KEARNY –
Five months ago, after learning that the building was structurally compromised, the Kearny Fire Department vacated its 115-year-old firehouse on Davis Ave. and relocated its occupants and engine.
But the town has yet to remedy the issue, although it hasn’t been for lack of trying.
Initially, the KFD commissioned and received an engineer’s report detailing what needed to be fixed and for how much.
To that end, Public Works Director Gerry Kerr solicited price estimates from contractors and that was followed by the town soliciting formal bids.
It was anticipated that the governing body would act to award a fix-up contract at last week’s meeting but, instead, after a closed caucus, it voted to reject all bids and authorized a rebidding of the project.
According to town CFO Shuaib Firozvi, three firms bid on the project: JZA Enterprises of Aberdeen was the apparent lowest bidder with a price of $198,000; Reivax Contracting Corp. of Newark was next with a bid of $342,600; and George Koustas Painting & Construction of West Long Branch bid $345,000.
The emergency situation at the firehouse arose in May – as previously reported by Observer correspondent Karen Zautyk – when workers from Bower & Co. of Kearny were replacing gutters when they found that part of the wooden plate just below the roofline was bulging out on the Devon Terrace side – a condition that Fire Chief Steven Dyl blamed on the lack of “collar ties” at the time of the original construction.
Absent those fixtures, Dyl said, the roof joists pushed the plates out of alignment. That, in turn, led the town Construction Department to issue an “unsafe structure” notice.
The town then had bid specifications prepared. Here’s an excerpt from the technical specs, which were drafted by Severud Associates, consulting engineers of New York, as provided by Dyl:
“Strip roofing at north elevation 3 feet wide. Remove sheathing, provide temporary tarps for protection from weather.
“Install angle iron strong back in segments on both sides of the gable roof plates.
“Using come-a-long winches at 4 feet O.I. (alternate between temporary cables) jack plates to original position. Work from the center to the ends alternately. Leave winches in place.
“Install replacement rafters. … Replace any damaged or rotten sheathing.
“Install new collar beams ….
“Install new half-inch epoxy set anchor golts through 3×10 main plate into masonry 9 inches.
“Install hurricane ties/straps/clip angles tying rafter to plate to ceiling joist and ceiling joist to plate. Strap/block/tie ceiling joists between main building and [southern] addition.
“Remove all cables and winches from the center to ends alternately.
“Re-sheathe the missing sections.
“Strip all fascia and replace with new sub-fascia and fascia boards.
“Strip all roofing, and inspect sheathing. Replace where necessary.
“Re-roof sloped section with dimensional asphalt shingles.
“Flat roof to be re-roofed with modified bitumen with copper or stainless flashing at all flat to sloped junctures.
“Install gutters. Leaders locations to be coordinated with new storm water drainage plan.”
During the public portion of last week’s meeting, Councilwoman Eileen Eckel, who heads the Fire Department committee, said: “The bids came in over budget.”
Later, Mayor Alberto Santos told The Observer the town “had estimated [the job would cost] about $100,000 based on a quote we had prior to going out to bid. We did not get a formal estimate from an architect for the repairs. We are doing that now.”
Despite the disparity between the estimate and the price range from bidders, Santos said that “specs will not be revised. After the architect’s review, we’ll have a better understanding of the cost of the repair and will budget that amount.”
And, even though the onset of winter is near, the mayor said: “We hope to re-bid and award in time for our next meeting on Nov. 9. If not, we will call a special meeting prior to Thanksgiving.”
Santos said he’s hoping to get the job done – and the firehouse back in shape – to provide space, as needed, for the new recruits expected to graduate from the fire academy next year.
Meanwhile, as the KFD awaits the fix-up of the Davis Ave. firehouse, it welcomed the arrival of three new part-time public safety telecommunicator trainees Andrew Taylor Jr., Edward Walters and Jeffery Wanco who were appointed by the council last week.
Also, it will be contracting for the purchase of new turnout gear (sets of coat, pants, boots, gloves, hood and harness) that is being partly funded by a FEMA grant of $230,191 plus $148,847 from a 2014 municipal bond ordinance. That works out to about $3,500 per set, according to Dyl.
Previously, the KFD was awarded $242,710 by FEMA, supplemented by a local match of $122,484, to finance the acquisition of 42 air packs at about $7,000 each, Dyl said.
