By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

NAPLES — The fate of the gym roof was up in the air.

The Naples Board of Selectmen have been trying to figure out a way to shore up the roof after it was discovered upon removing the tarp that the roof had sunk as much as 4 inches. 

At this point in time, the gym is off limits. It is closed to both the public and the staff.

On Monday, the board decided against hiring an engineer to inspect the roof.

“Ultimately, the board decided not to hire the engineer. We don’t need an engineer to tell us that the building (gym) is basically condemned and should be slated for demolition,” according to Naples Town Manager John Hawley. 

In fact, the next move will be getting cost estimates for demolishing the building and putting that as a warrant article before voters at town meeting this spring, according to Hawley.  

The tricky part will be re-routing all the electrical and heating mechanisms that are housed in the gym for the town office. 

“The utilities that are out in that portion of the gym need to be moved. It comes in from the front corner of the building. It needs to be moved. There are heating pipes that need to be dismantled and re-routed,” Hawley said. 

The town will put together a budgetary proposal for the demolition of the gym to be ready in time for town meeting. 

Even though town meeting is held in late April, a solution for the gym will have to wait another six months fro now. If the funding is approved at annual town meeting, it won’t be available until the new fiscal year, which starts July 1, 2023.

Last month, the board had asked Hawley to get a cost estimate for an engineering firm to provide a new assessmentof the roof and come up with some recommendations.

After discussing the options during the meeting last night, the selectmen decided it was best to spend money getting rid of gym, instead of trying to save it.