News Archive
Hurt & Proffitt is now a SITEOPS® Certified Provider
Hurt & Proffitt recently became a SITEOPS® Certified Provider. Click here to learn more.
VAWEA Conduit Magazine Publishes Article by Hurt & Proffitt’s Shannon Cotulla
In their premiere issue of Conduit Magazine, the Virginia Water Environment Association published an article written by Shannon Cotulla, PE. Shannon has been with Hurt & Proffitt for five years. He has an extensive background in dam design, an in-depth knowledge of the regulations, and an understanding of issues faced by dam owners attempting to bring their dams into compliance.
He is currently serving on the Regulatory Advisory Panel for the Virginia Soil and Waster Conservation Board which will focus on how limited-use roadways impact the hazard classification of dams, developing simplified methodology for dam break and inundation zone studies, and developing permits for low hazard dams. Please call Shannon for your next project at 434-847-7796.
Click below to read the article.
Lynchburg Juvenile and Domestic Relations Courthouse Earns Gold Certification
The Lynchburg Juvenile and Domestic Relations Courthouse has earned LEED gold certification and was featured in a recent article in the News & Advance in Lynchburg.
Hurt & Proffitt was responsible for all civil design for the new Lynchburg Juvenile & Domestic Relations Courthouse located in downtown Lynchburg. The $13M project will be 46,000 SF courthouse. The courthouse has a 12,400 SF roof, about half of which is green. Hurt & Proffitt teamed with DMJM Design (now AECOM) in Arlington, VA and Craddock Cunningham Architectural Partners of Lynchburg, VA. Hurt & Proffitt was also responsible in incorporating LEED design principles into the project and completion of applicable LEED credit templates for the United States Green Building Council submittal.
Hurt & Proffitt provided all civil aspects of the project which included, but not limited to, site plan, grading plan with erosion and sediment control, utility plan, stormwater management plan, landscape plan, site details, and specifications. Hurt & Proffitt was also responsible for all construction testing services including monitoring the fill placement, compaction testing, inspections of foundations, reinforcing steel, masonry construction, fire proof testing, and structural steel.
Check Out The Winter Edition Of Our Newsletter!
The winter edition of our client newsletter has been posted on our website. Topics include the opening of our new office in Roanoke, a dam owners workshop we will be sponsoring in March, a Norfolk Southern railroad bridge replacement in Lynchburg, and Randy Doss achieving new licensure. Please check out our newsletter and call us for help on your next project at 800-242-4906.
Happy Holidays From Hurt & Proffitt
May The Magic Of The Holidays Bring You Peace and Joy
From all of us at Hurt & Proffitt, we extend our sincere thanks for your steadfast support this past year. We thank you for the opportunity to serve you, and we look forward to continuing our relationship in the coming year.
In this season of giving, Hurt & Proffitt has sent donations to the Food Bank of Southeastern Virginia, The Salvation Army, Daily Bread and the Presbyterian Children’s Home of the Highlands, Inc.
Randal Doss Obtains Asbestos Licensure In Two Disciplines
Hurt & Proffitt would like to congratulate Randal Doss for achieving licensure by the Virginia DPOR Board for Asbestos, Lead, Mold and Home Inspectors in two disciplines: Asbestos Building Inspector and Asbestos Abatement Project Monitor.
Randy has been an employee with Hurt & Proffitt for 14 years and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Ferrum College. In addition to his asbestos license, he is also an Authorized Onsite Soil Evaluator (AOSE). Randy has worked hard through course work to achieve his goals. Congratulations Randy!
Check Out The Fall Edition Of Our Client Newsletter!
The fall edition of our client newsletter has been posted on our website. Topics include the Chesapeake Bay restoration and on-site sewer systems, construction beginning on the new George and Rosemary Dawson Inn, our laboratory receiving AMRL certification, and an article from our surveyors appreciating the past while using present technology. Please check out our newsletter and call us for help on your next project at 800-242-4906.
Hurt & Proffitt Assists With Reviving A Historic Cemetery
If the importance of a cemetery was measured by the number of prominent people interred there per square foot, Central Virginia’s most historic graveyard would not be the Old City Cemetery or Spring Hill.
Rather, the leading candidate would have to be an obscure Campbell County burial ground measuring just 20-by-30 feet. The eight graves it contains include those of:
- John Clark (1745-1819). A captain in the Revolutionary War and cousin of Lynchburg founder John Lynch, he was one of the original city trustees. Later, he was a judge in Campbell County, a member of the House of Delegates and Campbell County sheriff.
- William Clark (1790-1822), who fought in the War of 1812 and served in the House of Delegates.
- Christopher Henderson Clark (1767-1828), the one-time owner of historic Sandusky. Born in 1767, he was one of Bedford County’s earliest commonwealth’s attorneys, then a delegate, and finally served a term in the U.S. House of Representatives. His brother became governor of Kentucky.
- John “Captain Jack” Leftwich (1783-1833), a planter and captain in the Virginia militia. Yet another House of Delegates member, he rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel during the Civil War.
Cham Light is proud of all of them, along with the four women (Martha Clark, Mary Bullock Moore, Sally Walton Leftwich and Mary Moore Clark) who are also spending eternity there.
“They had a hard life back then,” he said. “They were pioneers.”
If they were still around, they’d probably be proud of him, too.
Saturday, all this family pride will come into focus with a rededication of the family cemetery — located at the bucolic corner of Lawyers and Missionary Manor roads — at 11 a.m. Clark and Leftwich family members will be coming in from as far away as Plano, Texas and Pittsburgh.
The location is fitting, because Cham Light is, himself, a lawyer. And so was Christopher Clark.
Light had known about the cemetery since he was a child, but grew up away from Lynchburg. When he returned, he couldn’t help but notice that the plot had become overgrown, the iron fence surrounding it rusted and swaybacked.
“What really got my attention,” he said, “was the fact that the bank on one side was badly eroded. If that had kept up, some bodies might have ended up in the middle of the street.”
The gravestones were long gone, so there was no way of knowing who was buried there. That prompted some archaelogical detective work, undertaken by the Lynchburg Historical Society and the engineering firm of Hurt & Proffitt, and Light and others used the Internet to track down descendants and information.
The county highway department fixed the erosion, the fence was taken down and donated to the Old City Cemetery, and local mason Wesley Ward built a lovely enclosing wall out of Campbell County stone.
“Since we don’t really know who’s where,” Light said, “we’ve put up a marker listing the names of all eight people.”
This area is full of little forgotten cemeteries like the Clark/Leftwich plots, orphaned when all the family members either died off or moved away.
“Putting this back together has really brought the family closer together,” Light said. “It’s been a three-year project, and I’ve gotten in contact with a lot of relatives I’ve never met.”
The owners of the house that abuts the cemetery have also been supportive, Light said. A sign in their yard reads: “No Trespassing. Guard Dogs on Duty.”
And now, so is the Clark family.
Courtesy of The News & Advance
Culpeper Town Council Awards Contract to Hurt & Proffitt
The Culpeper Town Council last night awarded a $135,000 contract to Hurt and Proffitt, a Lynchburg firm, to design the proposed inner connector that will run from Wendy’s to the Sperryville Pike and include a roundabout at the Old Rixeyville Road.
Shannon Cotulla, representing Hurt and Proffitt, said that construction on the project could begin as soon as the Virginia Department of Transportation builds its roundabout at the junction of James Madison Highway and North Main Street.
“We want to get that out of the way before we begin the inner connector,” Cotulla said. He estimated that VDOT would have its roundabout done by the beginning of 2013.
Courtesy of Fredericksburg.com
Hurt & Proffitt Assists Dollar General At Madison Town Council Meeting
The Madison Town Council postponed making a decision at its Oct. 7 regular meeting on approving the site plan for a proposed Dollar General store that may be coming to Madison.
The store has applied to build on a business-zoned vacant lot at the south end of town between F.M. Graves Veterinary Clinic and the former ABC store/sheriff’s office on Main Street. Representatives of the firm designing the building submitted the site plan to the town planning commission a few months ago, Councilor Dan Painter said after the meeting.
However, the site plan for the proposed 9,000-square foot building was not approved at the meeting as members of the council voiced concerns regarding several details of the site, including the color of brick being used by the store and the layout of the parking lot.
