May 8, 2008
Oil leak strikes at theatre:
Selectmen ‘endorse’ renovations costing $600,000
|
A rusted pipe, not a tank, as previously reported, was the cause of last week’s oil leak at the New Canaan Playhouse.
While no serious consequences immediately arose from the spill, it served as a reminder that the Elm Street theatre, which the Town purchased in August, is sorely in need of renovation, officials said.
“It’s an old system that’s literally falling apart,” Town Engineer Michael Pastore said of the 84-year-old building.
The State Department of Environmental Protection was notified of a problem Friday morning by the company that manages the property, but the leak actually began the day before, said Ken LeClerc, a DEP emergency response coordinator.
Two tanker trucks blocked one lane of Elm Street last Friday as oil was pumped out of the theatre’s basement. Mr. LeClerc estimated that 300 to 400 gallons of spilled oil had pooled in the pit that houses the tank.
First Selectman Jeb Walker said the theatre opened at its regular time that afternoon.
WFL Real Estate Services in Norwalk manages the Playhouse for the Town.
On Tuesday, the Board of Selectmen endorsed an appropriation of $600,000 in bonds for capital repairs and improvements. Because some of the projects are still out to bid under the care of WFL Real Estate, selectmen only formally endorsed the issuance of the bonds, on which the Board of Finance will vote May 13. The Town Council will vote on the appropriation and bond issue May 21.
Mr. Pastore said the work will aim to “improve the inside and protect the outside.”
He divided how the money will be used into four sections: Exterior repairs, particularly to the brick on the western side of the building; mechanical, electrical and carpentry work; electrical and sidewalk repairs, and a general contingency fund.
Calling the electrical and sidewalk repairs “kind of a weird combination,” Mr. Pastore explained that some of the theatre’s wiring runs underneath the sidewalk.
Mr. LeClerc said last week that holes would need to be bored in the basement to determine if any oil had leaked underneath the building.
Representatives of WFL Real Estate said the company had no comment and referred inquiries to Town Hall.
Attempts to reach Bow-Tie Cinemas were unsuccessful.
—Colleen Flaherty contributed to this story.
Subscribers to the New Canaan Advertiser's
breaking news
e-mail alerts heard about this story as it broke at 12:32 p.m. Friday, May 2. To sign up, e-mail breakingnews2@ncadvertiser.com. Subject: Breaking news.
© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers
|
