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Cafeteria Picnic Area to be Revamped
By Mason Inman
The Cafeteria’s outdoor seating area is headed for an overhaul this
summer. Site Engineering and Maintenance (SEM) will resurface the area
and replace the tables to make a cleaner, more pleasing eating area that
should stay in good shape for years to come.
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The area outside the Cafeteria
will be overhauled and updated this summer.
(Courtesy of Tom Sherry) |
“It’s time to refurbish the place because
it’s a safety hazard,” said Steve Williams (RD). “It’s such a popular
place.”
The dates for the construction project aren’t yet final. SEM tentatively
plans the work to last from July to late August. While the project is
underway, the current wooden picnic tables will be moved to the nearby
grass or concrete walkway, so outdoor seating will be available at all
times.
The work shouldn’t disrupt people’s meals, according to Tom Sherry (SEM).
A back hoe will be used during the first two to three weeks of the
project, and SEM will make every effort to keep from inconveniencing the
Cafeteria patrons.
The project will make the eating area somewhat level, though it will
still follow the existing contours of the ground. Interlocking stones
will pave the half of the seating area closest to the building. These
stones should stay flat and intact for the long-term, rather than tilt
and break like the concrete tiles there now. Crushed, gold-colored rock,
compacted to form a hard surface, will cover the other half of the
eating area. The same rock borders the SLAC Guest House’s main walkway
and covers the bike parking area.
The new tables, some of which will be wheelchair accessible, are
hexagonal and made completely of recycled plastic. According to the
manufacturer, each table is made of 96 percent post-consumer plastic,
the equivalent of 3,200 recycled milk jugs. The tables will sport
umbrellas. |
