Powell River Regional District directors have approved more funds for upgrading the Savary Island fire hall.
The regional district had budgeted $157,500 and awarded the contract for the work to Agius Builders Ltd.
A site visit was conducted in early May and revealed that more extensive work than originally believed has to be done to bring the structure up to building code standards for a post-disaster relief centre.
Staff provided directors with six options that ranged from $290,160 to $361,015.
Al Radke, chief administrative officer, explained that staff didn’t know what was beneath the surface when the original estimate was made. “Now that we’ve uncovered that, we all know that,” he said. “Now it’s a matter of planning to get it done.”
Area A Director Patrick Brabazon said the situation was a classic renovation. “Never, ever open up a wall,” he said. “Once they got started on this building, it went from bad to worse.”
Regional district staff has been working with the SIVFD (Savary Island Volunteer Fire Department) and ASIC (Association of Savary Island Committee) to try to reduce the cost, out of respect for the taxpayers on Savary, Brabazon added.
The first option, for $290,160, would bring the fire hall up to standard, Brabazon said, as well as permit some uses in the meeting room on the second floor. However, it doesn’t include a commercial kitchen, he pointed out, as required for some functions.
Directors passed a motion to approve the first option. The funds will come from the following sources: $118,000 borrowing over five years; $125,550 from community works reserve for eligible costs; and $46,610 from SIVFD reserves.
The building has been closed to use by the community since last fall, after the regional district received a draft building assessment report. Community hall use also does not meet the current use listed in the licence of occupation.
The action plan calls for staff to prepare an application to request a change in the licence of occupation to allow for a community hall as well as a fire department. Staff will request that the ministry of transportation and infrastructure relinquish its licence of occupation on the rest of the property and that the regional district be granted the use for fire department practice and parking for the proposed community hall use.
As well, the regional district is exploring creating a new service for Savary recreation. If the recreation service is established, then taxes collected for the service would pay back the portion of the upgrade costs required for community hall purposes. The new service has to have voter approval.
