Mold forces police station to seek temporary home

[Guest guest]

Posted on Fri, Jul. 28, 2006

Mold forces police station to seek temporary home

http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/local/states/califor

nia/15143393.htm

RICHMOND: New digs will be necessary until 2008, when a new station

is expected to be built

By Geluardi

CONTRA COSTA TIMES

Walnut Creek CA.

The discovery of mold in the 57-year-old Richmond police station has

the department looking for a new home.

A July 21 report by the San Francisco-based Amherst company

confirmed elevated levels of mold in the building. The report

recommended immediate relocation to avoid exposing the department's

200 employees to worsening conditions during the next rainy season.

Roof and window casement leaks are responsible for the mold in the

three-story, concrete-and-masonry building. The basement is

frequently flooded with as many as 12 inches of ground water during

the rainy season, according to the report.

The city rejected a $35 million estimate to repair the building and

instead decided to move the department to a temporary location until

a new police department is built sometime in 2008. The move is

expected to be a massive undertaking, Police Chief Magnus said.

" We can't compromise employee health and safety, so the goal is to

be out by the next rainy season, " he said. " Moving will be a huge

undertaking. There are so many technical pieces that have to be

moved, it's a little overwhelming. "

The department will require about 50,000 square feet of space with

lockers for officers' gear as well as sufficient parking for a large

fleet of police vehicles. The temporary building will also require

securable rooms for weapons and evidence. Currently, the police keep

evidence, paper records and private property in a 6,000-square-foot

area in the station's basement.

The City Council on Tuesday asked staff members to prepare a list of

suitable locations and moving cost estimates. The council will

consider the list when it returns from break in September.

The city ordered the testing after 28 employees filed workers'

compensation claims over a four-month period. The claims cited mold

and asbestos as the cause of ailments, which ranged from chronic

sniffles to skin infections. The July 21 report did not conclude

that there are dangerous levels of asbestos in the building.

The employees were not seeking compensation, according to union

officials, but wanted to document the conditions should they become

ill in the future.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------

Reach Geluardi at 510-262-2787 or jgeluardi@...