Derry should see Genser teardown, salt shed construction start soon

By Bruce Frauman
©2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC

Several major projects – long in the works in Londonderry – appear to be moving to resolution this month.

At its Monday, June 5 meeting, the Londonderry Select Board heard that the closing on the buyout of the flooded Genser property should happen within a month, and that engineering plans, which are being finalized, will allow request for proposals to be sent out for construction to begin on the salt and sand shed to be built on the Prouty Land.

The Frog’s Leap Inn property auction will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, June 16 and with board approval of drainage plans,  work on the town office project can begin.

Town Administrator Stephanie Thompson said attorneys for the Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission, which is managing the block grant to buy the former Outlet Barn property, are reviewing the paperwork to be forwarded to the state. The Outlet Barn, on Route 11 at Route 100 and owned by the Genser family, was damaged by Tropical Storm Irene in 2011. The Federal Emergency Management Administration refused the buyout because the Vermont Agency of Transportation determined that a flood wall built to protect the roadway and a bridge must stay. Thompson said if Two Rivers can get the paperwork to the state this week,  the closing may occur as early as June 15. If not, the closing will take place in July.

Thompson added that the process is under way for removing asbestos from the building in July, paving the way for its final removal later in the summer. Plans for reuse are still under discussion. Thompson said an extension has been granted and all work including the reuse project must be competed by Sept. 30, 2017.

Board chair Paul Gordon said that he and fellow board member Bob Forbes will meet with the structural engineer on Wednesday. Once the structural engineer completes his documents, the construction work can be put out to bid. Approval has already been given to Green Mountain Power to install an electric pole for the building.

The board gave the go-ahead for more work to be done on the town office building, including installing a perimeter drain, a French drain and an underground drain in an attempt to address wetlands and moisture issues to the building. Since the engineering is 95 percent done, construction is expected to begin this summer.

Thompson also told Emergency Management director Kevin Beattie that the generator pad for the town office building was part of this project. The ditch for conduit from the dry storage building on the parking lot to the building would be dug at the same time. The site of the generator pad was moved to avoid the wetland area.

Community Resilience Organization chair Bruce Frauman gave a brief presentation about the state’s VT Alert program, which is an attempt to provide Vermonters with real-time information on threatening situations so that they may respond responsibly.  Frauman and Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management officer Rich Cogliano talked about the advantages of alerts being generated in the town and distributed using VT Alert technology to cellphones, landlines and computers.  The board will send a letter to VT Alert stating its desire to become join the program and submit alerts. Training of selected town officials and residents is the next step in joining VT Alert.

New school board member Dick Dale said the installation of the new Taconic and Green School Board was to take place at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 6 at Hildene.

Roger Delgiorno of  the Wantastiquet Rotary Club was given the green light to hold its  Brewfest behind Jake’s Restaurant from 2 to 7 p.m. Saturday, July 29. This fundraiser will help support six scholarships to be given out to area high school students.

Gordon also said there is a dispute about the location of the Londonderry and Windham town line. Both boards will discuss how to proceed with an extensive survey most likely needed.

Transfer station supervisor Esther Fishman received approval to buy a double wall tank from Irving Oil to hold fuel at a cost of $1,900.