GREENSBORO – A recent Front Porch Forum post has further ignited the ongoing town hall debate in Greensboro. Authored by resident Jennifer Ranz, she began by acknowledging the community’s questions and confusion. “There is a lot of confusion in the community about what is going on with the Town Hall project. There have been so many questions that people don’t have answers to. People want information. They want accurate information. I’m wanting to bring clarity to a few points of misleading or inaccurate information made to the public about the Town Hall.”
Ranz said, while there have been many statements about the town hall building not being used, two whole floors are fully occupied. The lower level are town offices and the records vault, and the second floor hosts the Giving Closet, The Hardwick Gazette, a private artists studio, and the room utilized for voting, as well as Josh Karp’s office. The third floor is not being used because of ADA accessibility and a needed elevator.
She continued, “But, according to a 2018 architectural report, multiple options were provided for making the third floor ADA compliant. There are many towns in Vermont that have accomplished these types of projects with the funding by a variety of grants so it doesn’t increase people’s taxes. The 2018 architectural report also stated: ‘according to the local Fire Marshal inspection the project would not need to include a sprinkler system, structural work, or lead abatement (it was confirmed by a study that there is no lead in the entirety of the building except for a minor amount around 2 door jams.)’”
According to Ranz, the town hall has been neglected and maintenance on this building “ought to be taken care of on a yearly basis,” adding, even with its neglect the building is providing space for a variety of purposes and is owned by everyone.
Ranz emphasized the value of this asset, saying, “Many people have expressed a desire to have more spaces to gather and meet to bring more community spirit and our Town Hall could be fulfilling that desire. Do you know of any other property or building that is for sale that our town could afford? Why would we even consider selling it to a private developer in order to lease it back and pay rent for the space that we currently own and use for a variety of purposes? That makes no sense.”
In response to Ranz, select board member David Kelley posted his own assessment of the situation.
Kelley said, “Neither the 2018 report from Gallup architects nor the most recent Fire Marshal’s report (that I sent to Jennifer at her request) say anything like what she has written or claims. Perhaps she somehow found different reports.”
According to Kelley, the 2018 architects report says on page 2 and 3, that the Vermont Division of Life Safety may require a sprinkler system throughout the building. Neither report addresses lead abatement.
“Almost all paints used when this building was built were lead based. The building is probably also full of old galvanized steel plumbing as well. The old galvanized steel pipes are not safe because they rust and corrode and release lead and other contaminants into the water supply, making it unsafe to drink,” Kelley wrote in response.
He continued, “What the Fire Marshal’s report does say is this: Electrical shall be gone through by an electrician as there are many electrical violations.” I will ask to have both the 2018 architect’s report and the Fire Marshal’s report posted on the Town website so people can read them.”
The aforementioned materials have been posted on the town website in the folder greensborovt.gov/town-hall-redevelopment/.
At least some occupants of the Greensboro Town Hall remain unaware of any notices or warnings to tenants about possible health hazards quoted in Kelley’s post.
Raymonda Parchment is a Hardwick Gazette reporter. She recently graduated from Vermont State University - Castleton with a Bachelor’s Degree in English. She is a strong supporter of freedom of speech, and the right to publish information, opinions, and ideas without censorship or restraint. She is a lifelong lover of the written word, and is excited to join the team as a staff member.
