Water Storage

Thank you members for providing your yes vote before the meeting and for attending the meeting. Fred introduced himself, gave a history of the project and brought the attendees up to date. He then introduced Steve Richer, our accountant, who proposed a financial plan which includes borrowing enough to accomplish this project and finish the remaining 12 roofs while maintaining a healthy reserve balance. There will be no condo fee increase nor special assessment based on this plan.

Coffee and desert was served. All correspondence, quotes, engineering reports, etc. were available for review. The meeting lasted about an hour and a half.

There were a total of 71 yes votes received by the end of the meeting. There is a required 74 votes to make the 75%. After the meeting, the board obtained the rest of the necessary votes. The board can now proceed with firming up a quote and obtaining the necessary financing.

Gone! The water shed has been demolished and the original cement foundation has been broken up and removed. There have been tests for ledge, under ground water, etc in preparation for installing the new 30,000 gallon underground water cistern. This water storage will be used in the event of a fire and is a requirement by the town and Millbury Fire Dept. for our occupancy permit.

As you were informed at the annual meeting and in our last printed newsletter, PRVA is required by the Town of Millbury to repair or replace our water shed and to have 30,000 gallons of water available for fire protection. It was last reported to you that we were searching for quotes from contractors to install an underground cistern, as presented by our engineering firm Thompson-Liston Associates, Inc., and approved by the Millbury Fire Chief. It was estimated in December that the costs would run between $50,000 and $100,000. We’ve received bids, and here is what we’ve found:

First of all, the cost to demolish the existing structure is approximately $15,000. The cost to install the underground 30,000 tank will then run us just over $100,000. We were dismayed to hear this, but the high cost is due to PRVA being on top of sloping rock ledge: blasting and excavating cost $5,000 per day for an undetermined period of time. Plus, the contractors need to build extensive supports to hold the heavy water tank in place, which is more than 25 feet below the surface. Since as volunteer board members we represent all of the homeowners, we’d be remiss if we didn’t seek alternative plans that offer more affordable solutions. The first alternative we researched was repairing the existing tank and shed. This entails removing the roof and fence, removing the old foundation and pouring a new one, water proofing it and finding a liner big enough, putting on a new roof, installing a new fence and hooking up working lines to a fire hydrant. Another proposal the Board has researched is installing a 30,000-gallon outdoor swimming pool. While a community pool presents new considerations and rules, it will be far less expensive than the underground cistern.

The cost for a swimming pool is approximately $50,000. We can actually have this amenity available to homeowners for the same cost as having a watershed that basically just "sits" there. (Both will need some extent of annual maintenance.) The Mill-bury Fire Department has said that a pool will fulfill the water storage requirements and is acceptable. No matter what is decided, this is an enormous expense to homeowners. The Board is preparing final cost estimates for all proposals and will determine how much homeowners will have to be assessed for each scenario. Since building a swimming pool is a major change to the property, homeowners must vote to accept its construction.

Here’s the update: Our engineering firm, Thompson-Liston Associates, Inc., completed their calculations and recently presented their findings and recommendations to the Millbury Fire Chief. The Fire Chief has given his approval to go ahead with the installation of a new cistern as defined in the plans presented. The board is now contacting various contractors for bids and will review options for paying for this project. Construction should begin in the spring. Project updates and cost estimates will be provided when known.

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