TAUNTON -- Work finally began yesterday morning on the rubble removal from the Seeley Building site-- just one day before $1,000-a-day fines were scheduled to begin piling up.
"I’m happy the work has begun, but at the same time, I don’t really think it’s a coincidence the work began the day before fines were to be implemented," City Councilor Jason Buffington said.
The City Council voted to begin imposing the fines today if work had not started to clean up the debris left in the wake of the July 16 blaze that destroyed the large apartment and commercial complex at 56 Taunton Green.
Buffington said the threat of fines appeared to light a fire under the owners of the property, whom he said appeared none-too-ambitious to get the cleanup underway.
David Santanelli, co-owner of BilRay Demolition of Johnston, R.I., said the owners of the building have not been dragging their feet in the cleanup process. They are on the phone with him a couple of times a day trying to move the process along, he said.
Santanelli estimated the cleanup will take about two weeks. He guessed the job will be done by approximately Oct. 8.
City Solicitor Steven A. Torres said he doesn’t expect the city to fine the owners provided the cleanup is "underway and consistent."
"We’re monitoring the progress. I will be there at the site each day, as will the building commissioner," Torres said.
"My primary concern is the progress and safety and the timeliness of the cleanup. They’re on the site. Let’s hope they redouble their efforts in the restoration of our historic downtown," Torres said.
Santanelli said the big holdup in beginning the work was the need for approval from the state Department of Environmental Protection due to the presence of non-airborne asbestos on the site.
Santanelli said just two areas of the debris tested positive for asbestos. The two hot spots were near Weir Street and facing the Taunton Green.
Workers sifting through the Lincoln Street side of the dusty rubble yesterday were not wearing masks. Santanelli said that area had tested negative and was safe to handle.
Job one is to clear Lincoln Street of rubble so it can be used as a staging area, Santanelli said. That will take a couple of days.
Santanelli said Seely Realty Development Trust paid him a $10,000 deposit to begin the work. City councilors had previously questioned trust representative Martin Hesson of Quincy on the trust’s ability to pay the bill after the company that originally demolished the building sued the trust for non-payment.
But Hesson told councilors the reason for non-payment was his insurance company told him the bill was unreasonably high, not a lack of ability to pay.
Torres said his main concern now is that the rubble pile appears to be shifting toward Weir Street, as evidenced by a bulge in the fence on that side. Torres said the city is keeping an especially close eye on the stability of the debris pile.
"At the direction of the mayor and City Council, I’ll be on this every day," Torres said.
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