AFTON – The Town of Afton will vote Feb. 7 on whether to build a new town hall in conjunction with the re-construction of the highway department garage which was destroyed in the 2006 floods.
According to Supervisor John Lawrence, the proposition will contain two parts, the first being approval to actually begin the project, which would move the town hall and court system approximately one mile outside of the village into the same building as the new garage. The second part is the approval of a private sale bond from NBT for up to $400,000.
Currently, the town has $515,000 in FEMA aid to rebuild the garage, which sustained heavy damage in 2006. There is also $215,000 available in a capital building fund, a tax line specifically for construction of town offices, said Lawrence.
The bond from NBT will be paid back over a period of 20 years at a 3.9 percent interest rate, which Lawrence assumes will come out to approximately $29,200 each year.
Lawrence said the reason for moving the town hall deals primarily with repair costs attached to the current building.
“The building has been there since 1869, and the repairs that we’d have to do to bring it to municipal code are much more expensive than what a private operator could do,” he explained.
Replacing the chimney, sealing the laid-up stone foundation – a serious source of moisture and mold – and shoring up a sagging floor are the main concerns. He said an architect provided an estimate of $388,000 to bring the building up to code.
“There are also issues with accommodation for disabled persons entering the building,” continued Lawrence. “We need an accessible bathroom and an elevator to get to the second floor.”
The new building located on Rt. 7 would include handicap accessible entrances and bathrooms.
Members of the community have voiced their concerns about the move, stating that the distance from the center of town will inhibit customer traffic and fail to draw attention to local businesses.
“We need to preserve our current town hall which can be done without borrowing money while utilizing its historic character to influence Afton’s potential as an attractive community for its residents and its visitors,” said Mary Jo Long.
“If it was five miles outside of town I would understand,” said Lawrence. “But if anyone wants to shop at a certain store, eat at a certain restaurant, or go to a certain bank, they’re going to whether its in Afton or Bainbridge or anywhere.”
However, Lawrence stated that he does understand the historical significance of the building and said he would encourage the sale of the building to help strengthen Main Street.
“People say it’s filled with history and that it’s a very attractive building, and they’re right,” he said. “And during the year of construction we’d still be occupying the building but we’d be looking to sell, because the only way to get it back to being a taxable, Main Street attraction is to first vacate it.”
The vote will take place on Feb. 7 at the Afton Town Hall.