“We’d love to see the store here, we’d like to see it as a good addition to our town,” Painter said. “We don’t have a lot of land left so we’d like to see as good quality a building as possible put in – we’re not trying to make it the Taj Mahal of Dollar General (buildings) but that’s not to say there can’t be some improvement.”
Representatives of the store were not present at the council’s regular Thursday, Oct. 7 meeting. However, Lynchburg-based survey and engineering firm Hurt and Proffitt, which is designing the building for their client GBT Realty, sent two representatives, Troy Williams and Adam Bryant, to relay any issues back to the firm. The building, once built to town and Dollar General specifications, would be sold or leased by the realty company to Dollar General, Williams said at the meeting.
“GBT Reality, who is our client, comes in and gets a site approved by Dollar General and they either turn it over to Dollar General or they lease it to Dollar General for a number of years,” Williams said at the meeting. “I know (the realty company) has been very amicable about the materials on the building and we went back and relooked at the lighting plan … so they’ve been through a process as far as making changes with all the people who’ve been reviewing (the plan) so I’m sure that they would take the suggestions that you all may have.”
Town councilors gave the pair a list of recommendations, including changing the color of the building material to a red brick and muting the color of the metal roof, that would need to be changed or reexamined before a green-light could be given to the building project.
“So you’d like to see a better landscaping plan, the roof you’d like to change from the (unpainted metal) to a painted dark green or red … and then have a reduction of the (parking lot) drive aisles from 40 to possibly 24 feet,” Williams said. “We’d be glad to defer until the next meeting.”
Even with the suggested changes, Mayor Willie Lamar said the deal is likely to go forward after the town’s regular Nov. 4 meeting.
“I think (the Dollar General) is a good opportunity for the town and for the community,” Lamar said. “It will change, it obviously change some of the complexion of the town and the devil’s in the details, but the property’s zoned commercial so they complied with the zoning … I think that it overall will be good for the town and the community by allowing more commerce to stay in the community.”
Courtesy of the Madison County Eagle
Archaeological Excavation Underway at Historic Sandusky
Archaeologists from Hurt & Proffitt are onsite this week searching for remains of Sandusky’s 1808 porch and artifacts from the site’s earliest occupation. The project, which is funded by a grant from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources’ Threatened Sites fund, is taking place in advance of ground disturbance related to the rebuilding of the house’s dilapidated Victorian-era porch.
The archaeologists will be working in an area that has been covered and undisturbed for over 100 years. The dig may lead to the discovery of a foundation, piers or posts that may shed light on the appearance of the home’s original porch.
Additionally, many artifacts may have been casually discarded or lost in the vicinity of the porch. The recovery and study of these remains will aid in the study of daily life at the historic plantation.
This effort is the fourth archaeology project performed on Historic Sandusky since the site was taken over by the Historic Sandusky Foundation in 2001.
Lynchburg Was Recently Distinguished As One Of Forbes Magazine’s Top 50 “Best Places For Business And Careers”
Lynchburg and the surrounding area have been recognized by Forbes Magazine once again, as one of the United States’ Top 50 Best Places for Business and Careers. The Lynchburg region was ranked 49th, which beat out urban areas like Richmond, Roanoke, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Boston. Lynchburg also ranked 45th in the nation for low-cost business environment.
This important distinction is due to Lynchburg’s low-cost business environment and innovative core industry clusters of energy, technology and health care, bolstered by quality higher education institutions.
Marjette Upshur, Lynchburg’s Director of Economic Development, stated that in the past seven months the office of economic development has successfully competed against other states to secure business expansions in Lynchburg that created 457 new jobs and fostered more than $36M in new capital investment.
As you can see in this post and the recent posts on, CNBC Ranks Virginia as Top Business State for 2011 and Lynchburg Schools Make The Country’s Top Public High Schools List, Lynchburg truly is the City of Opportunity! Who wouldn’t want to live here in Lynchburg?
Lynchburg Humane Society Establishes New Home
Hurt & Proffitt is pleased to be part of a project to establish a new home for the Lynchburg Humane Society. The proposed site will be located on Old Graves Mill Road near its intersection with Graves Mill Road (see rendering). We first became involved with the project by providing a complimentary conceptual site plan and rendering which was displayed at the annual Best Friends Ball fundraiser and used for two neighborhood meetings to inform nearby residents of the Society’s plans to relocate.
Currently, Hurt & Proffitt is assisting the Humane Society with the rezoning of the proposed site. If the rezoning is approved, we will provide a site design, topographic and boundary surveying services, and stormwater permitting. The Lynchburg Humane Society has been providing services in the Lynchburg community for over 55 years. In 2009 the Board of Directors changed the mission and vision of the organization to make it a “No Kill” community. A big part of that mission is the creation of this new site which will house a Humane Education and Adoption Center.
Hurt & Proffitt Participates In Relay For Life For Third Straight Year
This year marked Hurt & Proffitt’s third straight year participating in Lynchburg’s Relay for Life to raise money for the American Cancer Society. This year our team consisted of 10 team members. The Hurt & Proffitt team raised a total of $6,600.00 in less than six months. Along with individual fund raising efforts, the team held two pancake breakfasts, a yard sale, and a very successful lunch cookout in which we delivered over 120 lunches to area businesses.
The Relay for Life event was held on June 3rd at Heritage High School’s track where 144 teams walked or camped around the track throughout the night. Because cancer never sleeps, relays are overnight events where each team is asked to have a representative walking around the track at all times. Our fundraising efforts continued into the evening where we held our annual college sports ball raffle. The raffle consisted of a Virginia Tech football autographed by head coach Frank Beamer, a Virginia Tech basketball autographed by head coach Seth Greenberg, a UVA football autographed by head coach Mike London, and a UVA basketball autographed by head coach Tony Bennett and players.
The Relay for Life event can be bittersweet. Some participate to honor those who have battled or who are battling cancer, some to remember loved ones who lost their battle, and all participate to help bring an end to this terrible disease. Whatever the reason, the community comes together for a great cause.
Even though the event is over, you can still donate through August 31st. Please visit our team page http://main.acsevents.org/goto/hurtandproffitt if you are interested in making a donation.
Hurt & Proffitt Participates in Lynchburg Day of Caring
Recently, six of our dedicated Hurt & Proffitt employees spent the day assembling and staining picnic tables for the Lynchburg Regional Soccer Complex as part of the annual United Way Day of Caring event.
The Lynchburg “Day of Caring” is an annual event sponsored by the United Way of Central Virginia. Over 1300 volunteers participated this year from all over the area; businesses, churches, non-profit organizations and many others joined together for a day of giving back to our community.
Approximately 50 companies and select employees worked on more than 200 projects at 40 non-profits throughout the City for the annual Day of Caring. Serving projects ranged from landscaping, city clean-up, building wheel chair ramps, painting, washing vehicles and much, much more. This yearly event is great opportunity to partner with our local organizations for the purpose of serving our community.
Hurt & Proffitt loves serving our community whenever possible and really enjoys this event in particular. Our company looks forward to this every year and plans on volunteering in it for many years to come.
Andy Klepac Passes PE Examination
We are pleased to announce that Andy Klepac, in our Lynchburg office, has passed his PE exam. Andy graduated in 2006 from the University of Virginia with a degree in Civil Engineering. He has 5 years of engineering experience, with an emphasis on site layout, grading, E&S plan preparation, and stormwater management. During his almost 3 years at Hurt & Proffitt, he has had the opportunity to work on a variety of land development, utility, and roadway projects. Congratulations Andy on your achievement.
Albert Hammett Awarded Land Surveyor License
We are pleased to announce that Albert Hammett, in our Norfolk office, has been awarded the Land Surveyor license for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Albert has over 22 years of field and office survey experience as a party chief, survey technician, field crew supervisor, and project surveyor. His expertise is in ALTA, control, construction, mortgage, topographical, and boundary surveys. He is proficient in courthouse research, survey computations, and has extensive experience with both AutoCAD and Microstation. He has been employed at Hurt & Proffitt for 3 years. Congratulations Albert!
Chad Hodges Passes EIT Exam
Hurt & Proffitt (H&P) is pleased to announce that Chad Hodges, in our Lynchburg office, has passed his EIT exam. Chad will graduate in December 2011 from Old Dominion University with a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering Technology and a minor in Engineering Management. He has been employed by Hurt & Proffitt for over four years. During his time here at Hurt & Proffitt, he has helped draft/design multiple water and sewer systems, including the eight mile water line from Concord to Appomattox. We applaud Chad’s hard work and commitment.
