Local senior citizens will have to find other places to socialize and recreate for a while in the wake of the Feb. 1 flooding of the Oxford Veterans Memorial Civic Center.
‘When do you expect we’d be able to reoccupy that building?? asked township Treasurer Joe Ferrari.
‘It might take two months,? replied Art Shipman, a representative from Montgomery & Sons, Inc., an Orion-based fire and water damage restoration company.
Last week, the township board voted 6-0 to authorize Montgomery & Sons to complete renovations to the facility commonly known as the Vets Hall.
A fire suppression pipe, just above a sprinkler head, apparently froze and thawed, then burst, flooding the first and second floors along with the entire basement of the 28 N. Washington St. building. The pipe was located on the second floor in the stairwell just outside the room where the Oxford Township Board meets.
Exactly how much the work is going to cost and how much is going to be covered by the township’s insurance carrier has not yet been determined. The township has a $500 deductible.
‘They (the insurance company) depend on us to tell them what needs to be done,? Shipman explained. ‘We try to dictate the scope (of the work) and they dictate the price.?
On the night of the flood, Montgomery & Sons was called by Oxford Fire Chief Pete Scholz to begin the cleanup. The company was on the scene in about 45 minutes.
‘That night we pumped like 6 inches of water out of the basement (and a) couple inches of water flowing from the (second) floor where the leak was, down through the first floor (and) into the basement,? Shipman said.
Thanks to the company’s efforts waders and umbrellas are no longer needed to walk through the Vets Hall.
‘As of today, we’re 100 percent dry,? Shipman told the board. ‘Any materials that couldn’t properly be dried in an expedient manner have been removed. The drying cycle is complete. There’s no mold.?
‘I would like to compliment the work you and your folks have done there,? said township Supervisor Bill Dunn. ‘You guys have done a wonderful job so far.?
But there’s still much more work to be done
‘We took flooring out of pretty much all of the first floor except the main hall,? Shipman said. ‘The (second) floor, where your meeting room is, we pretty much dried that area. The carpet’s going to need to be replaced and the floor has to be dealt with. It’s got some rising joints and such due to the water.?
Some code work may also need to be done.
‘As we go throughout the building, we may find some things that could be brought up to current code requirements,? said Shipman, noting these items ‘may or may not? be covered by the township’s insurance policy.
Ron Davis, director of the Oxford Township Parks and Recreation Department, expressed his concern as to where the senior citizens who use the facility for various activities are going to meet until the building is restored.
‘We should look for an alternative site for these people who count on that camaraderie daily at that center,? he said.
Fortunately, some things have already been set up.
According to Becky Paquin, senior coordinator for the parks/rec. department, the line-dancing classes are taking place at Immanuel Congregational United Church of Christ (1 Hovey St.) and the Oxford Public Library has offered to host the senior computer classes, if enough people register.
The senior card games have moved to Hope Senior Apartments (210 W. Drahner Rd.) with pinochle on Mondays and euchre on Thursdays, both from 1-3 p.m.
Dunn indicated the township has found an alternative location to conduct its Board of Review meetings, which take place in March. Those will be held in the village Community Room at 22 W. Burdick St. (see public notice on page 26).
Davis suggested the township learn from this incident and set up a committee to look at all of its facilities and come up with an emergency plan for each building.
During the flood, Davis said, ‘We had issues with keys that night. We had issues with the generator room . . . It was chaotic when we first got there. We were trying to figure out where the power box was.?
‘I think the township board really needs to look at their facilities (and) put a plan together that’s easy to find when you go in that building.? he told officials.