When talks of a new senior center building circulate through Independence Township, the same question arises over and over again ? ‘I don’t know the condition of the current building.?
Even in this week’s people poll (page B1), two of the four residents were uncertain of the ‘quality? of the current structure, located in Clintonwood Park on Clarkston Road.
The following article, the second part of a series discussing the proposal for a new senior center building and operational millage, takes a look at the senior center building itself. What work has the structure needed? What is the current condition? Is the space adequate?
As stated in the first story, this listing is not complete. Also, work on the Carriage House was not included. The information was compiled through interviews and records at the senior center.

Repairs, repairs, repairs
Difficulties with the Independence Township Senior Center began back in 1981 ? before the building could even open. Many of the origins of today’s problems began here.
Shortly after the building was renovated to turn the garage into a dining hall and the regular kitchen into a commercial kitchen, township officials needed to receive special exceptions to use the building as a senior center.
According to Margaret Bartos, a plaque from the State of Michigan Department of Labor hangs in the center granting the building ‘exception from the barrier free design requirements contained in the state construction code, section 315.4.?
This plaque gives the center the ability to use the stairwells to the second floor and the basement, even though those who are handicapped cannot.
‘When this was done, the seniors using the basement were in their 50s,? explained Bartos. ‘Now they’re in their 80s and still trying to use those steps to the basement.?
Independence Township Building Department Director Dave Belcher remembers the first major ‘fix? he completed on the senior center: in the spring of 2001 the building needed to be stabilized and raised back up about three inches.
According to Belcher, the new appliances in the commercial kitchen were causing the center of the building, particularly around the kitchen and dining hall, to sink.
‘I had to take hydraulic jacks and push the middle of the building back up,? said Belcher. ‘We put beams underneath in the basement to support it. That building was never able to withstand those commercial appliances.
‘The building is built to code, but the building is a house,? Belcher added, ‘and the house is just getting old.?
Other major repairs Belcher said made over the years include rebuilding the handicap accessible ramp and outside deck, redigging and rebuilding the basement walls, and installing new sump pumps in the basement to handle the seven to 10 inches of water each spring.
‘All of the wooden shelves and stored items were moldy in the basement,? said Bartos. ‘The walls were crumbling. Now the walls are starting to crumble again despite the retaining devices. Our cleaning staff scrub down the floors with bleach, but the musty smell persists.?
Today, both Belcher and Bartos agreed the senior center is in constant need of repairs. For Belcher, the biggest difficulty is the almost 20-year-old boiler heating system. For Bartos, the struggle is the continuous repair of commercial kitchen appliances because of inadequate ventilation and hard water.
‘The building does not have central air and we are using eight window air conditioners to keep the place cool and dry. That uses a lot more electricity than one central air unit,? said Bartos. ‘In the kitchen, the window AC has to be located over the steam table because the only other window interferes with the venting system of the stove. This constantly causes the room to overheat and forces the air conditioner to work harder.?
Belcher said repairs at this time are being done on an ‘as needed? basis. Since stabilizing the building, no major repairs of that size have been done.

The cost
‘I do not have a degree in building maintenance. I have a bachelor in history, an associates in business and am certified in gerontology,? said Bartos. ‘My only building experience is owning seven homes of my own, yet I spend an inordinate amount of time on building maintenance.?
For 2006, Bartos said she budgeted $2,000 for building repair and maintenance ? an amount surpassed this past April. The cost for work on the center comes from the senior center budget and sometimes parks and recreation.
‘I’m unsure how much we have spent up to this month,? said Bartos, who explained the newest numbers are not yet available from the township offices. ‘I do know we passed the budgeted amount already.?
According to Bartos, to cover the difference in the overall senior center budget for the overdraw in necessary building maintenance, she is forced to cut back on staff hours and programming. However, the township does not allow funds to be transferred from one account to another without board action.

Space is an issue
‘The dining room is also the entrance. People coming into the center have to walk through card players or lunch or other programs to get to the office,? said Margaret.
The dining room is also the group meeting room, activity hall and staff meeting room. When a program can not be interrupted, guests must use the ‘back door,? technically located on the side of the building.
The main office is a small room located near the center of the building. Guests must first walk through any number of activity areas, depending on the entrance used, before reaching a staff member.
Several areas throughout the building are inaccessible for anyone in a large wheelchair: the downstairs hallway, bathrooms, second floor and basement. These areas also do not accommodate more than one person, particularly if walkers or small wheelchairs are used.
There is no space, minus climbing the narrow steps to the second floor, for confidential discussions. In addition, group rooms are not big enough to handle large presentations.
‘My biggest concern is what happens if we truly have a tornado or other natural emergency, or a fire,? said Bartos. ‘The first time we did a tornado drill, the staff just stared at each other in shock.?
According to Bartos, tornado or natural disaster drills require one staff member to take all able-bodied guests to the ceramic room in the basement with a cell phone and radio. Remaining staff members move the disabled, handicapped and all others to the bathrooms and along the downstairs hallway, which does not accommodate large wheelchairs.
In cases of fire, staff members are to assist every guest out the nearest exit. Bartos said the first fire drill held last summer (2005) took seven minutes to clear the building. After a presentation by Fire Marshal Greg Olrich, staff members were able to reduce that time.
‘I worry about this, a lot,? concluded Bartos.

Look in next week’s edition of The Clarkston News to learn how the space in the senior center building is utilized and by which organizations. Future articles in the series will look at the senior center millage history and budget.