Request for Emergency Funding — File 206277

      22 June 2018 Somerville Hispanic Church (formerly Grace Church) 59 Cross Street Somerville, MA Community Preservation Committee: Request for Emergency Funding With the assistance of funding from Somerville’s Community Preservation Act grant and a grant from the Massachusetts Preservation Projects Fund, work commenced on the apse portion of the façade facing Cross Street in late April 2018. The apse is a semi-circular shaped wing with a slate covered roof rising to a point approximately two stories above the ground. A copper gutter follows the semi-circular configuration, supported on a saw-toothed brick cornice. This project was originally intended to replace the slate roof, flashings and gutters, and repoint the upper two courses of the brick cornice. After a competitive bidding process based on the plans and specifications which had been reviewed and approved by the Somerville Historic District Commission, the project was awarded to Cenaxo, a highly qualified firm that specializes in slate and copper roofing, and masonry work. While commencing work, Cenaxo uncovered conditions in the apse that present very serious life safety issues. Starting with the discovery of the broken rafters in the attic, it has been a seemingly unending series of problems. It appears that a heavy load of foodstuffs had been stored in the attic which overloaded the attic floor, which is in turn suspended from the roof framing, resulting in the cracking of the rafters in area of the over-loading. This led to investigation of the attic floor framing, to which the ceiling of the room below is attached. This room serves as the nursery (infants) for a Day Care Center. Selective investigation of this framing system caused us to immediately relocate the nursey to another part of the Day Care Center, with the participation of the licensing agency for the day care center. We then worked through a design with structural engineers, Jeff Reese and John Wathne of Structures North, to address the roof rafters and floor framing. This proved to be quite complex, as the entire masonry wall of the main façade gable at the terminus of the apse is supported by a historic steel I-beam then supported by cast iron columns going through the day care to the kitchen, resting on the original footings below. With today’s building code requirements for snow load and floor loading capacity, combined with the semi-circular shape of the apse, the structural engineer worked hard to come up with a viable solution, with awareness of the need to restore the room back to usable condition as soon as possible. Until Wednesday, June 13, we thought had come to the end. We had our structural engineer’s design for the roof framing and the very challenging reinforcement of the framing supporting the ceiling of the Day Care nursery, which took some effort to arrive at an efficient and effective design given the semicircular geometry of the apse. Work started with shoring several days before. A call from project manager, Mark Seddon of Cenaxo changed all that: a section of brickwork above one of the windows had collapsed. In assessing this it was clear why: what appeared to be a brick jack arch was improperly supported by a curved wood lintel set

within the brick wall, with the orange brick jack arch “stuck” to the wood lintel with mortar, or what was left of it. This is probably the same condition that prompted the not very well-done repairs to two of the window arches as seen by the bricks that do not match the historic brick. The solution is reinforcement and reconstruction of all six window arches and the brick cornice which is related to this work. This prompted additional design by Jeff Reese, Structures North, with my involvement along with Mark Seddon and Mike Gnazzo of Cenaxo. We are now replacing all six of the wood lintels of these window openings with steel and rebuilding the brick jack arches. Thanks to the generosity of the CPA grant of $562,000 with the MPPF grant of $61,000, there are funds to help address this critical situation. However, this means shortchanging critical roofing work designed to stop the active leaking at the main transept, budgeted at $350,000. The present roof and gutter project with limited repointing of the cornice is contracted with Cenaxo for $126,900. We are looking at construction in the range of $250,000 with additional architectural and engineering services in the $20,000 range. This means that CPA funds that we planned to devote to roofing in other areas will now be devoted to this critical and, in fact, emergency work. If it is possible for the Community Preservation Committee to consider emergency funding for this project, it would be greatly appreciated. Construction is moving forward while costs are being finalized. We expect to have the final cost of this work late Monday, June 25. We have proceeded for several reasons: the relocation of the nursey is a hardship for the day care operator. Having their cooperation has been wonderful but we know that time is of the essence for this operation and the hard-working families that depend on its services. The MPPF grant has a deadline of June 30 for the roof work, which can extend into July but not much further. We have worked with Cenaxo on many occasions and have confidence in their workmanship and in their business practices. Cenaxo has worked diligently to coordinate with the day care and shelter, and we are all committed to addressing the structural work in a thorough and long-lasting fashion. Attached are the structural drawings along with photographs illustrating the conditions. Prepared by Lynne Spencer Principal, Historic Preservation 22 June 2018