max.bowen@northstarreporter.com
Citing additional structural concerns, the demolition of the Webster Mill Building through Wednesday, according a statement from the town government.
On Tuesday, March 5, the Board of Survey—established in accordance with Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 143 and consisting of Director of Public Works Mark Hollowell, Fire Chief Christopher Coleman, Building Inspector Brian Butler and disinterested party Steve Cabral—determined that any remaining portions of the building that are deemed hazardous or dangerous must be demolished. These additional portions will be demolished on March 7.
During an inspection of the site conducted on Tuesday, the Board of Survey discovered additional deterioration in the building’s rear portion, near the tower.
“If left upright, the tower will continue to disintegrate and is at risk of falling into the remaining portions of the building which then could be pushed into the roadway,” a statement from the town read.
To ensure public safety, demolition work will continue on other areas of the building until the board and building inspector determine that the remaining structure is sound and safe to remain standing.
“Under our emergency demolition order, we are permitted to conduct demolition work up until our Board of Surveyors and building inspector determine that the remaining portion of the building is structurally safe to be left as is,” Town Manager Borg said. “At this time, our board and building inspector have agreed that several remaining portions of the building are structurally unsafe and must be demolished to prevent them from falling into one another. Public safety continues to be our top priority and we will continue to conduct demolition work until we are confident that this building will not pose any additional imminent threats to our community.”
In addition to the building, an oil tank was also on the premises. During a site inspection today, it was determined that there was no oil in the tank and that it wasn’t hazardous. The tank will be covered along with other debris as it awaits removal.
As demolition continues, water will be sprayed onto the building and debris to prevent the spread of asbestos or other hazardous materials into the air. A ten mil reinforced poly film membrane will also be placed on top of the debris to mitigate any further spread. Air quality monitoring will continue to be conducted throughout Wednesday.
The extended detour will remain in effect throughout March 7.
