News

Topsfield selectmen to back Town Hall renovation

By Mike Stucka
Staff writer
Published: July 16, 2008

TOPSFIELD — Selectmen yesterday seemingly committed themselves to the long and expensive task of rebuilding the 1873 Town Hall.

"It takes several years to sell a project, and several more to get it done," selectmen Chairman Boyd Jackson said. "In my opinion, I'm going to be in a box before this is through."

A preliminary study suggested gutting and rebuilding Town Hall would cost about $3.5 million. The fixes would essentially add a third floor above the auditorium floor for needed office space, while the rest of the building would get an elevator, modern wiring and windows that work.

Selectmen didn't vote in yesterday's informal work session, but all four selectmen talked about the building's failings, the employees' "deplorable" work conditions and the need for at least some level of repairs. None discussed selling the historic building and replacing it with modern construction.

Selectman Dick Gandt, who is a liaison to the Town Hall Building Committee, suggested that officials look at how far renovations could go before the Americans with Disabilities Act required major and expensive rework to add handicapped accessibility to the building. The building committee said earlier that such repairs would be almost as expensive as a true remodeling, and Town Administrator Virginia Wilder said the town couldn't do much more work on the building.

Wilder had sought a full town facilities review, which made Jackson cautious. He said he'd expected the Town Hall Building Committee would recommend work on the building, and a facilities review committee would probably recommend a new fire station, which the fire chief has wanted for the last decade, he said.

"If this goes on and on, instead of bonding $3.5 million, we're going to be bonding $10 million," he said, describing the loans required to do all the work.

Another study is already looking at handicapped-access issues at the town's police station, which was donated by the Massachusetts State Police.

Jackson said selectmen will have to first completely convince themselves of the need to rebuild Town Hall. Unlike other building projects, such as schools or libraries, Town Hall doesn't have a natural constituency that will lobby for its work, leaving selectmen to be the cheerleaders. He noted that a similar project in Wenham took five years before voters approved it.

Wilder said conditions made working tough, particularly around the Conservation Commission's office space. The area is on an auditorium floor near leaky windows, office supplies partially hidden behind a rotting stage curtain and mounds of furniture.

"The second floor in my opinion is really a terrible working environment," she said.

Selectmen plan to ask the Town Hall Building Committee for more help, such as in finding a project manager and figuring out the stages of planning, financing and construction.