Auburn Township Trustees decided Jan. 3 to hire a project manager to guide them through the planning process for a major renovation project for township-owned Adam Hall, which Trustee John Eberly said could be completed this year.
“It’s time to take positive action,” Eberly said at last Tuesday’s trustees meeting.
His wish list includes replacing the tile floor, building a 1,200-square-foot addition to house tables and chairs when not in use, replacing lighting inside and out, water well upgrades, and entrance and parking lot improvements.
The former auction house was donated to the township several years ago, and trustees renovated it for use as a meeting room and for public and private events. In addition, the Geauga County Board of Elections uses it for all four of the township’s voting precincts during elections.
The building has been plagued with leaky roofs, ice build-up and a variety of other problems. In May of last year, trustees approved $31,000 in roof repairs.
Trustees admitted their penny-pinching policy of using cheaper materials and not using a project manager for the renovations have resulted in the constant need to repair and replace the work that had been done in the past 15 years.
Trustees decided not to ask for additional tax money for the renovations, but had done them little by little, as funding became available.
“We did not have the funds to put the proper tile down,” Eberly explained, adding at the time the renovations were begun, trustees had to decide between putting down cheap ceramic tile or keeping the original concrete floor.
Eberly said the floor, with many broken tiles, needs to be replaced with large quarry tile as soon as possible, as a safety issue.
“They guarantee the results and it should be a permanent fix,” he said.
Trustees also need to address and ongoing problem with the electrical boxes, which are susceptible to water seeping in through the conduits.
“It needs to be fixed,” Eberly said.
Eberly proposed building a 1,200-square-foot addition to the west side of the building, to be used to store tables and chairs when not in use and to shelter the electrical boxes.
He added another immediate issue is the high sulfer content of the water well that serves Adam Hall. There is an additional well on the property that does not have the sulfer problem and trustees need to decide whether to tap into the second well or put a reverse osmosis water treatment system on the first well.
“We need to make the water (at Adam Hall) potable and it’s not potable now,” Eberly said.
Another item on his wish list is upgrading the interior and exterior lighting to LED, which he said will save on electricity and will last longer.
He added the driveway was originally paved with a thin coat of asphalt, which now needs replaced.
Trustee P.J. Cavanagh said the main entrance needs to be widened and graded to eliminate an existing bump.
Eberly proposed hiring a project manager to guide trustees through a major renovation project that will eliminate the constant need for repairs to the building, which is frequently used.
“It makes sense to have one project and take care of all (the problems at one time),” Trustee Mike Troyan said.
Eberly proposed hiring a project manager as a first step to help put together a master plan and determine costs. He said he would like to get started in February with the floor replacement and complete all the renovations by Sept. 30.
“I’m not prepared to be there every day to supervise, so we need a project manager,” Eberly said. “And that should be more than enough time to get everything done.”
Eberly said recent successful projects for the fire station addition and the new service garage have made him believe using a project manager saves more than enough money to pay for his services. Trustees hired Jim Dixon for both of those projects.
“Would Jim Dixon be available?” Troyan asked Eberly, who said he was sure he would be.
“We would have to advertise (for the position),” Cavanagh said. “I’m on board with it, but first we have to figure out the cost. “
“Using a project manager has worked out well for the township,” he added. “Adam Hall is a real asset to the township. After 14 years, it’s probably time to update it.”
Eberly’s motion to advertise to hire a project manager passed unanimously.
File Photo
Auburn Township Trustees decided Jan. 3 to hire a project manager to guide them through the planning process for a major renovation project for township-owned Adam Hall. The project includes replacing the tile floor, building a 1,200-square-foot addition to house tables and chairs when not in use, replacing lighting inside and out, water well upgrades, and entrance and parking lot improvements.
