By David Fleet

Editor

Atlas Twp.-Bugs, water damage, a significant lack of insulation and non compliance with ADA requirements were just a few of the issues that were discussed regarding the aging township hall last month.

On Aug. 25, the board of trustees hosted Davison based H2H Architects to assess the current physical condition of the township hall, 7386 Gale Road. The cost of the month long structure evaluation was about $2,400. Currently the offices are for township officials and the Genesee County Sheriff deputies that patrol the township.

The 4,500-square-foot township hall was constructed in 1980 and is a steel building with metal stud infill. The deficiencies reported by H2A included damage from water penetration, rusted metal studs and siding.

There are insects and animals that got into the building along with a lack of necessary insulation in the walls and ceilings. In addition, the building does not have a fire suppression system. Other interior issues reported were floor damage due to leaks, storefront frame damage, no barrier free entry, no van accessible parking and no barrier free toilets.

“There is a void area about a half of inch think in the walls with little or no insulation,” said Shirley Kautman-Jones, township supervisor. “Right now in the winter we have space heaters running in the offices. The temperature within the building is not balanced well. It’s really just a pole barn type construction.”

The building is currently heated and cooled with two gas fired furnaces. H2A estimated the current insulation has an R-Value of 9. In comparison Energy Star recommends an R-Value of 38 for mid Michigan. R-Value is a measure of insulation’s ability to resist heat traveling through it. The higher the R-Value the better the thermal performance of the insulation.

“Currently the utility bills are about $12,000 per year,” she said. “In comparison the township fire hall, which is newer, cost about $7,900 per year to heat. I’m certain upgrades to the building would allow us to save significantly on utilities.”

The costs to repair the aging structure was an eye-opener added Jones.

H2A provided an estimate to repair the existing building of $678,495. Included in the price is $134,925 for insulation, $112, 200 for new seam metal roof and $30,000 to upgrade the toilets to ADA approved. Upgrades to the energy systems was $67,000. A plan is also considered to reconfigure the office space to add storage.

“The minimum repairs would be about $150,000 to correct the very basic deficiencies, but that would just be the beginning,” she said.

An estimate to demolish the existing facility and construct a new building in the same location would be about $922,500. To construct a new building on a vacant site would be $1.7 million.

The township is expected to discuss the project at the Sept. 19 township meeting.