Prospect firehouse roof needs repairs

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By Elio Gugliotti, Editor

Shingles on the roof of the firehouse in Prospect are shown warped and cracked. The town is seeking bids to repair sections of the roof. –CONTRIBUTED

PROSPECT — Sections of the roof of the Prospect firehouse are leaking and in need of repair.

Mayor Robert Chatfield said shingles on the roof in the rear of the firehouse where the firetrucks and vehicles are parked as well as above the fire marshal’s office need to be replaced, among other minor repairs.

Photos of the roof presented to the Town Council show some warped shingles and others that are cracked.

Town Council Chairman Jeffrey Slapikas told the council during its Jan. 19 meeting that it’s not to the point where water is “pouring in,” but it needs to be fixed.

“The roof, it’s in bad shape,” he said.

William Lauber, chief of the Prospect Volunteer Fire Department, said officials first noticed the leaks about a month and a half ago after a heavy storm. He said the roof is leaking in the garage area and near the fire marshal’s office.

Water leaking in hasn’t done any significant damage to the firehouse, other than to some drop ceiling panels, officials said.

The leaks haven’t interrupted the department’s activities, Lauber said, but need to be addressed before they get worse.

The firehouse at 26 New Haven Road was built in 1999, according to land records. Some sections of the roof have been repaired over the years, Chatfield said. Records show a permit was issued in 2011 for work on the roof.

Chatfield said he got an estimate of about $29,000 for the repairs needed now. The actual cost won’t be known until the town receives bids for the job.

Chatfield expects to complete the bid process by the end of the month and present a proposal to the council at its Feb. 2 meeting. Chatfield said he will request a budget transfer to pay for the work. Where the money will come from will depend how much the project will cost, he said.