Old Town Hall in Somerset is in line for entrance repairs

SOMERSET — The door frame of Somerset Old Town Hall, constructed in 1873, needs to be repaired, according to an architect.

It has “significant cracks in the jamb which creates a structural failure in the frame” and the handicap-accessible ramp to the building should be replaced, the architect said.

James O’Rourke, chairman of the Somerset Historical Commission, said those are some of the reasons why his commission is asking for $100,000 in Community Preservation Act funds from the town. At the main entrance to the building, doors need to be removed and restored.

At last year’s Annual Town Meeting, voters approved $57,000 for that work and other work on the Old Town Hall, but because of a vibrant construction market, O’Rourke said the bids came in significantly over the $57,000 and so the CPA funds were given back. O’Rourke said the new proposal will not do much of the site work and will not put in a second means of egress, as the original proposal would have, but will cover the work on the main entrance, provide a handicap-accessible entrance on the south side of the building and put in a new handicap parking configuration around the building. The ramp for the handicap-accessible entrance also would be replaced under the proposal.

“We did talk to the architect. We want to get it done and he thinks we can do it for this money,” O’Rourke said.

The last time there was any substantial refurbishing of the Old Town Hall was in 1976, when aluminum siding was put on the building.

Community Preservation Act funds are generated through a 1 percent surcharge on property taxes in Somerset and matching funds from the state, which, in recent years, have been around 19 percent. The funds can only be used for preservation of open space and historic properties, and community housing. At least 10 percent of the funds have to be spent on each of those categories, up to 5 percent can be used on administration of the program and the rest can be used on either of those three categories.

The work on the Old Town Hall qualifies under historic preservation and the Community Preservation Commission has already determined that the project is eligible for the funds.

O’Rourke said the Old Town Hall is an unofficial community center for Somerset. He said Somerset Recreation Director Barry Fontaine said the building is used six days a week for recreation programs and for nonprofit groups for a fee paid to the Recreation Department. O’Rourke said the Old Town Hall has also been used for an alternate site for town government meetings. He said passing drivers can see lights on at night when the building is being used. He added that the Old Town Hall is a benefit to the community.

The Old Town Hall is the white building next to Somerset Public Library on County Street.

O’Rourke said if any money is left over after work is done on the Old Town Hall, it would be given back to the town’s CPA fund.

“I think it’s a worthwhile project which needs to be recommended to town meeting and I hope town meeting, as it has in the past, will agree to fund it,” O’Rourke said.