By STEPHEN SEITZ
Special to the Eagle Times
BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. — Partly because an anticipated report arrived just before the Bellows Falls trustees’ regular meeting on Oct. 23, the board decided to postpone taking any action on what to do with the dilapidated former YMCA building until its next regular meeting on Nov. 13.
A committee of three, including fire chief Shaun McGinnis and a consulting engineer toured the building recently. McGinniss reported that the engineer found structural deficiencies and falling plaster on the second floor, among other things.
Building owner Chris Glennon asked for some time to try to remediate some of the problems.
“I’d like to delay action until the next meeting,” he said. “I knew of all the conditions when I bought the building, and estimates are coming in. Nothing in this report is new to me. Any of you are welcome to visit the building during that time.”
The building has been vacant for years, and is deemed a hazard to the elementary school students from Central Elementary School who walk past it every day.
“It’s a shame it’s gotten this far,” Glennon said.
Topping all the other problems off, municipal manager Wendy Harrison reported that a wastewater pipe on that street malfunctioned recently, causing problems for the roadway. She reported that the road had been patched.
Trustee James McAuliffe said argued for action sooner rather than later.
“We have the issue of securing the building on the School Street Extension side,” he said, asking Glennon if he would secure the building.
“We can put up some security to keep the kids off the sidewalk,” Glennon said.
“I don’t think you deserve an extension,” MCAuliffe replied. “These are life-threatening issues.”
Village president Deborah Wright questioned just how much Glennon could do.
“A private citizen can’t block a roadway,” she said. “His responsibility ends at the sidewalk.”
Glennon said he couldn’t do much about the street, anyway.
“I don’t have money for Jersey barriers,” he said.
McAuliffe wanted to know where the money would come from.
“We don’t have the budget for this kind of thing, but the town does,” he said.
The topic is likely to come up again at the joint meeting of both the Rockingham selectmen and the trustees on Oct. 30.
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