Contractor to Test Structural Integrity of Town Hall Building
NEWINGTON - The Newington Town Hall Project Building Committee wants to check for structural integrity, as well as lay the foundation for a thorough space needs assessment, as it prepares to hear back from the Library Board as to how the parties might collaborate on the expansion of parking-among other issues pertaining to the site.

       All of that and more were discussed at the committee’s Jan. 6 meeting, during which members voted unanimously to accept architectural firm Kaestle Boos’ recommendation that Connecticut Mason Contractors be hired to test the structural integrity of walls in sections of the Town Hall building, according to minutes from that discussion.

       The committee already knew that walls within the building’s gymnasium might be less than sturdy, but a report released by Kaestle Boos implied that other areas may be in question as well. Architects are pointing to spalling and cracking in the bricks of some walls in the building, which they say â€"indicates movement” and that â€"something is going on”, according to the meeting minutes.

       Meanwhile, architects are still in the process of conducting an updated space needs analysis for the various town departments that will be utilizing the building. The committee asked Kaestle Boos to do that at its Dec. 15 meeting because a study in that regard has not been conducted since 2013.

       The process will involve meeting with department heads, but architects indicated that most are making requests similar to what the firm had in its previous analysis. The Board of Education, which has expressed a desire to move employees that have been working offsite at other schools in the district back to the Town Hall building, is anticipated to be among those needing the most space.

       Then there’s the new entrance-among the highlights of the previous project proposal. Plans originally called for it to come off of Garfield Street, but budgetary overruns prompted an adjustment that moved it back to its current location.

       Architects at the meeting talked about possibly reconsidering a Garfield Street entrance--a move that would involve revisiting a proposed realignment of the street. In the past, councilors have discussed shifting 1,000 feet of the street toward Mill Pond Park in an effort to mitigate traffic safety and visibility issues caused by the road’s curving.

       â€"There’s been no indication as to whether or not any of that is going to be necessary,” said Committee Chair Alan Bongiovani. â€"We don’t know what the building isI going to look like so it’s premature to say that we’re going down that path.”

       But Committee member Sara Jorgensen cautioned against even considering it. She does not think that a realignment of the road would get enough support because it could take space away from Mill Pond Park.

       â€"If you want this to pass next time, you really need to stay away from the park,” Jorgeson said during a phone conversation. â€"As a new committee, we need to look at what the focus groups said--no park.”

       But as a new committee, it is important to weigh every option, Bongiovani said.

       â€"Anything that happened in the previous building committee happened in the previous building committee,” he said. â€"We’re taking a fresh look at the entire project.”
MORE NEWINGTON NEWS  |  STORY BY MARK DIPAOLA  |  Jan 21 2015  |  COMMENTS?