Two Town-Owned Buildings In Adams Are Facing Infrastructure Woes

The town of Adams is dealing with aging infrastructure, including the Town Hall, the Fire Station, and the center street bridge.

This not only affects daily workflow but also total repair costs.

Adams Town Hall Issues

The Berkshire Eagle reports that during a cold snap in late January, town employees detected the smell of natural gas near the assessor’s and town clerk’s offices. Technicians drilled holes into the ceiling of the first-floor hallway to locate the gas leak, which was found to be a cracked heat exchanger. They then shut down the 30-year-old rooftop heating and cooling system. As a result, both the unit and the gas piping will need to be replaced.

Town Hall is equipped with two boilers in the basement that provide heat for most of the building. The assessors' and town clerk's offices were heated by a rooftop unit until it developed a crack in the heat exchanger at the end of January. Town Administrator Nicholas Caccamo estimates that replacing the heat exchanger and the associated natural gas piping will cost between $40,000 and $60,000. A crane will be used to remove the old unit and install the new one. The entire process is expected to take approximately four weeks.

Town Hall remains open as usual, with departments setting up temporary stations to avoid unheated areas of the building.

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Adams Fire Station Issues

Concerns about the aging headquarters of the district, located at 3 Columbia St. and built in 1960, have led to action. The building has experienced persistent problems, including a leaking roof, broken windows, and a sagging floor. Recently, the district invested $73,150 to reinforce the garage floor after a newer, shorter-wheelbase fire truck exerted extra pressure on the structure.

The building contains Federal Pacific breaker and fuse panels, which are known fire risks. It also lacks smoke detectors, carbon monoxide alarms, and sprinkler systems. Asbestos has been found inside the structure. The bay doors are too narrow for modern, larger trucks, and there is no space to add more parking bays.