The Greenburgh Library had to close early yesterday and today
because the heating system failed. We have experienced other problems with the
mechanical systems at the Library since the library was built a few years ago.
Problems this season have included the failure of an electronic control part,
failure in a control valve, and just recently failure of another compressor.
Experience has shown that a failure of just a single component creates
significant problems maintaining adequate heat in the building. Repairs (a new
part) will take place on Monday. Hopefully, the library will be much warmer on
Tuesday.
We need to come up with permanent solution (more than
replacing broken parts) so we don't experience heating and air conditioning
problems every time the weather gets very cold or hot. I met with Genie
Contrata, head of the library today, Victor Carosi, Commissioner of Public Works
and Rich Fon, Deputy Commissioner of Public Works. Have been advised that the
best solution is to appropriate funds in the capital budget for a secondary
boiler to work during these excessive temperatures. I support the request and
will ask that this solution be pursued. The next step: to engage a consulting
engineer to design a solution to this problem.
The library is only a few years old. I believe the town
should seriously consider taking legal action against the designers/contractors
of the library. We paid $20 million for the library and our residents and
library staff should not have to put up with lack of heat at a new library.
PAUL FEINER
1 comments:
I agree that we should not have to foot the bill to repair something that is just a couple of years old. I can understand a bad thermocouple, or stuck vent flap, but a failed boiler ? Millions were spent on that library already. And now there are also problems with the fire sprinklers ? As to the second heating at the front door, that would seem to be a waste of town money. I use the Ardsley Public library almost exclusively, since that is only a mile from my home, but their double doors are only about 5 feet apart compared with Greenburgh's 12 or so feet. The Ardsley checkout counter face the door directly, while Greenburgh is around the corner. Are we going to put a heater in Ardsley Public library as well ? What about the other libraries in Greenburgh ? If we were in Wisconsin or something, then perhaps, but we've had mild winters the past few years, and several days of winter air is not going to kill anyone. If you can't stand the cold, Northeast is not the place for you. Providing each a library logo sweatshirt to wear would be way cost effective than running a second heater at the front door that could constantly be closing and opening. This would be another piece of equipment that needs to be maintained, serviced, repaired, etc.
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