Now that the rainy season has passed, Barry Swenson Builder crews are making significant progress on the Aptos Village Project.
The historic Hihn Apple Barn is being re-roofed, framing is being repaired and new plywood sheathing is being installed.
Crews are nearing completion on earthwork at the site. An archaeologist has been present throughout the earthwork and has reported no significant archaeological findings.
Soquel Creek Water District, which drilled a new well on the site and installed a 6-foot-deep raw water line across the entire property, also had a Native American archaeologist at the project site during work and that expert also had no significant findings, according to Barry Swenson Builder.
Elsewhere on the property, the retaining wall system is being constructed along Granite Way. The first phase of structural steel has been erected for Building #4, which is adjacent to the Apple Barn on the Village Green. Wood framing also has been installed on the ground floor of the building. Pads for additional buildings are being excavated and compacted.
Also, the Santa Cruz County Historic Resources Commission unanimously approved restoration plans for the exterior of the historic Hihn Apple Barn on May 12. During the meeting, the Commission praised how the building is being saved and preserved. For example, a specialized crew re-milled original redwood floorboards from the barn into siding. This wood, first milled in the 1890s, will be used as skirting for the barn’s new concrete foundation.
Additional original wood, salvaged during the move, will be used as decking and for handrails at the loading dock, which is considered a major historical feature of the building.
For information about the Aptos Village Project, visit www.theaptosvillage.com or www.facebook.com/friendsofaptosvillage.
