Council nixes proposal to tear down old City Hall
by Brent Shrum, Kootenai Valley Record
June 25, 2009
The Libby Volunteer Fire Department can move ahead with plans to seek grant funding to build a new fire station downtown as long as those plans don’t include the demolition of old City Hall, the city council agreed last week.
LVFD assistant chief Bill Watt told the council a "unique opportunity" has become available to apply for federal stimulus funds to build a new station. More than $200 million is available nationwide, Watt said.
Rules for the grant program were released June 11, Watt said, and applications must be turned in by July 10. By that time, the fire department will need to have "a tight fix on what you think it’s going to cost," he said.
Two options for building a new two-story station at the current location near the corner of Sixth Street and Mineral Avenue have been considered, Watt said. One calls for tearing down the section at the back of the old City Hall building that is currently used by the fire department; the second would demolish the entire structure. The standalone building further east on Sixth Street, which now houses the fire department’s offices and some of its vehicles, would remain.
The walls of the old City Hall building are insulated with vermiculite, and the building is likely to contain other asbestos-bearing materials as well, Watt said. The health hazard presented by asbestos, coupled with contamination from diesel exhaust, should count in Libby’s favor when applying for grant money, Watt said. Due in part to the asbestos contamination, demolishing the entire building could be a better solution than tearing down only a portion, Watt suggested.
Councilwoman Peggy Williams expressed concerns about the aesthetic impacts of tearing down the old City Hall building.
"I would not like to see that building go," she said.
Councilman Ron Carter agreed, adding that a structural engineer should be consulted before any decision is made on demolishing the building.
"I think everyone would be pretty shocked to see that come down," he said.
Mayor Doug Roll said he didn’t think the public would want to see the building torn down.
"I think that would be too much for folks to handle," he said.
Carter moved to authorize the fire department to apply for funding with the stipulation that the old City Hall building is preserved. Councilman Lee Bothman suggested amending the motion to remove the stipulation, but Carter said he wouldn’t make that amendment.
"And I won’t vote for it without that stipulation," Williams said.
Williams said she understood that applying for funds wouldn’t bind the city to accept the money and go ahead with the plan, "but I see us getting pushed into it."
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Editor’s Note: See the June 23, 2009 edition of the Kootenai Valley Record for the printed version of this story. The Kootenai Valley Record publishes once a week, now on Tuesday, in Libby, Montana. They are a locally owned community newspaper, located at 403 Mineral Avenue in Libby. For in-county and out-of-county subscription information, call 406-293-2424, or e-mail kvrecord@gmail.com.
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