Hurt & Proffitt’s IT Director Presents At Virginia Region 2000 Technology Council’s “Wired Wednesday”
On April 27th , Hurt & Proffitt’s IT Director, Gerald Cox presented at the Virginia Region 2000 Technology Council’s Wired Wednesday. Wired Wednesday is a quarterly Lunch & Learn event that focuses on a specific business technology topic from a regional expert. Recent topics have featured Cloud Computing, the Center for Advanced Engineering and IT Risk Assessments.
The most recent topic was “Mobile Computing For Business & Education”. Gerald’s presentation covered Hurt & Proffitt’s past and present use of wireless technology, particularly our use of GPS equipment for surveying in the field. After the presentation, Gerald participated in a panel discussion with other presenters from Lynchburg City Schools, TBL Networks and Ntelos.
Hurt & Proffitt is a proud member of the Virginia Region 2000 Technology Council.
Hurt & Proffitt’s Green Social Recognized On Recent Blog
Dan Smolen, author of the book “Tailoring the Green Suit”, has featured Hurt & Proffitt’s Green Social in a blog post titled “10 Things I Didn’t Know About Lynchburg, Va.” Mr. Smolen was the guest speaker at the Green Social in March.
Next time you’re in town, don’t forget to stop by the Green Social held every first Thursday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at the Depot Grille in downtown Lynchburg. It is an open forum for people working with environmental issues (academia, business, government, environmental groups, and individuals). Anyone can come to discuss their thoughts, opinions, related to environmental issues.
To find out more, visit www.greendrinks.org.
Check Out The Spring Edition Of Our Client Newsletter!
The spring edition of our client newsletter has been posted on our website. Topics include our work on three projects in three different states and on three distinct islands, the Hog Island Wildlife Management Area Shoreline Stablization project, how growth and change all start with surveying, and our attendance at the Brownfields Conference. Please check out our newsletter and call us for help on your next project at 800-242-4906.
Hurt & Proffitt’s Extraordinary Response To An Unusual Request
One of the most attractive aspects of a career in civil engineering is the wide diversity in types of work, and, at Hurt & Proffitt (H&P), that aspect is certainly evident. We are asked to provide a wide variety of services, some of which are unusual, to say the least.
An example of that is our recent assistance in the removal of a pickup truck that had rolled into a lake. The property owner called H&P and requested immediate assistance so as to prevent leakage of fuel, oil, grease, or other contaminants which could adversely impact the environment. H&P has many contacts, in many different fields of work, and was able to have a local subconsultant at the site less than 1½ hours after receiving the property owner’s call. With assistance from H&P in preparation and in monitoring the equipment, dive, and communications, our subconsultant was able to locate the submerged vehicle and hook a wrecker’s winch cable to it.
The truck was pulled from the lake and onto the bank about five hours after its disappearance.The truck owner cannot expect to get his truck restored to him, but the lake owner was satisfied that H&P’s quick response to an unusual problem prevented any damage to his property or the environment.
Although the facts of this story are unusual, the Hurt and Proffitt response is not. Responding to the varied needs of our customers and finding effective solutions is our mission. Please call our Civil Engineering Department at 434-847-7796 to explore solutions our experts can design for your project.
Hurt & Proffitt Hires W. Chris Nixon As Director of Environmental Services
Hurt & Proffitt, Inc is pleased to announce the hiring of W. Chris Nixon as the Director of Environmental Services. Mr. Nixon is returning to Hurt & Proffitt after a fifteen year period working throughout the Northern U.S. specifically for medium and large A/E firms. Chris has over nineteen years of experience within the environmental and industrial hygiene industry. Mr. Nixon holds several certifications and/or licenses: Asbestos Inspector, Management Planner, Abatement Designer, Project Monitor and Lead Risk Assessor, etc.
Mr. Nixon has extensive experience as an industrial hygienist providing indoor air quality assessments for microbiological agents, methamphetamines and unknown chemicals. Mr. Nixon broadens our abilities to provide OSHA compliance monitoring for industrial/manufacturing facilities. Environmentally, Mr. Nixon will bring his expertise to Hurt & Proffitt, developing Phase I, II and III Environmental Site Assessments, air permitting and other DEQ related permitting activities. We are excited about the new opportunities that Chris brings to Hurt & Proffitt.
Hurt & Proffitt Welcomes Angela Rivas, PE To Our Norfolk Office
Hurt & Proffitt would like to welcome Angela Rivas, PE to our Norfolk office. Angela has a varied background in site planning, water, wastewater, stormwater, and pump station design. She has worked on private development projects in the Hampton Roads area for the past four years. Previously, she was involved in municipal work for the City of Virginia Beach. She has worked with Bowman Consulting, Massey Design, the City of Virginia Beach Public Utilities and Autometric, Inc, now a part of Boeing Corporation. Her work with Autometric included GIS, mapping and photogrammetric work for the Department of Defense.
Ms. Rivas is a graduate of Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering. She will serve as a Project Manager for the firm and is the professional in responsible charge for all engineering design activities in the Norfolk office. We are excited about having Angela on board and are looking forward to having her help us grow the Norfolk office.
Troy D. Williams Re-Appointed Region IV Director of Virginia Association of Surveyors
Troy D. Williams, LS, a Vice President at Hurt & Proffitt, was re-appointed Region IV Director of the Virginia Association of Surveyors (VAS) for 2011. He has been part of Hurt & Proffitt for over 20 years and holds surveying licenses in Virginia and West Virginia.
Troy is the manager of Hurt & Proffitt’s Survey Department in Lynchburg, VA. He has served as survey field crew member, survey technician, and coordinator of Hurt & Proffitt’s many survey field crews; he is especially proficient with the in-house processing of field data & GPS systems.
Troy has had a direct role in many of Hurt & Proffitt’s largest surveying projects over the past 20 years. Troy is currently serving as President of the Southern Chapter for the Virginia Association of Surveyors and now has been re-elected as Region IV Director. He holds memberships in the National Society of Professional Surveyors and the West Virginia Association of Surveyors.
Troy’s interest in surveying began at eighteen when he began his career at Hurt & Proffitt and has been technology-driven throughout his career being the first to implement the latest technology into Hurt & Proffitt’s field and office procedures throughout the years.
Work Begins On New Dormitory At Fork Union Military Academy
Hurt & Proffitt is proud to announce a partnership with English Construction Company and Bowie Gridley Architects for the new dormitory project at Fork Union Military Academy. The facility will be known as Jacobson Hall and will be a 3-story 92,000 square foot facility when complete. The team has prepared a turnkey design build project that will house 500 cadets in 250 sleeping rooms.
Hurt & Proffitt is providing full survey, civil engineering design and materials testing services for the project. The structure is designed to be extremely durable and long lasting with minimal anticipated maintenance. The building will be constructed of load-bearing concrete masonry exterior walls with pre-stressed, precast concrete plank floors.
The exterior of the building has been designed to compliment the Academy’s existing architecture and it is anticipated that the building will receive a LEED silver certification. This is a continuation of our services and commitment to Fork Union Military Academy which most recently has included the campus maintenance building.
Check out more news about our current projects in the winter edition of our client newsletter.
Check Out The Winter Edition Of Our Client Newsletter!
The winter edition of our client newsletter has been posted on our website. Topics include our new Cultural Resource Management service, how to find funding for your project, and work on a new dormitory at Fork Union Military Academy. Please check out our newsletter and call us for help on your next project at 800-242-4906.
Hurt & Proffitt and Sweet Briar College Open New Archaeology Laboratory
Hurt & Proffitt Inc. is collaborating with Sweet Briar College to expand its cultural resource management services. The company has teamed with the nearby women’s college to establish the Sweet Briar College Archaeological Materials Laboratory. Under the agreement, the lab will process, record and temporarily curate artifacts discovered as a result of work performed by the company for its clients.
The laboratory is expected to be fully operational by the end of January, although work has already begun to process materials from an ongoing Hurt & Proffitt project. Archaeologist Randy Lichtenberger is H&P’s director of cultural resources. He said the new lab complements the cultural resource management, or CRM, services the company already offers for clients, whether they are meeting regulatory requirements to investigate their project’s impact on historic properties or conducting an investigation solely for research purposes.
