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Bow Town board orders kitchen gas capped by Aug. 1, directs quotes for building compliance work
Summary
Facing a 2018 fire‑marshal compliance checklist and high retrofit costs, the Select Board voted to cap the community building kitchen gas line by Aug. 1 and asked staff to get quotes for remaining compartmentalization and door/ADA work. The board also approved limited continued use of other building areas while seeking longer‑term project funding.
At its June 10 meeting, the Bow Town Select Board voted to require the removal or disabling of the community building’s commercial gas stove—by capping the gas line—by Aug. 1, citing life‑safety and cost concerns related to a 2018 compliance plan and recent assessments.
The decision followed a working‑session review of the compliance checklist the board received in 2018 after discussions with the fire marshal. Fire and facilities staff told the board that several items on the checklist tied to past uses—particularly facilities used for overnight sleeping by firefighters—are now moot because the fire department no longer occupies the building. However, staff said that the kitchen hood, an active suppression system and substandard ventilation still exposed the town to risk if the kitchen remained in use.
The building and facilities advisory committee recommended discontinuing kitchen use so the town would not invest further into only a small portion of the structure that is used infrequently. Committee materials and staff noted the kitchen is used rarely—typically for one or a few community events per year—and that keeping it operational would require significant investment and separate ADA upgrades.
A motion to cap the gas line (remove or disable the stove) was made, seconded and approved; the board set a compliance deadline of Aug. 1. The transcript records the vote as “ayes have it,” but does not report an exact roll‑call tally in the public minutes; town staff will record and publish the official tally in the minutes. The board instructed facilities staff to obtain quotes for the remaining critical work identified as item 31 on the checklist (fire compartmentalization between office and gym) and to refer possible larger repairs to the Capital Improvements Program for prioritization.
Board members and staff emphasized options to limit costs and keep portions of the building usable during a wind‑down or project phase: maintain an occupancy cap (300 persons) to avoid some alarm/suppression upgrades; remove the stove and use the former kitchen as a staging area with warming equipment (chafers) rather than an active cooking space; and pursue small, targeted ADA fixes (for example, automatic door openers) where feasible. Facilities staff agreed to return with written quotes for door openers, compartmentalization (item 31), and a diagnostic assessment and repair estimate for the boiler.
Town staff also noted aging mechanical systems and cited recent heating failures. For the boiler, staff said an initial diagnostic appointment would cost roughly $190 and that a full reconfiguration (to separate the old fire station loop and install a new high‑efficiency boiler) had previously been estimated at about $53,000; staff stressed those figures dated from prior quotes and that updated estimates were needed.
The board’s actions leave the building partially available under restricted use while the town obtains firm cost estimates and considers CIP funding or a longer‑term project solution.
