Framingham,MA Moldy building shouldn't house any town offices

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Moldy building shouldn't house any town offices

By Gentes / Daily News Staff

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

MetroWest Daily News - Framingham,MA,USA

http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/localRegional/view.bg?

articleid=104153

SOUTHBOROUGH -- What to do with Fayville Village Hall and where to

find much-needed municipal space was again the focus of last night's

Board of Selectmen meeting.

Several residents, town committee members and selectmen debated

the future of the mold-infested building and how to accommodate town

departments with a lack of municipal space.

Selectmen last night asked the Southborough School Committee to

approach school administrators to see if any space could be provided

to the town for municipal office use. That included the possible use

of two portable classrooms.

If school space is not available, selectmen voted 2-to-1 in

favor of a motion that would move the Department of Youth and Family

Services from Fayville into Cordaville Hall; move the Facilities

Department into Fire Station 2; keep the Recreation Department in

its current office; create an office for the recreation director at

a school; and proceed to Town Meeting to determine what taxpayers

want to do with Fayville Hall.

Selectmen Chairman Christensen and Selectman Bonnie

Phaneuf favored the motion while Selectman Challen voted

against it.

The 100-year-old Fayville Hall currently houses the Facilities

Department and the Department of Youth and Family Services and is

plagued with mold spores and moisture.

Hub Testing laboratory found mold in the building last month.

The mold, ranging from common allergenic fungi, outdoor fungus, and

mushrooms, infested the building due to water infiltration.

It would cost about $23,000 to fix the hall's mold and moisture

problems and the consultants could not guarantee that remediation

would be permanent.

" Whether it'll last for three years or five years, there's no

way of saying, " consultant Fred Boyle said.

Facilities Director Basilio and the consultants from Hub

Testing told the board that remediation of the building is necessary

if it is to be occupied.

Challen said if school space is not available for town use,

then the town should remediate Fayville Hall and use it as a

temporary space until Cordaville Hall is renovated and expanded.

Christensen supported closing down the building.

" I think we should get people out of Fayville Hall, " he said.

He said he wants to move the Recreation Department, either way,

because the department cannot fit all of its staff into its current

space.

Christensen said that Cordaville Hall could be redone by 2007,

allowing for more room to accommodate the town departments in need

of office space.

Advisory Committee member Al Hamilton said Fayville is falling

apart. It has a leaking roof, it smells and it needs a coat of

paint, he said.

" It's not appropriate space for town employees, " he said.

The selectmen said they will continue the discussion on

Fayville Hall at their next meeting, after receiving feedback from

school administrators.