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Heritage Commission: Town Hall demolition underway; ADA upgrades planned
Summary
Heritage Commission member Becci Schwarz told the Selectmen demolition began this week at Mont Vernon Town Hall, with a dumpster due tomorrow, intermittent parking closures for equipment, and Phase II ADA upgrades planned including a front ramp and long sloping sidewalk.
Becci Schwarz of the Heritage Commission told the Mont Vernon Board of Selectmen on June 1 that demolition work at Town Hall began today and crews have made the building "make safe" for demolition. Workers from Mayhem Management laid plywood across joists to allow access; a dumpster is due tomorrow at 8:00 a.m., and the Town Hall parking lot will be closed intermittently to accommodate equipment deliveries and staging.
Schwarz outlined the interior scope: most first-floor walls will be removed except those enclosing the bathrooms and the room that formerly housed the furnace. The center wall separating the Meeting Room and the Office will be taken out, and the kitchen wall will also be removed. Flooring in the records room and the rear area by the electrical panel still must come up. An electrician determined a new electrical panel is not required.
The contractor plans to bring an excavator for perimeter drains this week; crews will temporarily pull the granite front steps to dig underneath and run piping and will also pull back the rear ramp. Schwarz said crews have been instructed to preserve the rear ramp because it is currently the only ADA access point; Phase II of the project will install a long sloping sidewalk to the front door and the rear ramp will be removed then.
Work on drainage required a change in approach: crews could not divert runoff toward the back because of the land slope, so the Commission is now considering installing a dry well in the front southeast corner of the lot. Schwarz added that Dig Safe work is complete and that the Commission is preparing a fundraising "thermometer" to be installed after excavation and painting are finished.
Why this matters: the demolition and equipment staging will intermittently limit public parking and affect access for meetings and events; the Board noted meetings are being held at the Fire Station while active construction could close the Town Hall lot. Schwarz said the police have been notified and that notices have been posted in the Heritage Commission newsletter and the Mont Vernon Flyer; Chairman John Quinlan asked that the town website also post the update.
The contractor expects this phase of demolition to finish later in the week, with crawlspace work scheduled to begin Aug. 1 and conclude by Sept. 1, 2026. The Heritage Commission said it will keep the Selectmen updated on schedule changes and on plans for the Phase II ADA improvements.
