Woolwich selectmen held a special meeting the morning of March 15 to discuss the results of a meeting they had with the state fire marshal’s office earlier this week. In that meeting the selectmen were told the town office is not in compliance with ADA codes.

The selectmen were told they had two choices: either bring the building up to code or close the door.  For several months, a town building committee has been meeting with an architect to build a new building. Selectmen decided to scale back plans. Instead they will do what is needed to bring the town office up to code.

“We were told that we have been operating on borrowed time,” Selectmen Lloyd Coombs said. “If someone gets hurt in the building the town is liable.”

“The town office was built in 1980, and for several years it has not been in compliance,” Selectman David King said. “We need to focus on bringing this up to code before doing anything else.”  

The other board members agreed.

What is needed, according to a list from the state fire marshal’s office, is a three floor elevator (with an estimated cost of $65,000 just for the elevator itself), a handicapped restroom and other adjustments.

“Wherever there are public records in a building, a handicapped person has to be able to access them. Our archives are located in the basement,” King said.

The selectmen will give the building committee a new directive; they are suggesting a small addition on the side of the town office with office space for the accessing agent, code enforcement office and the town administrator.

With the additional of an elevator, it will create two meeting rooms. One room will be upstairs and the other in the space vacated by offices moving into the addition.

King estimates the cost to fix up the building to be in compliance with the ADA codes will be an estimated $250,000. “I really hate to put a number to it.  But is has to be done.”

According to King, the town is required to submit an active plan to bring the building up to standard. The plan can be a five year plan, but it must be an active plan.

The consensus of the selectmen is they cannot walk away from what needs to be done to the currently building to build a new building at this time.

The selectmen will meet with the building committee Monday, March 18, to inform them of their plans.