Town Highway Department building posted as UNSAFE
The Town of Hurley Highway Department Garage at 1035 Dug Hill Road in West Hurley was posted as UNSAFE by Town Code Enforcement Officer Tom Tryon at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023.
The posting was the result of a “Building and Structural Analysis Report” prepared by Kingston-based Lockwood Architecture and received by the Town of Hurley late on Monday, Jan. 23, 2023. Lockwood conducted its inspection on Dec. 14, 2022.
Among the key points in Lockwood’s report were cracking in the building’s floors and walls, the presence of noxious gasses, mold accumulation on the roof trusses, the trusses being structurally questionable, and the presence of mold and dry rot in the rafters.
Additional problems cited by Code Enforcement Officer Tryon include exterior walls deteriorating, the rear garage settling, part of the concrete slab being undermined, and the electrical system not being up to code. Tryon additionally noted a lack of smoke, fire and carbon monoxide alarms; improper storage of combustible materials; and a complete lack of compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Lockwood, in its report, recommended the building “be demolished in its entirety.”
Though the Dug Hill Road building cannot legally be occupied, Highway Department employees will be allowed to enter the facility, after notifying the Town Building Department, to retrieve items necessary to perform their duties, as well as personal belongings.
The town has been aware of various problems at the site since 2019, when a previous administration was in office, and the Highway Department’s new facility at 43 Basin Road has been ready for occupancy since October 2022. The move to that facility is underway.