“The Sweet Briar lab is an essential component of our archaeological services. It allows us to offer a complete range of those services to our clients,” Lichtenberger said, noting that with archaeologists Keith Adams and Perry Tourtellotte directing its operation, it will be led by highly qualified and experienced professionals.
In addition to cleaning, labeling and cataloging artifacts, the lab will coordinate with consultants in specialized subfields such as conservation and faunal or macro-botanical analysis when required.
Two rooms in Gray Hall, home to the College’s archaeology program, are being renovated and equipped to accommodate the new lab. Adams and Tourtellotte, both adjunct instructors at Sweet Briar, will supervise paid student employees who will do much of the work.
“Perry and I will direct the lab and train students in cultural resource management, artifact processing, curation and analysis — all hands-on skills training for students in archaeology or arts management,” Adams said. “Depending on students’ background and interest, we could employ anthropology, art history, history and classics majors.”
Adams also is hoping a new one-credit course on archaeology lab management will be approved to be taught with SBC’s archaeology field course beginning next fall. “In that case the lab will be used as a full-fledged classroom teaching environment,” he said.
H&P’s staff archaeologists and architectural historians are experienced in helping public and private clients meet complex regulatory requirements in projects ranging from small developments to interstate transmission lines. Lichtenberger said each one meets or exceeds Department of the Interior requirements for professional qualifications. And they’re experts in developing CRM plans as the most cost-effective way to balance development with the preservation of significant cultural resources.
They also have worked with private preservationists and museums, including the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest.
“In fact, all of our cultural resources personnel are actively involved in historical societies, professional associations and personal research projects,” Lichtenberger said, noting that among his colleagues, history is as much a passion as a job.
Hurt & Proffitt’s complete company portfolio includes environmental engineering, geotechnical services, land development, and construction testing and inspection. Employee-owned since 1996, it is one of the largest civil engineering firms in Central Virginia and has offices in Norfolk and Wytheville.
Beyond the new lab, the collaboration between Hurt & Proffitt and the College offers great potential for Sweet Briar students. Those with appropriate excavation experience will be given priority for paid summer internships or employment as archaeological field technicians for the company. But as the relationship matures, both parties envision opportunities extending to students in the engineering, business, environmental studies and other programs.
“The opportunities created by this collaboration have been terrific” said Bif Johnson, Hurt & Proffitt’s chief executive officer and president. “Sweet Briar students get exposure to real-world projects, the College gets a well-equipped lab, Hurt & Proffitt is able to offer an entirely new service, and our clients get high quality services offered locally.”
Sweet Briar President Jo Ellen Parker agrees the new lab is a plus all the way around. “It is good for education, good for business and good for our community,” she said. “Sweet Briar is very proud to be partnering with local business to create value. While providing a valuable service to Hurt & Proffitt, our students will gain hands-on experience — and show why archaeology matters outside the academy.”
Season’s Greetings from Hurt & Proffitt
Wishing you every happiness this Holiday Season and prosperity in the New Year.
As 2010 comes to a close, we would like to take this opportunity to once again extend our sincere thanks for your steadfast support throughout this past year.
In this season of giving, Hurt & Proffitt has sent donations to the Daily Bread, Lynchburg Grows, the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia, HOPE Inc. ‘Helping Overcome Poverty’s Existence,’ and the Presbyterian Children’s Home of the Highlands, Inc.
Thank you for being our client. We look forward to continuing our relationship in the coming year. Hoping you and your family have a healthy, happy 2011.
Green Social – Meeting Date and Time Change as of January
As of January our Green Social meetings will be changing to the first Thursday of every month at 6:30, immediately after the USGBC Southwest Chapter meeting. For more information on the USGBC SW Chapter please visit their website: http://usgbcswva.org/
For those of you who are not familiar with the Green Social in Lynchburg.
WHAT IS GREEN SOCIAL?
An open forum for people working with environmental issues (academia, business, government, environmental groups, and individuals). Anyone can come, to discuss their thoughts, opinions, releted to environmental issues. Attendees are welcome to actively invite people to the meetings.
This is a great way to network!
To learn more about Green Drinks please visit www.greendrinks.org
WHEN:
First Thursday of every month at 6:30
WHERE:
Depot Grille
10 9th Street
Lynchburg, VA 24504
434-846-4464
HOW:
Walk, bike, bus, or carpool
WHO:
Anyone interested in environmental issues or studying them
WHY:
Networking, fun, contacts, information, inspiration, business and pleasure
Joseph’s Dream – Providing Housing Opportunities For The Elderly in Bedford
Joseph’s Dream is a 50-unit apartment community located on a hillside in the City of Bedford, VA. It is composed of five 4-unit buildings, five 6-unit buildings and one community center/office building. Each one-bedroom apartment unit measures 540 square feet. Joseph’s Dream is a Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program project, designed to support the low-income elderly. Construction was completed in August 2010.
The project team consisted of Rev. David L. Moore of Metropolitan Housing and CDC, Inc. (sponsor), Brett Massey and Stan Starr (housing consultants), Hurt and Proffitt (civil engineering/land development, geotechnical engineering, surveying, and construction staking), Moore Riley Architects PA (architecture), and E.D. Parker Corporation (general contractor). This was the first project this team worked on together. The team is currently working on two additional HUD 202 projects: one in Christiansburg, VA and one in Franklin County, VA.
The major design challenge faced on this project was the topography. The site’s large footprint required a significant amount of earthwork and several tall segmental block retaining walls. Approximately 25,000 cubic yards was moved on this balanced site and rock was encountered in some of the cuts.
Check out more news about our current projects in the fall edition of our client newsletter.
National Water Access Organization SOBA Recognizes Five States and Three Individuals with Outstanding Achievement Awards
The States Organization for Boating Access (SOBA), a national organization devoted to the acquisition, development and administration of public recreational boating facilities throughout the U.S., announced today the recipients of its 2010 annual SOBA Awards Program. Awards are given to states and individuals for their work in creating public boating access areas. Recognized include Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Virginia, and Wisconsin. In addition to the five state awards, three boating access professionals were recognized for their service to SOBA and their individual state boating programs. Awards were distributed during SOBA’s 24th National Meeting in Park City, Utah in October.
The SOBA Awards Program recognizes the outstanding work that goes into growing and maintaining water access for the nation’s estimated 66 million boaters. Award recipients are selected by SOBA’s Executive Board. Visit www.sobaus.org to learn more about the annual Awards and how to nominate someone for the 2011 program.
“Recreational boating is big business in the U.S. and access to the water is what makes this possible. State agencies are a critical component in providing affordable access to our nation’s public waterways and lakes,” said SOBA president James Adams. “State agencies overcome numerous challenges to continue providing some of the best facilities for our boating constituents and we are proud to recognize them for their efforts.”
The 2010 National Awards are as follows:
Public Boating Access:
Small Access Category: Eight Point Lake Boating Access Development Project, Clare County, Michigan: The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment constructed a new one lane ramp with 22 parking spaces to provide anglers and boaters access to the largest public water body in Clare County. The total project cost was $30,000.
Mid-size Access Category: Lawnes Creek Boating Access Facility, Surry County, Virginia: The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries rehabilitated the popular Lawnes Creek Boating Access site to provide boaters with a safer updated launch site using new alternative construction materials. The total project cost was $220,000.
Large Access Category: Huron River Wildlife Area Ramp Access, Erie County, Ohio. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Watercraft constructed a large scale boating access site on the Huron River Wildlife Management Area to provide boaters and anglers increased access to Lake Erie’s western basin. This new 9 acre development features 4 launch lanes, 135 parking spaces, courtesy docks and modern restroom facilities. The total project cost was $2.4 million.
Marina and Harbor Development: Straits State Harbor, Mackinaw, Michigan: The Michigan Department of Natural Resources converted a previously used ferry terminal into a state of the art public marina. The marina has 134 slips, a 3 lane launch ramp, sewage pumpout facilities while utilizing “green’ technologies to limit the environmental impact. The total project cost was $11 million.
Overall Boating Access Boating Program: The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ boating access was recognized for their efforts with providing access to the state’s public waters. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources owns and operates 620 boating access sites statewide and partners with local governments to operate an additional 2,290 facilities. The agency developed and released its popular internet website in 2007.
