[MassHistPres] Our Town Hall

[Marcia Starkey]

Would it not be best to spend some $ to have a plan drawn that would 
prioritize the needed work, done properly? As a 5 or 10 year plan, pay as 
you go, the work and its benefits can be viewed against the years MVineyard 
has been a community. Wood (a renewable resource) is just better then AZTEK, 
and granite is both a good story and better than anything else to be found. 
It almost sounds as tho the committee is challenging the town to look again 
and choose a beter solution.

Marcia Starkey, Greenfield



---- Original Message ----- 
From: "Nancy Dole" <ndole at verizon.net>
To: "masshistoric mail list" <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>
Sent: Saturday, February 02, 2008 10:45 PM
Subject: [MassHistPres] Our Town Hall


> West Tisbury  is planning an addition to  the town hall built in the 
> 1800's, and restoration of the existing building, which is absolutely 
> gorgeous but has not been maintained.
>
> The town originally approved 3,500,000 for the project, as requested, but 
> the building committee underestimated, and came back to ask for an 
> additional 1,500,000 which the town rejected.
>
> That was a few years back, now a new committee has promised to deliver a 
> town hall for a figure somewhere in between, and they are cutting corners 
> left and right to make it happen.  It goes before the Town at the annual 
> meeting in April for approval.
>
> But first it comes to the HDC.
>
> The design of the addition is not bad. It fits. The original building 
> needs a basement. The plan is to lower the building, at least a foot, 
> removing the granite foundation which was brought to the Island as ballast 
> in ships, is original, and substantial in height. They plan to sell the 
> granite.
>
> They want to use AZEK for all new trim, or any trim that must be replaced, 
> because it doesn't require maintenance like wood does.The architect says 
> it can be molded to match the details of the original trim, and that from 
> 15 feet away you can't tell it isn't wood.
>
> They want to remove all the existing windows and replace them with 
> aluminum clad, they are looking at marvin, eagle or KML.  Not custom. Too 
> expensive. maximum 7/8" mullions.
>
> They want to put solar panels on the south roof. Flush, but they will be 
> visible, although the building is three stories high.
>
> The previous, rejected, addition and restoration was expensive but 
> excellent: wood trim, custom wood windows, retain the granite etc. The 
> committee says if we require these things the project cannot be delivered 
> at the price they promised the town. The building will have to be sold, 
> and the town will lose the most important building in the historic 
> district.
>
> Yes they have requested CPA funds, 100,000 a year for 5 years, but they 
> don't want to request more because the town wants to use the funds mostly 
> for affordable housing, which Martha's Vineyard has very little of.
>
> Does anyone know of a town hall, or a similarly important building,  that 
> has replaced wood with AZEK? Used aluminum clad windows to replace wood? 
> Removed the original foundation?
>
> We have not allowed any of those things to be done in any of the private 
> residences in the district. We have consistently required they retain the 
> granite foundation, no AZEK, and windows must be wood.
>
> We are seeking input from all of you who have been in this situation, or 
> have seen aluminum clad and AZEK used in an historic building.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Nancy Dole
>
>
>
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>
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