To the Editor:
Votes at town meeting and at the ballot box are important to the life and character of every town. One such critical vote this year is about the Oak Bluffs town hall.
Thanks to The MV Times for your March 1 editorial, “Oak Bluffs warrant.” The Times concludes, “The option of repairing and renovating the building has been exhaustively reviewed, and dismissed based on costs alone.”
At first glance, it may be understandable to ask, “Why do we need to replace the town hall?” From afar, the building may appear to be perfectly fine. But it is not.
Town hall is in terrible physical condition. The foundation is not sound. The current size and floor plan do not serve the town’s needs. The present building does not conform to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), is inefficient for heating and cooling, and is long overdue for significant capital investment. It was in poor condition when the town moved the children to the new school. It was worse when the town hall offices moved in. That was 17 years ago.
I ask voters to take a close look at our building inspector’s 2016 report, “Condition of the Town Hall” (available online and around town). Among problems cited in Mr. Barbadoro’s report are:
- Rotting floor and windows (some windows screwed shut)
- Main ramp to first floor cracked and crumbling
- Main furnace failed six-plus times last year
- Asbestos issues in the basement, and possibly in cracking floor tiles
- Most doors within building are unlockable (a security risk)
- Water damage from prior leaks caused crumbling drywall
- Decades-old tile in bathrooms (grout has absorbed urine; smell cannot be removed).
Safety issues include:
- Smoke alarms not laid out to meet NFPA 72 safety code
- Emergency exit signs and emergency lighting have failed
- Main electrical service panel in main foyer has exposed main conductors; exposed wiring in boxes throughout the building
- Fire partition walls have been cut to create service windows for the public (but this is not allowed in an unsprinklered building)
- Last year the furnace blew smoke combustion byproducts throughout the building
Details of the building inspector’s report, as well as video tours of town hall, proposed drawings, site plans, Frequently Asked Questions, and more are available at
oakbluffsma.gov/301/Town-Hall-Building-Committee. You are encouraged to attend the public hearing on Tuesday, March 28, at 4 pm in the library meeting room.
I hope the information and the public hearing help spark careful consideration for the April 11 town meeting, and the subsequent vote at the polls on April 13.
Marilyn Milller
Oak Bluffs