Clean Vessel Act Program Excellence Award: New Jersey’s diverse and public/private partnership based Clean Vessel Act program was recognized for its efforts with providing sewage pumpout facilities for recreational boaters. The program cooperators include the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, New Jersey Division of Coastal Engineering, the state Marine Trades Association, as well as the New Jersey Marine Science Consortium. The overall program is credited with safely collecting and disposing of more than 5 million gallons of sewage and waste removed from recreational vessels.
Individual Award Recipients for 2010:
SOBA Outstanding Service Award: Kim Elverum, Boat and Water Safety Coordinator for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Elverum was recognized for his expertise and commitment to providing Minnesota’s boaters and anglers with public boating access sites and consistently seeking ways to maximize the amount of the public access sites completed by the agency.
Special Recognition Award: Lacy E. Nichols, Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife. Nichols has been a member of SOBA since 1991 and has been involved in numerous committees and task forces. He was instrumental in developing SOBA’s renowned Operational and Maintenance Program Guides for Recreational Boating Facilities and also the Boating Access Construction Best Management Practices instructional DVD.
William H. Ivers Award: Mike Hough, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife (retired). Hough has been actively involved in countless SOBA activities, including serving as the organization’s President in 2000. This award is SOBA’s most prestigious individual award named to honor the memory of its namesake who helped found the organization.
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About the State’s Organization for Boating Access: SOBA is the nation’s premier organization for boating access engineers and public access providers. SOBA will celebrate its 25th anniversary at its upcoming annual meeting in La Crosse, Wisconsin on September 25-29, 2011. For additional information, please visit SOBA’s web site (http://sobaus.org).
Check Out The Fall Edition Of Our Client Newsletter
The fall edition of our client newsletter has been posted on our website. Topics include work on the Route 221 Improvement Project in Roanoke County, the Joseph’s Dream apartment project, and a wetland delineation regulation update. Please check out our newsletter and call us for help on your next project at 800-242-4906.
Environmental Scientist Tiffany Clifton Licensed As Professional Wetland Delineator
Please join us in congratulating Tiffany Clifton on receiving her licensure from the DPOR Board for Professional Soil Scientists and Wetland Professionals as a Professional Wetland Delineator.
Tiffany is an Environmental Scientist in our Environmental Department. Her areas of concentration lie in Phase I & II site assessments, transaction screenings, and regulatory updating, compliance, and reporting. Her expertise also includes performing wetland and aquatic area delineations, coordinating onsite approvals from the US Army Corps of Engineers, performing stream assessments using the Unified Stream Methodology, watershed planning, assisting with 404 and 401 permitting, compensatory mitigation requirements for impacts to wetlands and streams, permit compliance monitoring and reporting, Virginia Stormwater Management Program (VSMP) permitting, and NPDES Stormwater Phase II and Stormwater/Watershed Management. She assists clients and project managers with the arduous state and federal requirements allowing the project to move smoothly through to a successful process.
Thanks to her knowledge, experience, and hard work, she is now one of only 109 Professional Wetland Delineators in the state. Should you have any questions concerning environmental assistance for your next project, call her at 800-242-4906.
Hardware River WMA Boat Ramp Now Open with Completion of New Bridge
The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has officially opened the new bridge across the Hardware River leading to the boat ramp on the James River and improved the access road into the 1,055 acre WMA. The access road and boat ramp were opened on August 4 and officially dedicated September 2. The new bridge replaces the one originally constructed in 1932, and re-built by the Department in 1984.
Hurt & Proffitt provided surveying, geotechnical engineering, environmental permitting and civil engineering services to the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries for the development of this bridge in Fluvanna County, VA. Our services included hydraulic analysis of the Hardware and James River required to determine the elevation of the new bridge. The project included on-site and off-site borrow pits where erosion and sediment control plans and restoration plans were required for the General Contractor to construct the new bridge.
Hurt & Proffitt participated with officials of DGIF in reviewing the General Contractor proposals and conducting a thorough investigation of the proposals before the project was awarded. We provided all documents for obtaining the release of the permits to construct the new bridge. These documents included the release letters from the various reviewing agencies leading to the permit to construct from the Virginia Marine Resources Commission. Hurt & Proffitt also provided construction observation and materials testing services during the construction process.
Hurt & Proffitt Helps Provide New Bridge For Henry County Community
Hurt & Proffitt provided construction stakeout on the new bridge in Henry County. The crew from Hurt & Proffitt was made up of Kenny Kemp, Tim Bagby, Donnie Scrivener, and Josh Venable. The new $2.4 million bridge is located in the Fieldale community and connects to Appalachian-Koelher Road. It replaces the original bridge that was built in the 1930’s.
According to VDOT, about 4,500 cars are expected to use it each day. Henry County leaders hope more industrial businesses will settle into Fieldale since the bridge, which is a main thoroughfare, is now strong enough to handle heavy-duty trucks and cargo. The project was completed three months ahead of schedule. Work on the bridge began in April 2009. A truss from the old bridge is on permanent display at the nearby Fieldale ballpark.
Green Social Topic: Compensatory Mitigation Banking. Come Out And Network On Tuesday, August 3rd
Please come out and listen to speaker, Cindy Hankley, owner of Glenthorne Farm, talk about compensatory mitigation banking for unavoidable impacts to waters of the US. It will take place at our next Green Social held this Tuesday, August 3rd at 5:30 p.m. at the Depot Grille (Downtown Lynchburg). This is a great way to come out and network as well as discuss/learn about green ideas. We hope to see you there.
Save Money With A Geotechnical Investigation Early In Your Project
A critical key to the success of a project is identifying the costs as early as possible. All too often, subsurface investigation is left out of projects at the conceptual phase. Later in the project development, geotechnical investigation is typically required to evaluate bearing pressure for foundations or suitability of the soil for use on the project. At that point it is often when we uncover issues like high water tables, contaminated soils, expansive clay, sink holes, or rock which drive up the cost of the project.
If we are called out at the conceptual stage to do a preliminary subsurface investigation, we can identify and minimize these costly problems in advance. For example, by knowing the depth to rock on the project your Site Design team can layout the project to minimize added cost of rock excavation.
Unlike most companies that provide drilling services, Hurt & Proffitt provides a geologist on sight during drilling operations. Our knowledgeable and experienced staff can provide insights far beyond classification of the soil coming out of the borehole. They can identify environmental issues and provide overall sight characterization that can help you minimize future expenses.
Please contact Shannon Cotulla, PE at 434-847-7796 in our Geotechnical Department for more information on how an early geotechnical investigation can reduce cost on your next project. Read more about what’s going on at Hurt & Proffitt in our client newsletter by clicking the link at the top of the page.
Check Out The Summer Edition Of Our Client Newsletter
The summer edition of our client newsletter has been posted. Topics for this edition include decentralized wastewater systems, our various work across the state, and how to save money on your next project by getting a geotechnical investigation early in your project. Please check out our newsletter and call us for help on your next project at 800-242-4906.
Hurt & Proffitt Awarded Another Five-Year Contract with James Madison University
Hurt & Proffitt, Inc. is proud to announce that we were awarded another five year contract with James Madison University. We have been working with JMU since 2003 and this is the second award of a 5-year term contract with them. We are very proud of our relationship with the staff and leadership of JMU and are looking forward to continuing our work with them.
Hurt & Proffitt Participates In United Way of Central Virginia’s Annual Day of Caring
Hurt & Proffitt employees (Matt Leslie, Mike McPeake, Patrick Proffitt, Scott Beasley, Mike Condrey, Kenny Kemp, Josh Venable, Donnie Scrivener, and Tim Bagby) volunteered to build one large picnic table and three small childrens’ picnic tables for the Rivermont Avenue Baptist Church Early Learning Center.
We arrived at 8:00 am on Wednesday, May 12th, and met with the center’s Director, Greta Morris, to set up our construction area. Team 1 (Kemp, Bagby, Beasley, Scrivener, and Venable) built the large picnic table and the Team 2 (Leslie, McPeake, Proffitt, and Condrey) built the small childrens’ picnic tables. Once the tables were completed, they were stained by Josh Venable and Tim Bagby. Team 1 finished their table and then drilled drain holes in the playground’s “Discovery Box” and lifted up the box from the ground by putting landscape timbers underneath the box.
