The transformation of the former medical office building at 16 Lancaster County Road into the town’s new senior center is well underway. The renovation was initially planned to be complete by fall, but a steep increase in HVAC prices last summer forced the town to scramble for additional money, delaying the project’s start date. Outdoor work is now the highest priority as winter approaches. The building is scheduled to be move-in ready by mid-February.
Pavers for the outdoor patio have been installed, painting has begun on the outside of the building, and a new accessible walkway is under construction. The slope of the existing accessible walkway to the front entry was too steep to be ADA-compliant without handrails, so the walkway was reconfigured to run parallel to the front of the building and slope gradually down to the parking lot. That achieved the goal of reducing the walkway’s slope to less than 5% (the threshold for the ADA’s definition of a ramp), eliminating the need for handrails.
Although the scope of the renovation did not include window replacement, the contractor, Classic Construction, is suggesting replacing eight of the building’s windows. At the Sept. 28 Permanent Building Committee meeting, Assistant Town Administrator Marie Sobalvarro said six fixed windows in the front of the building showed some deterioration during a water test. She added that the contractor wants to replace two casement windows in the rear of the building. Committee member Steve Moeser agreed the rear windows should be replaced because the bottom sashes and sills of both have rotted out. He said the architect, DAI, might not have noticed the condition of those two windows when preparing its scope of work because the damage was not visible without opening them. Replacing the front and rear windows would add about $27,000 to the $3 million cost of purchasing and renovating the building.
DAI and members of the Permanent Building Committee are scheduled to meet on the construction site Oct. 20 to discuss the windows and assess progress; the next public PBC meeting is scheduled for Oct. 26.
