Jamestown Loaf 'N Jug closed due to roof issues with excess snow

Mar. 22—JAMESTOWN — A gas station in Jamestown is temporarily closed after it was found to be a "dangerous" building by the building inspector.

Tom Blackmore, building inspector and zoning administrator, said he was notified Saturday afternoon, March 18, about Loaf 'N Jug's roof potentially trying to cave in due to the amount of snow and ice. He said the area of concern is in the northern third of the building in the lobby area.

"It was a pretty good chance that the load was exceeding the design limits of what the building has," he said. "When I responded to the scene, I had looked in and found that there was some temporary wood posts put in place. You could definitely see a sag in the ceiling part of the roof and some cracked Sheetrock on the ceiling which made it evident that the snow load was causing the problem."

A notice was placed on the entrance doors to Loaf 'N Jug, located at 424 1st Ave. N, on Saturday and says it is to remain on the building until "it is repaired, vacated or demolished."

An attempt to reach Loaf 'N Jug for comment was not returned.

Once the snow is removed, a report by a structural engineer will be required to determine if the roof exceeded its deflection capabilities to determine if the structure is safe, Blackmore said. Deflection is the degree to which a part of a structural element is displaced under a load.

In situations when an area has experienced lots of snow accumulation, Blackmore said it's always a good idea to evaluate each building's roof to determine if it's exceeding the limits of the design. Then, he said individuals should remove the snow themselves or hire a contractor.

Loaf 'N Jug was purchased by the EG Group in 2018, according to its website.