Ms. Morris was very pleased with the picnic tables and improved “Discovery Box”. Hurt & Proffitt also donated the cost of the building materials. Both teams enjoyed the building project and look forward to next year’s Day of Caring!
Hurt & Proffitt Selected By Northampton County To Help Two Regions Meet Wastewater Needs
Hurt & Proffitt, Inc. was selected by Northampton County to work with them on projects that will meet wastewater needs in two regions of the county. Northampton County sought proposals from qualified engineering firms in early April and selected Hurt & Proffitt from a field of six proposals that were submitted.
The northern “Project A” will bring public sanitary sewer service to portions of the Towns of Exmore and Nassawadox and the areas in between. It will also provide an upgrade to the treatment facility in Exmore to give additional treatment capacity. The Southern “Project B” will expand sanitary sewer in the Cape Charles area ultimately bringing in portions of the Town of Cheriton.
Hurt & Proffitt, Inc. brought Eldon James & Associates and Sue Rowland Consulting to the team to handle Grant Administration and Community Facilitation aspects of the projects. Dominion Soil Science was a part of the team to assist with the on-site dispersal system that will be a part of the project. Golder Associates is also a part of our team and will provide Eastern Shore experience and expertise in soils and water sources issues.
Northampton County officials, along with the Towns of Exmore, Nassawadox, Cape Charles, and Cheriton, will be a part of the Management Team that will be brought together to work on the project. The team is committed to bringing a successful project to the citizens and communities of Northampton County.
Shannon D. Cotulla, PE Promoted To Department Head
Hurt & Proffitt is pleased to announce that Shannon D. Cotulla, PE, has been promoted into the Department Head position for the Geotechnical and Materials Testing Department.
Shannon graduated from North Carolina State University in 1998 with a BS in Civil Engineering. He has been with Hurt & Proffitt for nearly 5 years. His first 3 years were in the Civil Department before leaving to join VDOT. Since he’s been back with us he has done a number of municipal and dam related projects that have expanded his knowledge and expertise. While at VDOT he filled a number of managerial and leadership positions that afforded him the opportunity to gain significant skills in these areas. His last two years with VDOT were spent in the Executive Leadership program, including sitting in the position of Acting District Construction Engineer. While in that capacity he was over the District’s Preliminary Engineering Departments and the Construction Inspections and Materials Testing Departments. The leadership skills and familiarity with the technical aspects he gained while in that capacity will bring great benefit to our Geotechnical and Materials Testing Department.
In addition to filling this new role, Shannon will also continue to provide engineering services to our clients through the Civil Department.
Hurt & Proffitt’s Relay For Life Team Gets Help From Buffalo Wild Wings
Hurt & Proffitt’s Relay for Life team has a fundraising opportunity with Buffalo Wild Wings on Wards Road. Between Friday, April 30 and Friday, May 14, they will donate 15% of your food purchase to our Relay team to help fight against cancer. You must have a specially marked card to participate. Please call 434-847-7796 for more information on how to receive one of these cards.
Hurt & Proffitt Has Been Selected By The Town of Troutville
Hurt & Proffitt has been selected by the Town of Troutville Town Council to prepare the Preliminary Engineering Report to cover the water system leak problem the Town is experiencing. Hurt & Proffitt was also chosen to prepare the plans and specifications for the water system improvements that will be recommended in the Preliminary Engineering Report. The PER will be prepared to the standards of the Virginia Department of Health and the USDA – Rural Development. The original water system for the Town appears to be the source of the problem where over 30,000 feet of various plastic pipe sizes have been laid.
Join Us At The Green Social Featuring Kelly Hitchcock With Region 2000
Come out to our next Green Social on Tuesday, May 4th at 5:30 p.m. at the Depot Grille. Kelly Hitchcock from Region 2000 will be doing a mini presention on how we can cleanup eight local streams. This event is an open forum for people working with environmental issues. Anyone can come to discuss their thoughts and opinions related to environmental issues. Don’t miss it! Green Social events are held every first Tuesday of the month. To learn more about Green Drinks please visit www.greendrinks.org.
David Wells Receives Surveyor Photogrammestrist Designation
Hurt & Proffitt (H&P) is pleased to announce that David Wells, in our Norfolk office, has received Surveyor Photogrammetrist designation in the Commonwealth of Virginia. David is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and has been employed by H&P for over four years. He has provided various services at H&P, including GIS and aerial mapping. He was also part of the team that surveyed the 57 mile boundary at Fort Pickett in Blackstone, VA. Congratulations, David, we applaud your hard work and commitment toward obtaining your Surveyor Photogrammetrist license!
Hurt & Proffitt Has Been Selected For The Prince Edward County Alternative Route 628 Project
Prince Edward County Board of Supervisors recently selected Hurt & Proffitt to provide all the engineering design services, environmental permitting and construction administration and inspection services for the development of the new alternate Route 628 in Prince Edward County. The new roadway will be approximately 4,000 feet in length and it will serve the new Granite Falls Hotel and Conference Center. The new roadway will provide two 12 ft wide travel lanes with bike lanes on either side of the roadway. The new roadway will connect to Route 15 at its intersection with Dominion Drive. The intersection signals will be upgraded to allow for the new 4 way intersection. The project will be a Locally Administered Project funded through VDOT’s revenue sharing program.
The new roadway will provide the opportunity for Prince Edward County to remove existing through traffic from the current location of Route 628. Existing Route 628 serves the educational school complex for the County.
The project manager for Prince Edward County will be Ms. Sharon Carney, EDA Director.
Upgrades Begin At The Henry H. Lanum Jr. Water Filtration Plant
The Henry H. Lanum Jr. Water Filtration Plant, located on Route 130 in Amherst County, was built in 1955. The plant was expanded in 1977 to increase the capacity to 2.0 million gallons per day (MGD).
In 2006, Amherst County Service Authority (ACSA) began a process to address ongoing changes in the regulatory landscape and the need for modernization. As a result, the project team of Hurt & Proffitt, Arcadis U.S. Inc., and Kincaid-Bryant prepared construction documents for a technological upgrade that will address new regulatory requirements, replace and repair aging equipment and structures, and prepare the plant for a future production capacity of 4.0 MGD. Improvements to the facility include a new clearwell, control room, chlorine room and loading dock.
In the fall of 2009, ACSA entered into a $6 million contract with English Construction Company, Inc. to complete the technological plant upgrades over an 18 month period. Limited open space and the need to keep the facility in operation will require continued H&P coordination of communications between the County, design team, and the contractor.
Woodland Retirement Community Holds Ground Breaking Ceremony
The Woodland Retirement Community in Farmville, VA held a ‘Ground Breaking Ceremony’ for the new therapy facility and 30 bed addition on March 19, 2010. Members of the Board of Trustees, administrative staff, architectural and engineering consultants, and the general contractor participated in the event.
Hurt & Proffitt completed all the surveying, civil engineering, geotechnical engineering, and environmental permitting required for the project. The design consists of a large parking lot of a proposed building addition, which will eliminate an existing 76-space parking lot. We are working with the building’s architect to design site improvements associated with the proposed addition.
The project has two phases. The first phase consists of the advanced site package and includes construction of a new 153-space parking lot, service drive, utility relocation, management of stormwater quantity and quality, relocation of an existing nursing school building, and other related work.
The second phase consists of site work associated with the building addition, an additional 37-space parking lot, utility connections, relocation of a back-up generator and electrical transformer, and management of stormwater quality and quantity. Despite the harsh winter in Farmville, the project is close to being on schedule for completion by the end of 2010.
Hurt & Proffitt Professionals Talk To Local Students About Careers In Engineering and Surveying
On February 24-26, several Hurt & Proffitt professionals went to E. C. Glass High School and Heritage High School in Lynchburg to talk to students about engineering and surveying related careers. All presenters were asked to give a one hour presentation describing how and why they pursued a career in engineering or surveying, including their work and various achievements in their chosen fields.
Shannon Cotulla, PE, and Bob Hopkins, PE, from our Civil Engineering department, talked to Mrs. Kim Hansen’s technology class at E. C. Glass High School about civil engineering. A slide show of photographs from many of their projects was included.
