SOUTHWICK — Town officials are considering a Special Town Meeting this winter to address several proposals, including land acquisition near the Southwick Historical Museum and design work for a major masonry repair at Town Hall.
At an Oct. 15 meeting, interim Building and Grounds Director Russ Anderson said there is a “critical need” to make repairs to the exterior brickwork of the municipal building at 454 College Hwy. Select Board member Diane Gale said the masonry project had been a pet project of former Chief Administrative Officer Karl Stinehart, and appears to have been forgotten when he retired earlier this year.
The issue with the walls was discovered almost accidentally during the summer of 2023 while the building’s roof was being replaced. The building’s gutters had to be removed and after several heavy rainstorms, including one which pulled some new roofing material off, town workers found water had leaked into areas where water shouldn’t have been found.
“We had a lot of water entering during the roof project when the gutters were off,” Select Board member Doug Moglin said during an April 2024 meeting.
Recognizing it was more than the roof leaking, Stinehart contacted a Charlestown-based engineering firm to check on the condition of the walls. Socotec AE Consulting LLC found that water was leaking through the bricks and supports that surround nearly every window and door in the building.
The firm also found the mortar joints were “very deep and showing signs of deterioration,” and sealants had failed along the perimeter of windows on the building. Water leaks were also found at the below-grade walls in the front of the building directly in front of the concrete plaza area, according to the firm’s report.
Socotec estimated repairs would cost between $1.15 million and $1.25 million, which Gale called a “staggering amount” in April.
Anderson said the current plan is to apply to the Community Preservation Committee for $150,000 to cover the cost of architectural design and construction administration and a new clerk of the works, which the Select Board still needs to replace. If the CPC approves the expense next month, there would still be time to get it on a Town Meeting warrant for December.
He said he would also apply for Community Preservation Act funds in the future for the $900,000 or more in construction costs.
Another item that would be considered for the Town Meeting warrant is an application made to the CPC for $220,000 by the Southwick Historical Society to fund the purchase and preservation of 10.5 acres of property which abuts its historical museum property at 86-88 College Hwy., where the Moore House and Gillett Cigar Factory are located.
Another CPC application expected to fund the construction of six pickleball courts at Whalley Park. The CPC has yet to receive that application.
According to the CPC’s page on the town’s website, the CPC has $1.6 million available to spend in its unreserved account, as well as $122,188 earmarked for open space and recreation, $297,653 for historical preservation, and $764,645 for affordable housing. The CPC’s accounts are separate from the general town budget and are funded by a surcharge on local property taxes and matching grants from the state. CPC funds can only be spent on open space, recreation, historical and housing projects.
Gale is also researching if Town Meeting needs to approve accepting Revere Road as a town street. She said Town Meeting approved it several years ago, but there were some legal issues that needed to be addressed before its acceptance.
