Dryden moves forward with construction plans for Village Hall

Village of Dryden officials are currently in the process of rolling out a construction project that will provide improvements to Village Hall at 16 South St.

According to Deputy Mayor Deb Fisher and a newsletter sent out by the village last month, the construction project includes improvements to the brick facade and window systems, upgrades to the insulation system and replacement of the entire roof.

“The brick is increasingly unstable, exterior walls lack a suitable insulation system, and the original windows are single-pane [non-thermal] units that leak and waste energy,” the newsletter states. “[They] are consequently causing mold issues.”

The newsletter also states the village is looking to improve the building’s operational needs, including a new energy-efficient HVAC system, ADA-compliant restrooms and a handicapped-accessible entrance on the side of the building.

The village hired MRB Group of Rochester to provide engineering and architectural services for the building. Fisher noted the firm has worked with the village on sewer and water projects in the past.

Fisher said discussions among the Board of Trustees on the renovation project began in 2017, which simply started out with window replacements.

“It was really bad,” Fisher said. “But the cost was too high, and we realized we wanted to make exterior improvements as a whole.”

The anticipated cost of the construction project is around $1.6 million, Fisher said. She added that the village will issue a bond note for more than the cost of the project, due to the current fluctuating construction, material and contracting costs.

The Board of Trustees is slated to approve the bond note at its Jan. 19 meeting, with the hopes of putting out requests for bid proposals to construction companies by February.

“We’re hoping to get bids back by March and award it before the beginning of the construction season,” Fisher said. “Hopefully, we can find contractors that have the manpower and resources to do the project.”

The village held a public information meeting on Jan. 10 to discuss the details of the construction project. While the Board of Trustees and some village residents are in favor of the project moving forward, some are against it, including one couple who shared their story.

Brad Will and his wife, Sari Will, are new to the Dryden area. Brad and Sari purchased land in Dryden a couple of years ago, where they plan to build a house. They also recently bought commercial property in the village.

Brad, a licensed architect in New York state for over 20 years and in the field for almost 30 years, expressed his concern with the village’s impending construction project for the building.

“They want to do the modernization of the building as cheaply as possible,” said Brad, who is a graduate of Cornell University. “I understand that municipalities don’t want to overspend, but they could also take advantage of grants if they were to allow the building to be reviewed as part of the historic district.”

The historic district Brad is speaking of is adjacent to Village Hall and in the southeast quadrant of the village, which Fisher confirmed. Brad said it’s not a historical building but instead a 1940 vintage one that used to be the village’s fire station.

“It’s a very humble [building] and has a simple elegance to it,” Sari said.

Brad noted the village wants to “create a Village Hall for everyone.”

“It’s just more of the philosophical and historical angle I’m interested in,” Brad added. “[The village] could make a much healthier building if they explored other avenues.”

Brad noted he’s been speaking with a representative from the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), with whom he shared photos of Village Hall and renderings of the planned construction project.

Much like Brad, the SHPO representative was also concerned about the project.

“Even if it’s not listed as a historical building, it doesn’t mean it can’t be,” Brad said, adding SHPO is currently reviewing the project.

Brad shared an email he received from Daniel Boggs, one of the state’s historic preservation program analysts, in regard to potentially listing the building on the National Register of Historic Places.

“As the building is both adjacent to a historic district and has been determined to be eligible for inclusion on the State and National Register of Historic Places on its own merits as a municipal center with significant integrity, our technical department will review the plans and coordinate with municipal officials on the best way to achieve the needs of the village,” Boggs wrote in an email to Brad.

At the Jan. 10 public information meeting, Brad provided a statement and an alternative project plan that includes high-performance masonry retrofit.

“This involves a building science approach to the Village Hall shell, insulating the interior and preserving the exterior,” Brad’s statement noted.

He added that his plan provides “maintaining the structure and appearance of a building of undetermined historic merit and an end
result that has superior thermal performance.”

Brad noted in his plan that if the building became a nationally registered historic building, it would have:

• Access to grants though public and private funding
• Sale value to investors — should the municipality ever decide to sell the building, the potential for investors to benefit from state and federal rehabilitation tax credit programs is a very attractive selling point
• Assistance with preservation

“These are proven techniques, methods and materials that can do the job and also serve to preserve,” Brad said. “It’s worth taking some care and preserving it and a better performance for the building.”

Fisher said at first, she and the Board of Trustees were unaware of SHPO’s review of the project. She noted that Board members appreciated Brad’s comments but “haven’t pondered it particularly.”

“We have so much replacement that is needed for the outside of the building,” Fisher said. “It’s so damaged that it couldn’t be reused, including most of the brick facade.”

Brad noted it’s “frustrating to see” the village rush through the project before considering other options.

“We love the beautiful, old buildings of Dryden,” he said, noting the renderings of the village’s project remind him of something in an office park or mall. “It certainly speaks of a certain time, and that will not be the case anymore once this work is done.”

Fisher said the Board of Trustees considered tearing down the current Village Hall and building a new one or possibly moving to another location. But the Board knew it “wanted to stay in that building,” Fisher added.

“It’d be expensive to rebuild,” she said. “We’re hoping the building can last as long as possible.”

Dryden Dispatch appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Send story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com.