Raina Rosado, PE and Tiffany Clifton presented to Mr. Daniel Vanderpol’s drafting class at Heritage High School. Raina gave a brief description of the variety of different projects that civil engineers have done in our Land Development department. Tiffany followed Raina’s presentation with information about environmental issues and the forever changing federal, state, and local regulations that affect civil engineers’ site designs. Tiffany and Raina described how they work as a team to successfully design construction documents to meet the needs of our clients as well as meeting the environmental constraints of a site.
Licensed surveyor, Mike Cassidy met with students to provide information on steps required to pursue licensing in Commonwealth of Virginia. Details were provided on education, experience, and testing required to become a licensed surveyor. Examples of how professional surveying plays a part in civil engineering projects were discussed with the students though project photographs and drawings. Specific local projects were included in the presentation, including the Centra Health Bed Tower and Route 29 Bypass James River Twin Bridges. Students from both schools responded with many questions and appeared to enjoy the real life project examples.
We would like to thank each of the schools for allowing us to meet with students during normal class hours. We appreciate Mrs. Kim Hansen and Mr. Daniel Vanderpol allowing us to visit their classroom. Special thanks to Gary Harvey, chairman of the Technical Drawing Advisory Committee, for coordinating the presentations. Judging by the attention of students during their talk and questions afterwards, the information was well-received and many students are considering pursuing careers in these fields.
Troy D. Williams, LS Recognized by the Virginia Association of Surveyors for Service
Troy D. Williams, LS was recently recognized for service to the Southern Chapter as President for the Virginia Association of Surveyors at the Crown Sterling in Lynchburg, VA on February 11, 2010. He was presented with a plaque and will now be included in the Past Presidents Council.
This was also the annual Valentine’s dinner meeting for the Southern Chapter where approximately 25 members and guests enjoyed cocktails, dinner, and fellowship with many surveyors and their spouses. This has turned into the largest meeting for the Chapter during the year. Mr. Erskine Proffitt, LS and his wife Judy, although he has been retired from the firm since 1993, regularly attends the meeting.
Lynchburg’s Historic D Street Bridge Demolition is Underway
The D Street Bridge, located in Lynchburg, connects Rivermont Avenue to the historic Daniel’s Hill neighborhood. This 80-foot-tall bridge was built in 1908 and was closed in March of 2008 due to serious structural deficiencies. The deck had been replaced in the early 80’s, but the vertical piers and arched beams were the ultimate demise of the structure. The cracks in the concrete had caused the rebar to rust and there was no simple fix for that.
The City of Lynchburg had decided to replace the bridge and looked to find the most qualified professionals to perform the engineering and surveying on the project. Hurt & Proffitt was asked to team with their long time partner, Schwartz and Associates, to assist them in surveying. Wayne Schwartz, PE, a licensed structural engineer, and his firm would be in charge of the design and the overall finished product.
Hurt & Proffitt’s survey crews were called in to perform a bridge situation plan and map all the current conditions. Utilities were marked, survey control was tied to the City’s control network, sanitary and storm lines were traced, and property records researched. The field crews located all physical features of the structure and surrounding area. Existing city right-of-way were established, property lines were located, and detailed information was collected on the bridge. The basesheets drafted and then field checked by our surveyor. This was then delivered on time and within budget to Mr. Wayne Schwartz.
After the bridge design was completed, the construction contract was awarded to Fort Chiswell Construction Corporation, a long-standing client of Hurt & Proffitt. Our Survey Department was then selected to provide construction stakeout for the new construction. Our surveyors to date have located key points on the existing bridge for demolition and for layout of the new bridge, as well as alignment of new sanitary sewer structures.
Once again, it is H&P’s long standing relationship with our clients and the reputation of our company that has us in the middle of this historic Project. Completion of the project is scheduled for December, 2010.
To read more about other projects H&P is working on, please visit the current edition of our newsletter.
Congratulations to Our Newsletter Contest Winner
Hurt & Proffitt would like to thank all of you who signed up for our quarterly company newsletter when we launched our new site January 1st. As part of our way of saying “Thank You”, we held a drawing for a Blu-ray player. The winner drawn at random from all our newsletter subscribers is Dan Sleeper from Pittsylvania County.
Congratulations, and thanks again for taking the time to support Hurt & Proffitt. We really hope everyone enjoys the content of our quarterly newsletter.
Doyle B. Allen, LS Receives the F.M. “Dink” Cloyd Award
Hurt & Proffitt is pleased to announce that Doyle B. Allen, LS, H&P’s Chairman of the board, has recently been honored by the Lynchburg Regional Chamber of Commerce with its annual community service award. Doyle was one out of two recipients for the community leadership awards presented. Doyle Allen, who has worked for H&P for over 40 years, received the F.M. “Dink” Cloyd award for service to the Chamber. Doyle helped the Chamber secure its current contract to operate Lynchburg’s tourism program. He serves on the boards of several organizations, including the region’s Workforce Investment Board.
Appomattox County Schools Upgrades Athletic Fields
In 2009, Appomattox County Public Schools commissioned Hurt & Proffitt (H&P) to begin the engineering process to upgrade the high school football field and to create a new practice field. The high school had never had a dedicated practice field for physical education classes or league sports on which to practice.
The practice field was designed with a crown along the middle of the field to allow for drainage to storm water inlets located in strategic spots to remove the storm water from the surface. An irrigation system was designed and installed to supply water to the new sod placed on the field. Additionally, we extended the irrigation system beyond the practice field to serve a softball field that previously did not have any irrigation. Now, all of the athletic fields at the high school are irrigated with an automatically controlled system, whereby the high school can control the growing conditions during dry periods. This will allow the fields grass surfaces to be healthy for students to play.
H&P was able to design the practice field in the area of an existing tennis court, which was rebuilt in an area directly beside the gym. The area was limited, but we were able to create a 160’ by 300’ practice field. The unique aspect regarding the irrigation system is that each of the four fields are served by the same irrigation pump, with bypass lines incorporated into the design scheme to allow for any problems that may occur in the irrigation system piping.
The Center for Advanced Engineering and Research (CAER) Groundbreaking Event
Hurt & Proffitt participated in the groundbreaking event for the new Center for Advanced Engineering and Research (CAER) facility, located in Virginia’s Region 2000 area, which took place on Friday, November 6th. The CAER facility is made possible in part due to a $7.6M award from the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission. It will be designed to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards for New Construction certification.
H&P is the civil engineering firm involved in the construction of the 25,000 SF industry-focused regional research and development center located in the New London Business and Technology Center on U.S. 460 in Bedford, VA. Our engineers that participated in the CAER groundbreaking ceremony were Project Manager P. Scott Beasley, PE, LEED AP; CEO Wiley V. “Bif” Johnson, III, PE; and Vice President Patrick C. Proffitt, PE.
H&P has worked closely with the design team and the Bedford Economic Development Authority to develop the CAER facility site within the overall park development. Our firm has also worked on the master planning phase of the New London Business and Technology Center leading up to this project.
Alternative Funding Offered Through Transportation Enhancement Program
During these difficult economic times everyone is looking to find alternative funding sources, either through grants or stimulus funds. The Transportation Enhancement Program is a federal program. Section 133 (d) (2) requires a 10% set- aside per state for enhancement activities.
These are the basic guidelines of the program: it is a reimbursable program not a grant, a minimum of 20% local match is required, a public hearing is required prior to applying for funding, and project must have a local government or government agency sponsor or local resolution.
What projects are eligible? Projects must include a relationship to the surface transportation system and must qualify under at least one of the following twelve eligible enhancement activities: pedestrian and bicycle facility; bicycle and pedestrian safety and educational activities; acquisition of scenic easements and scenic or historic sights; scenic or historic highway program including welcome centers; landscaping and scenic beautification; historic preservation; rehabilitation of historic transportation buildings, structures or facilities; preservation of abandoned railway corridors and conversion to trails; inventory, control and removal of outdoor advertising; archeological planning and research; environmental mitigation to address water pollution and wildlife protection; or establishment of transportation museums.
Let Hurt & Proffitt help you through the process of project eligibility, application, and design by calling Raina Rosado, PE, at 800-242-4906.
