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Bremen Selectman Hank Nevins (right) and Tom Kostenbader (center), the town’s project manager, review information related to restoring the Bremen Town House prepared by Al Hodson (left), of Resurgence Engineering and Preservation. (D. Lobkowicz photo) |
By Dominik Lobkowicz
The Bremen Board of Selectmen and the Bremen Town House Committee are looking at the first steps in a rehabilitation project of the Bremen Town House which is roughly estimated to cost $345,000 in all.
According to a report from Resurgence Engineering and Preservation, Inc., the building dates to 1874, based on available information. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Repairs estimated by the company total only $221,950, but a number of estimated markups for design, contractor overhead and profit, owner’s contingency, and other items bumped the estimated total to $345,904.64, according to provided documents.
The rehabilitation items listed in the report address a wide-variety of items, structural and otherwise: foundation repairs, reglazing windows, rafter and framing repairs, ventilation, ground work, and others.
Rot, insect or rodent damage, corrosion, or other issues may exist underneath surfaces as well, according to the report.
The selectmen are considering only tackling certain needs of the project in the immediate future.
Al Hodson, a representative of Resurgence, performed inspections of the town house this past summer and met with the selectmen and the town house committee on Dec. 5.
Hodson said much of the initial work needed on the building is on the northern side, particularly related to rot and carpenter ant damage.
An investigation would help reveal the scope of the needs on that end of the building, and whether or not a sill replacement there is necessary, he said.
“It’s kind of hard to say how bad it is exactly,” Hodson said.
Selectman John “Boe” Marsh said the fire escape was installed incorrectly and is funneling water down the north wall, which is the whole source of the problem there.
“The fire escape has created sort of a cascading rot problem,” Hodson confirmed.
According to Resurgence’s estimates, an investigation of the problems on the north wall could cost as much as $13,200.
Another immediate issue the building faces is a lot of runoff from Route 32 being sent toward the building’s foundation, Hodson said.
Some of the runoff could be mitigated by installing an earthwork berm near the northwest corner of the town house to divert runoff toward an existing drain, he said.
Tom Kostenbader, the town’s project manager, said the drain near that corner worked fine when it was installed in 1994, but it is possible no maintenance has been done to the drain in fifteen-odd years which may have contributed to more runoff heading toward the building.
Near the end of the meeting, Selectman Chair Wendy Pieh said the plan is to do a full restoration, but first steps will be to find the money to repair the north wall, fix the foundation, repair a joist, and do the drainage and berm work.
Hodson said a rough estimate for the repairs to the north wall and the foundation alone could cost $80,000.
The town already has $10,000 in an account for the town house, Pieh said, and Selectman Hank Nevins said he was considering putting in for another $10,000 in this coming year’s budget.
The possibility of seeking grant funding for the restoration was also discussed.
“If you get grants, I think it’ll be easier to sell to the public,” Nevins said.
