The Inn’s elevator has been out of service since July, and after months of repairs, inspections, and students waiting, it has yet to be brought back into service. The extended outage, initially triggered by a power surge during the summer, has revealed a series of unexpected problems stemming from certain parts and modern building codes. These problems have forced the administration into a prolonged experience dealing with state safety inspectors. The elevator’s extended closure has caused significant frustration within the student body and staff who rely on it for convenience and accessibility.
The initial malfunction occurred in August when a power surge hit the campus. While the lift’s mechanical components are modern, the controller was much older and couldn’t withstand the surge. Facilities Director Ben West explained that the outdated system was a “nonproprietary elevator” with an “engineered controller,” meaning there was no standard company replacement available. This created an entirely new problem: SCH now needed a brand new controller, which came with an extreme delay. West noted there was an “eight-week lead time, so there were two months just waiting for the controller to be manufactured and then shipped here to us.”
Once the new controller arrived, the repair process quickly turned into a major renovation due to changes in building safety codes since its original installation. Installers discovered that the elevator shaft, in the old building’s design, had been used as a “chase way” to run conduit for wiring unrelated to the elevator or fire safety. Mr West stated that modern code strictly prohibits this, and as a result has led to extensive, time-consuming demolition and relocation work. “We actually had to go and remove all of the wiring, all the conduits and everything inside the elevator shaft, which meant tracing down every single one to see where it started and where it ends, because it’s not labeled anywhere inside of there.”
The main goal remains getting the lift operational for those who need it most, including students in wheelchairs whose second and third-floor classes have been temporarily shifted into the library area. West said, “This is what keeps me up at night. I feel bad for those people who are trying to make it up and down the stairs on crutches, for all the classes that have to get shifted to a different location to accommodate them, and many others impacted by this long outage.”
With the major technical and code changes addressed, the final hurdle is the state inspector from Harrisburg. West confirmed that the school is now waiting on the final approval, as the work qualified as a “major renovation.” The school is confident that, once the final sign-off is given, the installation of the new engineered controller will leave the elevator safe from near-future repairs. Everything ages …