Hurt & Proffitt Laboratory Is Recertified By U.S. Corps of Engineers
Hurt & Proffitt’s laboratory was recently recertified by the US Army Corps of Engineers to perform laboratory services. This certification process involves an extensive inspection by Corps personnel, including review of our quality manual, procedures, and processes, our ongoing training of personnel, individual certifications, equipment maintenance programs, and record keeping. Not only does this certification confirm our competency to provide laboratory services, but it also illustrates our ability to maintain supporting documentation. With the Corps of Engineers certification, the company is more poised to represent our abilities and qualifications when submitting RFPs or any other proposals. Please contact Troy M. Williams at 434-847-7796 for more information about our lab services.
Hurt & Proffitt Professionals Participate in Extreme Stream Makeover
Hurt & Proffitt, Inc. has always known that it’s cool to be ‘green’ and that view is running rampant focusing on water quality in the City of Lynchburg, Campbell County, and Bedford County. The James River Association (JRA), a non-profit organization and “the voice’ of the James, has been working for almost a year on what is known as the Extreme Stream Makeover that occurred in the Blackwater Creek watershed. Streams in the City of Lynchburg, Bedford County, and Campbell County are located within the Blackwater Creek watershed that ultimately drains to the James River. Representative from each respective jurisdiction have been asked to head projects to help promote awareness of how what we do upstream CAN make a difference in the overall water quality of the James.
Home base for the week long Extreme Stream event was located in the Wards Crossing shopping center. Representatives from Hurt & Proffitt, Inc., Lauren Bifulco, and Tiffany Clifton volunteered on October 22, 2009. The project for that day was to install wetland plants between the inlet and the outlet structures of the existing stormwater detention facility located at the corner of Atlanta Avenue and the entrance to the Wards Crossing Shopping Center at Barnes and Noble. The premise of this project is to incorporate wetland vegetation that would uptake pollutants (such as hydrocarbons and heavy metals), and nutrients (such as phosphorus and nitrogen), filtering the stormwater prior to discharging into Burton Creek. Plants that were installed included soft rush, iron weed, sedges, red maples, joe-pye weed, red osier dogwood, etc.
We had the pleasure of meeting Bill Street, the Executive Director for the JRA and Michele Kokolis, Watershed Scientist for the JRA who were heading the project. Mr Street saw our H&P t-shirts and made a formal introduction to us, and continuing to tell us that our past employee, now Secretary of Natural Resources, Preston Bryant, had been there on Tuesday, with Governor Kaine and members of his cabinet, installing plants for the rain garden project at Peaks View Park. Additional team members for the Thursday project included Erin Hawkins, Kent White, and Jake Dorman from the City of Lynchburg, Paula Nash, TMDL Specialist with the Blue Ridge Regional Office (Timberlake) of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Brian Stokes with Campbell County, Pat Fitzsimmons, Coordinator for the Central Virginia Water Quality Center, Lynchburg College and also a sub-consultant for the JRA, 10 + volunteers from the Honey Well Corporation out of Richmond, VA, employees from the DCR Center for Watershed Protection, employees from RSG Landscaping, and several local citizens.
Other projects for that week included, buffer plantings along the stream bank and a rain garden at Peaks View Park, stream bank restoration project at Wards Crossing West, and a Bayscape project at Jefferson Forest High School.
Michele Kokolis stated that she had such an overwhelmingly positive response for this area that she would like to bring more projects back to Lynchburg, Campbell, and Bedford County next year.
Second Appointment by Governor Timothy M. Kaine to Board of APELSCIDA
The employee-owners of Hurt & Proffitt, Inc. would like to honor their CEO, Wiley V. (Bif) Johnson, III following his second appointment to the Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, Certified Interior Designers and Landscape Architects by Governor Timothy M. Kaine. Recently, Mr. Johnson was recognized a second time for his vested knowledge of our industry and appointed to the Board. The Board examines licenses and regulates the approximately 35,000 Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, Certified Interior Designers, and Landscape Architects and related business entities within the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Hazard Potential Classification Required on Dams
In September of 2008 new dam safety regulations went into effect in Virginia. Dams previously regulated by the Department of Conservation and Recreation Dam Safety Program must be evaluated under these revised regulations as part of their certification renewal. A new Hazard Potential Classification is required, and possibly mapping of the dam-break inundation flood zone below the dam.
Hurt & Proffitt, Inc. has a long history of dam design, evaluation, inspection, renovation, permitting, and certification renewal assistance. Each year, we assist dam owners with re-certification, many of these we have been re-certifying for decades. This experience gives us the expertise to perform all work required to assist dam owners in certification renewal under the new regulations.
We have recently submitted the Hazard Potential Classification and inundation zone mapping of two flood control dams owned by DCR. We have received approval of the Hazard Potential Classification and water modeling on another dam in Amherst County, and are in the process of re-certifying three other flood control dams for other owners. We are experienced in all aspects of dam work and are ready to assist owners in the design, evaluation, inspection, renovation, permitting, and certification renewal of their dams. Please call Shannon Cotulla, PE, at (434) 847-7796.
Hurt & Proffitt Continues Work On Municipal Water Systems
Municipal water system work has been one of the foundations of Hurt & Proffitt (H&P) since the firm was established in 1973. H&P has civil engineering services term contracts pertaining to municipal water system projects that have been renewed annually for decades – Amherst County Service Authority (37 years), Appomattox County (20 years), and Town of Appomattox (13 years), to name just a few.
The cost to municipalities for this very critical work is often more than they can afford. There are many funding agencies that provide grants and no- or low-interest loans to help. H&P specializes in the grant/loan applications and required preliminary work to maximize the funding of water system projects by agencies such as the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), USDA Rural Development (RD), Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), and others. The Towns of Charlotte Courthouse, Goshen, and Boones Mill (all in Virginia) each obtained millions of dollars in funding assistance for desperately needed water system projects through funding applications and preliminary work prepared by H&P in 2007, 2008, and 2009.
H&P is experienced in all phases of water system work and ready to assist municipalities in the planning, funding, design, and construction of new, expanded, modified, and rehabilitated water systems. To learn more about our work with municipal water systems, please read our current newsletter or call Brian Cossman, PE, LEED AP, at 434-847-7796.
Hurt & Proffitt Continues Green Socials With Speaker Mike Cundiff on August 4th
On April 7, 2009 Hurt and Proffitt was proud to sponsor Lynchburg’s First Green Social. The Kickoff Meeting was held at Depot Grille and had approximately 40 people participate. The group had many local professors from Lynchburg, college, Sweet Briar, and other local colleges. Local regulator officials from the City of Lynchburg, Bedford County, and Robert E. Lee Water and Soil conservation District came. There were also representatives from local businesses.
The idea for the Green Social came from the national organization called Green Drinks. This organization is a non-profit group that host mixers at local venues to encourage an open forum for individuals interested in the environmental movement. These groups allow people from different areas of the community to get together to discussed, debate, network, and make contacts that could lead to new environmental projects.
In the coming month, the Green Social will expand its current format and include local speakers coming and discussing the different issues affecting Lynchburg and how their organization is assisting in solving those issues. The speakers will give a short 15 minute presentation once every 3-4 months, depending on the speakers scheduled. August 4, 2009 Mike Cundiff with Lynchburg Real Foods will kickoff the presentations by speaking on buying local food and the way anyone can through Lynchburg Real Foods. Future speakers, topics, and dates will be announced in the coming months.
Now Lynchburg is one of the many cities in Virginia and around the Country to host a group of professionals that are interested in preserving the environment. The Green Social is an event that encourages open ideas in a fun and friendly environment. It meets the first Tuesday of every month at Depot Grille in downtown Lynchburg at 5:30 p.m. The next event is on August 4th where Mike Cundiff with Minda nd Body Studio will be giving a short presentation at the start of the Social about “Lynchburg Real Foods”. So please come and join us for an evening of lively conversation and a great way to network with other individuals that share your passion.
Three More Professionals at Hurt & Proffitt Earn LEED Accreditation
Phillip “Scott” Beasley, PE, Nancy R. Hayes, PE, and William S. Horton, PE have just completed the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Designs (LEED) accreditation test. USGBC has become the leader in promoting environmental and energy conscious designs. LEED accreditation is gaining significant popularity among current and potential clients.
Having LEED Accreditation in-house will provide opportunities with clients requesting energy and environmentally conscious design principals. Governor Kaine issued a mandate in Spring 2007 that all State Agency projects will promote LEED principals.
Their accreditation adds to the depth of experience our professionals have at Hurt & Proffitt, Inc. We would like to congratulate Scott, Nancy, and William on their successful efforts.