Community House Freshly Painted for Winter
City budgeted money to weatherize & protect historic city assets.
The shuttered Novato Community House got a fresh coat of Novato’s signature red paint to protect the structure from the elements. Cosmetically, it was a much needed improvement. The faded paint of the Community House was taking on a pink hue, especially when compared to the newly renovated City Hall next door.
City Manager Michael Frank said money was approved and allocated from the capital budget to winterize some of the city’s vacant buildings. The Community House, closed since 2004, is on that list along with Hamilton Theater and two of the Old Town bungalows that used to serve as city offices, the Hanen House and the Simmons House.
The painting contractor, Boeck & Associates of San Rafael, caught a break in the rain and was able to complete the job by Friday with 80 gallons of paint, matched from the red shade of “Bravado” used on the City Hall.
The city manager confirmed that the cost for painting the Community House was $23,000.
The building was also re-roofed, dry rot was addressed and broken windows were replaced to keep out the birds that were calling the house their home. “We have historic buildings that are crumbling,” Frank said. “City assets need to be protected.”
janna nikkola
4:20 pm on Saturday, January 8, 2011
All of the city-owned buildings on Sherman Avenue and the community house facing Delong Avenue should be torn down to make a room for a "real" city hall. Those old wooden structures have long outlived their usefulness and serve no real practical purpose. The renovation of the old city hall was a huge waste of the taxpayers' money, and the project went over budget and took longer than anticipated, and now it just stands empty -- except for city council meetings two evenings a month. But building a new city hall presents yet another conundrum -- neither the city council nor the City of Novato can be trusted to see such a project completed within the budget allocated or on schedule -- so who(m) can be trusted to supervise construction? Having our city hall in a parking lot near a shopping center is ridiculous and was supposed to be only temporary, but they're still there to the tune of $700,000 a year of the TAXPAYERS' MONEY. (I emphasize whose money is being squandered since both the city council and the city manager seem to forget that little detail).
My Way Or The Highway !!!
8:12 am on Sunday, January 9, 2011
Janna,
You are so correct. They spent 23,000 to paint the community house but did nothing to fix the major trip hazard on the sidewalk at the so called old front doors . If this was a private house you could bet your rock bottom dollar you would be given a notice to repair it. This city from the city council members to the city manager do what they want to spend your money because they know you are all suckers and will vote more taxes for them when they start to cry to you once again. Elections are coming and i say remember that church building and the wasted money. The theater and the wasted money and all the workers who they cut from the bottom so they can keep the top brass working at 75 Rowland way.
Gail Wilhelm
1:04 pm on Sunday, January 9, 2011
Bravo, to Michael Frank, city manager, for prudently protecting the community House until it can be renovated.
To correct the above misstatements. The city hall renovations were not only completed ahead of schedule but on budget. I think it is time for people with axes to grind to at least get their facts straight.
My Way Or The Highway !!!
1:36 pm on Sunday, January 9, 2011
Excuse me budget !!!! When were we told six million ?. You had better look at all the change orders that were hidden from you. A waste of city money. We could have saved the tower,doors and the windows and built a building three times the size for half the price. Why don't you ask the city about the 50 year solar panels that have a 5 year warranty or the copper gutters. On the community house you had better start looking at the foundation before you throw more good money after bad for paint. Maybe you could challenge the city and see if you could sell more bricks for the front steps of the community house than they sold for the six million dollar waste of money building .
Modine Hall
9:22 pm on Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Wow! This person by the name of "Johnny" has an opinion about everything on this Novato Patch site. Can't believe the consistent negativity and misinformation he puts forth.
My Way Or The Highway !!!
12:57 pm on Thursday, January 13, 2011
Please tell me what part of a building that has been condemned by our city inspectors and our local fire department don't you understand ? Let me give you a clue !!!! FACT!!!! If it was your house you would not be living in it . ( GET IT NOW ) Now you can ask yourself Would i pay 23,000 to paint this building if i owned it ?
Michaelb
8:26 am on Saturday, February 12, 2011
Jonny is right. What a waste of monies trying to salvage a bunch of useless buildings. I am a GC, and for 5m we could have built something to be proud of. Who is going to come to Novato and spend money, nobody. We need to scrape downtown and model it after Los Gatos where people are out on a Sunday and business is open. I can't understand why someone would choose to make the town color "Barn Red". That seems to be the same color as the old chicken coops I see all over the Petaluma countryside. Novato needs board members with a vision of the future instead of hanging on to past.