's time to start calling a spade a spade!