Nahant Town Hall, library vie for preservation act funding

NAHANT – Nahant Town Hall and Public Library were just two of the buildings that came up in a Community Preservation Committee meeting Wednesday night as needing heavy rehabilitation work.Town Administrator Andy Bisignani and Library Director Jen Inglis came forward to the committee to represent their projects in a meeting intended to give town boards and organizations a chance to ask questions and pitch projects to receive Community Preservation Act funds before the grant deadline on Jan. 21. The money is raised from a percentage of property taxes in town and is nearly matched by the state.Bisignani said Town Hall is wasting heat because of the rattling windows at the exterior of the auditorium, which he called “very energy inefficient to say the least.” He drew knowing laughs from the committee when he suggested the men?s restroom in the building was “a historical location.” Bisignani estimated the restroom renovations would cost $25,000 to get it up to code. He had no estimation for the windows.Bisignani?s other ideas and concerns were for the tennis and basketball courts behind the fire station, an estimated $40,000 to $60,000, and seating and lighting fixtures at the Ellingwood Chapel that needed rehabilitation, an estimated $15,000.Inglis said she was experiencing her own inefficient energy issues with a steam boiler in the library. She said in one part of the library there?s so much moisture and heat that a film covers the windows in the reading room, but it?s so cold in her office that “I don?t take my coat off for most of the day.”Inglis also noted problems such as broken tiles, crumbling walls leaving dust on the books, and damaged skylights, which she quoted an inspector saying “are not going to last another storm.” Inglis asked member Lynne Spencer how she could start planning for a future project to make an addition onto the library for programming space.Spencer, who kept notes of all project requests and questions at the meeting, said the committee will be reviewing the applications and making recommendations to voting members at Town Meeting in April, where the funds will eventually be appropriated.Chairman Carl Easton said in the past, CPA funds aided over 32 projects including the Village Church, Short Beach master plan, military housing study and replacement roofs on town affordable housing.Kait Taylor can be reached at [email protected].