Selectmen: Keep ‘Hundred Year’ Roof On Bridgeport Hall

By John Voket

First Selectman Joe Borst maintains that a new town hall development at Fairfield Hills deserves a new half-million-dollar roof. But his fellow selectmen, Paul Mangiafico and Herb Rosenthal, considered advice from project managers and their own industry sources and voted to move forward with the project conserving as much of the building’s original roof as possible.

“The roof in the [alternate] bid package is not as good as the one on there now,” Mr Rosenthal said.

“If it was my money, I wouldn’t spend it to replace the roof,” Mr Mangiafico added. “And I won’t vote to replace it.”

During discussion on the roof replacement issue, Mr Borst reiterated his concern about keeping the original roof on the building while $10 million in improvements are installed beneath. He also mentioned information in a report he received which apparently led the first selectman to suggest that a watertight seal on the existing shingles would be subject to rapid failure if moss that had amassed in certain areas was power washed off.

“Based on what’s in this report, we should replace the entire roof,” Mr Borst said.

Jerry Waters from Tai Soo Kim Partners, the project design firm, disagreed.

“The red flag was flown by a roofer,” Mr Waters told the board. Mr Waters and project manager Brian Holmes added that neither were aware of sealing material on the original roof shingles being subject to failure.

“Our consultant took a look at the [original] shingles and didn’t see any damage,” Mr Holmes said.

“I’ve never heard of any kind of seal on these shingles,” Mr Waters added. “And the ones up there now, there’s no sign of wear since day one.”

The building professionals and Mr Rosenthal agreed that not only would the existing roof provide the best option, but other buildings on the campus targeted for demolition would yield a massive replacement stock of what several sources described as “100-year” shingles.

Mr Borst has continuously expressed concern about the eventual removal of any of the transite shingles for replacement or repairs because of their asbestos content. Asbestos is classified as a hazardous material.

But a website dedicated to informing the public about the dangers of asbestos-related diseases, asbestos.com, states: “While roofs made with asbestos or transite roofing shingles were commonly called ‘asbestos roofs,’ the truth is that most contain less than 30 percent asbestos fibers. They are classified as ‘asbestos containing materials,’ or ACM.”

The site states that from a construction perspective, “Asbestos is corrosion and rot resistant as well, and extremely durable. Roofs covered with transite roofing shingles, if maintained properly, will last up to 100 years.”

The asbestos.com report concludes that, “While friable asbestos presents a very real health hazard to those who are exposed to it, according to most reliable sources asbestos containing roof shingles that are in good condition are not dangerous. It is when they become deteriorated or when a building made with asbestos roof shingles is demolished that there is a danger from the breakage of the asbestos shingles.”

Following the meeting, Mr Mangiafico said that in hours of review and discussions among he and his fellow selectmen there has been “no credible evidence provided to suggest [Newtown] would be better off replacing the roof” at Bridgeport Hall.

“It’s a mistake to spend over $500,000 for something that doesn’t need replacing,” Mr Rosenthal said.