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GREENBURGH, N.Y. — The children's room in the Greenburgh Public Library reopened Tuesday after heating and plumbing problems kept it closed for more than a week.
The Greenburgh Town Board and library representatives are working to address the heating problems — which have been going on for more than a year — to try to find a solution that is more than just a quick fix.
"Our interest is solving the root cause instead of Band-Aiding the issue," said Mariquita Blumberg, secretary of the library Board of Trustees. "We've been sealing things for two years."
Two engineers looked into the issues on Saturday and found that the problem that brought the Fairview Fire Department to the library twice last week was much bigger than needing a boiler replacement, said John Sexton, assistant director of the library.
The Town Board agreed to send engineers to compile an analysis isolating the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system's issues and identify what needs to be done. Town Supervisor Paul Feiner said at a work session Tuesday that he plans to add the total cost of the library's repairs to the 2013 capital budget.
"It's the No. 1 capital budget improvement that needs to be done," Feiner said.
For now, the library plans to install portable vents to assist with the heating circulation, Sexton said. There are still minor heating issues like hot and cold areas in the library, he added.
All children's programs will be held in the first-floor multipurpose room of the library until further notice, according to the library website.
The library opened in 2008 at a cost of $20 million. The Town Board has been considering legal action against the contractors.
Comments (1)
"The library opened in 2008 at a cost of $20 million."
Not exactly true, the cost of the 'reconstruction' also spelled expansion cost $20 million. Essentially the Library doubled in size from the existing 23,000 feet to its present 46,000 feet. Had a new Library of 46,000 feet been built from ground up the cost to build in 2005-2008 would have been close to $35 million all in.
But what was intended to cost $20 million then would have yielded a better built library has the Town Board not been so anxious to disguise that the project had indeed gone over budget. "Value engineering" replaced screws with nails with the inevitable result that cutting corners was destined to yield problems. Problems in excess of those that evolved out of flaws in design and layout.
But that's all behind us is what the Town Board want residents to believe. Now we're going to see that the job gets done right. Right?
Odd that the Town Attorney after being asked about litigation in 2010, in 2011 and now again in 2012 still seems unsure as to whether the Town has a case.
Does litigation like wine or scotch get better with age?
But whereas today's Library Board has no members other than Calvin Thomas present during the travail, like its forbears the Library Board then and now have no members with any particular understanding of the problems -- engineering and construction. They become conversant with the problems only be hearing the explanations of various contractors; contractors who tendered their explanations in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. Explanations which never grew into solutions hence the recent round of problems.
Explanations that the former DPW head never had to give quitting suddenly as he did during the Library's first year...singing...get on your pony and ride, ride....
Hal Samis