Borough approves another study of police building

BY SUE MORGAN
Staff Writer

WEST LONG BRANCH - Architects will likely come to study the aging police station building - again.

This study, unlike four others done in the past, will look at the feasibility of adding onto the 78-year-old structure, according to Councilwoman Bettina Munson, who announced the latest idea from the building and grounds committee at the Borough Council's April 19 meeting.

Some of the department heads working inside the water-logged, mold-infested building at 95 Poplar Ave. would like to see if their spaces could just be added onto by knocking out a wall here or there, said Munson.

There are small pieces of land on the site that might be suitable for building additions, she said.

At the same time, there are employees, as well as residents, who believe that the police and other municipal departments now housed at 95 Poplar should be moved to a new facility that could be constructed behind the present borough hall on Broadway, the councilwoman explained.

A new architectural study could prove useful in helping the council to determine the feasibility, and more importantly, compare the costs of both options, Munson said.

"The architect could do a study to find out what is the best plan," Munson said.

Whatever firm is chosen could see if the additions requested by department heads could be constructed and exactly what renovations could be done to the building, which also houses code enforcement and the municipal court., she said.

"They could do an analysis as to what would be renovated, if an addition could be put on for additional space, or even analyze if an additional building should be put here [outside the present borough hall]," Munson said.

Apparently convinced by Munson's suggestion, the council unanimously voted to authorize Gail Watkins, the borough's chief financial officer, to start soliciting requests for proposals from architectural firms seeking to do such a study.

Whether the council decides to renovate and add onto 95 Poplar or build onto the current Borough Hall, a former church, all comes down to money, Munson pointed out.

"It will depend on the cost," Munson said.

Once the architects report their findings, the council can select a builder and authorize Watkins to go out for bid by September, she noted.

Speaking during the meeting's public portion, Locust Avenue resident Mary Lynch asked Munson how the proposed study would differ from one conducted by another architectural and engineering firm last fall.

That study, conducted by Farmingdale-based KSI at a cost of $7,500, was carried out to determine if the building was structurally sound enough to undergo renovations at all, Munson replied.

Nonetheless, Lynch asked Munson to justify the cost of carrying out another study separate from the KSI study and three others that have been done in the past.

"You've spent $50,000 on studies," Lynch said.

Some residents believe the council should look into moving the police and other departments now located at 95 Poplar next to the borough hall.

"Other people have asked that there be a cost analysis of the cost of putting a facility here," Munson told Lynch.

Altogether, the borough has spent more than $43,000 on various studies for 95 Poplar Ave., including the $7,500 contract awarded to KSI in August.

In addition, the governing body has spent $12,000 for another architect's consultation, $8,000 for an engineering study, and $15,647 for an initial architectural study conducted in 2004, according to figures previously provided by Borough Clerk Lori Cole.

The police administration has previously expressed a desire for a new dispatcher room to replace one that has proved to be inadequate in size, as well as separate rooms for videotaping interrogations and conducting interviews, Munson has said.

The structure at 95 Poplar also houses the public library. It once served as the borough hall until the mayor and council offices, along with the borough clerk and tax offices, moved to the current location in 2003.

The council has paid for patchwork repairs to the police department's portion of the building, which has been plagued by water leaks in its roof and windows and mold in part of its basement.

Within the past year, contractors have been hired to do numerous fixes inside and outside of the building, courtesy of the council.

Those repairs included the replacement of damaged ceiling tiles, extending gutter leaders to prevent interior flooding, sealing gaps in walls and window frames, and replacing carpet in a watch commander's room.

The KSI study found the building to be structurally sound and able to withstand renovation. Prior to that study, the council had considered relocating the departments using the structure, and later demolishing it.