Montour School District Lacks Occupancy Permit for New Building

Robinson officials said the Montour School District has not yet met code to receive a building permit for its new high school. 

The district must meet code by August in order to re-open the building for the 2012-2013 school year.

Township manager Aaron Bibro said the district obtained a temporary occupancy permit from the township that allowed Montour to open the building for the 2011-2012 academic year. 

The district must now meet adiditional requirements for the final permit in order to occupy the $52 million renovated building in the fall. 

"The main issue is the secondary access road (to the building)," Bibro said. "That road is not even close to the grading requirment. You can't get a fire truck up that road, and you can't get an ambulance up that road."

Bibro said the township's building inspector informed the district in June that it had not yet met code for the building. The district has not yet responded to the township regarding the permit, he said. 

Montour has requested a $300,000 refund from the township for an earlier building permit granted for the high school project, claiming that the township overcharged for services related to the school's renovation. The township has denied the refund, Bibro said.