Gov. Prence demolition postponed; vandals, hazardous materials prompt need for more funds

ORLEANS —The demolition of the Governor Prence Inn is delayed again.

Orleans officials recently pulled an article, which would have funded engineering and design work tied to razing the building, from the Oct. 17 town meeting warrant.

The proposal will be moved to the spring of 2023.

The plan laid out in October 2021, as the town was finalizing the purchase of the 5.5- acre property approved at the May 2021 town meeting, was to do the demolition planning and design that winter and fund the actual demolition at the May 2022 town meeting.

More information needed on hazardous materials in building

The report on hazardous materials at the motel was not received until Aug. 24 — a week ago. Without the report to analyze the town did not have an accurate estimate of the cost for demolishing the motel so officials were not ready to ask for funding in October.

More: Affordable housing focus of Governor Prence redevelopment in Orleans

This is all complicated by a summer surge in vandalism at the inn, which is beginning to burn through the cash set aside for maintenance. The insurance covering the building was cancelled by Lloyd’s of London last winter when the Select Board decided not to spend money on upkeep that Lloyd's required of a teardown. The town kept liability insurance.

Inn purchased primarily for housing

On a 246-34 vote at the May 2021 town meeting, Orleans voters approved spending $2.9 million to purchase the Governor Prence property.

The property would be purchased with $2,475,000 being borrowed by the town, $450,000 coming from the Orleans Affordable Housing Trust (which makes it a co-owner) and the remaining $25,000 was set aside for insurance and maintenance.

Affordable housing was the prime motivation for buying the land, but other potential uses are possibilities such as a community center, a creative arts/shopping center, a fire station or mixed use. In October 2021, the Select Board appointed a Governor Prence Planning Committee to sift through the options.

More: Can Orleans come together on a community center? Planning workshop planned for public

At this point $12,000 remains from the $25,000, which was set aside for insurance and maintenance, and higher costs are looming from vandalism and hazardous materials, the Select Board will be seeking an additional $75,000 from the Oct. 17 town meeting.

Vandals breaking into former inn

“The Orleans Highway Department is working to board up rooms but the vandals are working faster than us,” Deputy Police Chief Sean Diamond told the Select Board Aug. 26. “Ten to 12 rooms have been broken into, through the glass or doors ... Cameras have caught juveniles but they are mostly passing through to the bike trail. Toilets and mirrors have been broken. There’s been spray painting. The building is fairly dilapidated. The storms have taken a toll on it.”

More: Lloyd's of London to drop insurance on Gov. Prence Inn unless repairs are made

More: The work begins to determine the fate and future of the Gov. Prence Inn

The inn is in downtown Orleans on Route 6A, but it backs up to the bike trail which makes it accessible to vandals. Town Administrator John Kelly noted in previous years there were similar problems at the Tri-Town Septage Treatment plant which was being torn down and was also along the bike trail.

“We’ve put over 30 sheets of plywood over doors and windows,” DPW Director Tom Daley said. “Any facility left unattended fails quickly. Vines are taking over. In a year or two the entire place will be boarded up with vines all over it.”

Hazardous materials in attic

Tree limbs have fallen on the roof causing a water leak and ceiling collapse which exposed the bags of vermiculite. Vermiculite often contains asbestos.

“There’s vermiculite in the attic,” facilities manager Ron Collins said. “That’s one of the key things we didn’t anticipate. But that fortifies the original number (estimate) of $1.2 million for demolition. But we don’t know.”

The 108-page hazardous materials report did not include cost estimates, which is what Kelly was looking for, so he didn’t provide it to the Select Board. Even if a number was available it was not enough information for town meeting.

“The most we’d have was an estimate and you can’t go to town meeting with an estimate,” Kelly said. “I would recommend you figure out how much risk there is on the property. We have a situation where all you can do is the best you can. The longer you carry a property in that condition it’s more risk.”

Collins noted the vermiculite exposed by the ceiling collapse needs to be cleaned up as soon as possible.

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“If you want to board the whole place up the town will have to get a bid,” Kelly said. “There’s $12,000 left. The Affordable Housing Trust has cash on hand. I suggest we go to town meeting with $75,000 (as a request) and do what we can now. If you’re looking at an annual amount we’ll have to add money at town meetings as long as we need. There is no insurance on the building.”

Board member Michael Herman said the town had set aside $100,000 for a study, but Kelly said that was not for a study of the demolition, but to hire a professional architect to plan the demolition. The hazardous materials report is part of that expenditure as well.

“We need to get the building down as quickly as we can,” board member Meff Runyon said.

Board member Mark Mathison has questioned whether the town should spend $1 million or more to tear down the motel.

“It takes five, six, seven years before anything happens,” he said, due to rules and the bidding process, town meeting approvals. “Secure the site now. Get the report with real numbers for demolition. If the town wants to spend extra money to pay prevailing wage rather than let the developer do it we need to have a discussion.”

Mathison said when private properties are sold and developed the developer often handles the demolition, not the seller.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Hazardous materials delay demolition of Governor Prence Inn on Cape