City board to get asbestos quotes – Mount Airy News

The subject of asbestos once again will be on the table when the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners meets tonight.

This involves a scheduled continuation of a matter discussed during the board’s last meeting on Aug. 1, when Mayor David Rowe reported on the results of a recent survey. It revealed the presence of the cancer-causing substance in buildings on the former Spencer’s industrial property which the city government acquired in 2014.

The structures containing asbestos are scheduled to be torn down as part of ongoing Spencer’s redevelopment efforts, with its removal required beforehand. A question mark looms regarding the cost of that task.

During today’s meeting at 7 p.m., the commissioners are expected to review contractor quotes for the asbestos abatement received by Mayor Rowe.

No information has been released about those quotes, which at last report were still awaited by Rowe.

At the previous council meeting on Aug. 1, the mayor briefed fellow city officials on a technical report of about 70 pages containing the results of a meticulous asbestos survey of the three buildings involved by ALIS Environmental.

“Several instances of asbestos-containing material” were found among those structures, Rowe said, including what is referred to as the finishing room or “big roof” building; the discount house/JCPenney warehouse building; and a former bank on Franklin Street.

However, the presence of asbestos was discovered to be not as extensive as first feared, which was accompanied by a $35,000 preliminary estimate for its abatement.

Rowe said on Aug. 1 that three different contractors would prepare quotes for the commissioners’ consideration.

The trio of buildings earlier were found to be structurally unsound and deemed hazardous by an independent engineer.

In June, the board voted 3-2 to award a $286,000 demolition contract to D.H. Griffin Wrecking Co. of Greensboro.

So far, the city government has spent around $3.5 million on the Spencer’s redevelopment, with an upscale apartment complex now under construction representing the only re-use of the former textile mill property which has materialized at the site.

Among other matters on the agenda for tonight’s meeting are:

• Special recognition of city Public Works Director Jeff Boyles;

• A closed session on the topics of economic development and acquisition of property.

Tom Joyce may be reached at 336-415-4693 or on Twitter @Me_Reporter.