The state Department of Health is reviewing a plan to demolish the Seymour Lumber building on Bank Street (Route 67).
Demolition could begin in mid — to-late August, according to town officials and contractors hired by property owner Tom Tkacz.
The most recent plans to tear down the building have been kicking around since March.
Demo plans on that corner have a habit of dragging on, such as with the Housatonic Wire building on River Street and past plans to tear down the Seymour Lumber buildings.
And while demolition plans for Seymour Lumber are moving forward, there are several steps remaining to complete the process.
The property, on about 1 acre of land at the corner of Bank and River streets, has a three story commercial building and several storage garages. It is listed for sale for $1 million.
The town has deemed the main building unsafe for entry, so contractors must demolish the structure while there is still asbestos inside.
State Review
The state Department of Health is notified of demolition plans for buildings containing asbestos in Connecticut, and must approve plans where asbestos removal is “different from the standard procedures,” said DPH spokesman William Gerrish.
That’s the case with Seymour Lumber, because the asbestos can’t be removed before the building is torn down. Gerrish said DPH is reviewing the asbestos-removal plan.
The state gets involved to ensure public safety.
Chris Eident, the CEO of Mystic Air Quality Consultants, filed the application with the state two weeks ago, as his company was hired to do the air monitoring during the demolition. He called the application “pretty standard.”
“Normally you remove asbestos first, but the building is not safe,” Eident said. “So the state Department of Health has to approve a plan where they will have full time hoses on the building while they take it down.”
Eident said DPH has asked for additional information, maps and drawings, after receiving the proposal. Part of the concern was with the proximity of the building to the street. The contractors plan to close off parts of Route 67 (Bank Street) while taking apart the building.
“It’s still in progress,” Eident said.
“I would think you’re looking at the end of August before you get in there and get started,” he said.
While a complete review of asbestos in the building wasn’t completed because of the structural concerns, Eident said the likely places they will find it is in the flooring, some roofing and the boiler in the basement.
Once the demolition is complete, any debris that contains asbestos will be segregated from other demolition debris, he said.
Pressure to Move
Town officials want to see the building come down because they see the building in its current state as an impediment to redeveloping the high profile corner.
The land is just blocks away from the downtown area, and across from the Stop and Shop. It is also close to the Klarides Village shopping center and the new Walgreens building.
“Being that it’s in our borders, we’re working with the state Department of Health to see that this process is streamlined as much as possible because we want to see this building come down,” said Fred Messore, the town’s economic development director.
On July 10, Messore toured the property with state and local health officials, as they reviewed the demolition application. In an effort to move the project forward, Messore said he has asked the state to waive a 10-day waiting period before Tkacz can apply for local demolition permits once the state approves the plan.
Gerrish said the state has approved the request.
But while trying to help Tkacz move through the process, town officials are also putting pressure on him to move.
Most notably, the town listed the property on its blight list last winter. Property owners on the list face $100-a-day fines.
“My feeling is we’ve put up with this long enough,” said Karen Stanek, a member of the Board of Selectmen who has aired concerns about the property since she was elected in 2011. “I think that can be a really valuable piece of property in the right hands.”
No one in Seymour Town Hall last week was able to say how much money the property owner owes from blight fines. Blight officer Mike Marganski did not return a call and e‑mail seeking information.
The blight designation prompted Tkacz to explore taking down the building on his own, after waiting for a series of interested developers to handle the work.
“We were going to tear it down a long time before that,” Tkacz said. “But anytime we went to tear it down, someone would put a bidding on it. Why should I pay for it when a buyer could do it?”
Tkacz said the demolition is costing him more than $100,000 — and he won’t know the final cost until the building is down and materials are disposed.
Since 2007, he has fielded a variety of proposals to build housing, and retail units. Tkacz said other developers have also approached him.
None of the plans have come to fruition.
“There’s nobody that wants this down more than I do,” Tkacz said.
Demolishing the building will “absolutely help us,” said Lou Proto, the real estate agent selling the property.
“The building right now encompasses most of the real estate that is there. So people don’t get a good look as to what we are marketing right now,” Proto said. “We’re marketing the land.”
