Mold problem at Lakeside Arts Centre could be costly

[Guest guest]

The Mesquite News

BY KEVIN BOWEN

http://www.mesquitenews.com/articles/2006/06/11/the_colony_courier-

leader/news/news07.txt

Mold may force the city to spend up to $12,000 in remediation costs

at the Lakeside Arts Centre.

Officials said the situation at the building, located on Main Street

behind The Colony Government Center, poses no risk to human health

from the mold. The areas with higher concentrations of mold are

confined to an interior hallway in the rear of the building.

That area has been sealed off from the public, said Terry Gilman,

The Colony environmental coordinator.

Christi , Lakeside Community Theatre Chairman,said there is no

fear of health concern. Gilman said the areas accessible to the

public have the same mold count as the outdoors.

" All the other areas have been certified as safe, " said.

said the situation should not affect the operations of her

group, including a performance starting this month.

Still, it appears that it will cost taxpayers money to maintain the

upkeep of the city's building. Gilman asked the city council for up

to $12,000 to fix the problem. The city council chose not to at act

until they had a more definite dollar amount, after remediation

experts come out to look at the building.

The mold situation was noted by the city on May 17, when

documentation was received from City Manager Dale Cheatham regarding

mold on some ceiling tiles. The mold apparently came about from an

old leak in the roof that has been present for several years.

Finding a permanent home for Lakeside Community Theatre has been an

issue in the city for several years. Residents passed a bond several

years ago approving money for an arts center, but plans for the

center have become a source of political debate, resulting in the

failure of several proposals.

Mold is not an especially rabid problem in areas along the lake

compared to other places, said Dieter Kaiser, a ville-based

remediation professional. He said mold issues arise as much from

problems with the structure of a building as the location.

" No matter where you are in the Metroplex, you've got mold in the

air, " he said.

He said some of the worst problems he has seen are mold infestation

of apartment buildings.

" We had to remove everything down to the studs and rebuild, " Kaiser

said.

Costs fluctuate depending on the location of the mold, he said.