Category: Pepperell Building Project

With the recent development of a building committee in town, many people are wondering if our police, fire and dispatch personnel really need a new public safety complex.  With regard to our building, my guess is that most people simply glance at the Pepperell Police Department building as they drive down Main Street and see what appears to be a well-built brick building that looks like it will last forever.  That may be true, regarding the exterior.  If you stepped inside, however, you would find myriad issues in the 123 year-old building that make it no longer suitable for the police and communications departments.

There are many issues that have developed over the years as offices have moved and both departments have grown.  But let’s look at the police station building and start with the basics.  First, let’s talk about the status of the building itself, regardless of its function.  Here’s what I found while searching for answers to that question.

In 2017, a team of experts from multiple disciplines from the Healthy Buildings Program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health decided to report on “a clear and actionable distillation of the core elements of healthy indoor environments”.  They titled their work The 9 Foundations of a Healthy Building.  Below, in italics, is their introductory summary on how to achieve a healthy building, broken down into their nine elements.

Following each of the authors’ summary paragraphs, I have included, in regular text, the current state of the Pepperell Police Department’s building located at 59 Main Street.  Please note that I am by no means an expert on any of these subjects.  In most cases my contributions to this document are from my experiences dealing with the building and the variety of issues we have had with it since becoming police chief in early 2010.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to read this.

VENTILATION

Meet or exceed local outdoor air ventilation rate guidelines to control indoor sources of odors, chemicals and carbon dioxide. Filter outdoor and recirculated air with a minimum removal efficiency of 75% for all particle sized fractions including nano.  Avoid outdoor air intakes at street level or near other outdoor sources of pollutants. Commission systems, conduct regular maintenance and monitor ventilation in real-time to prevent and resolve ventilation issues promptly.

The lack of fresh air intake into the work area of the police building has been a known issue for years.  The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has evaluated our building twice recently, once in 2013 and again in 2020.  Both reports advise of similar issues with ventilation, including:

• “It is important to note that the building does not have a functioning mechanical ventilation system on the first or second floor to provide fresh air”
• “The first floor has offices equipped with mechanical exhaust vents connected to fans in the attic.  This system was operating during the assessment.  In this configuration, offices on the first floor are depressurized.  Buildings with offices are usually designed to be pressurized to prevent the draw of odors from wall cavities or other locations that can contain environmental pollutants.  In addition, these vents would remove heated air from offices, making thermal comfort control difficult.”

• “In order to have proper air exchange with a mechanical supply and exhaust system, the systems must be balanced to provide an adequate amount of fresh air to the interior of a room while removing stale air from the room.  In their current condition, the existing components of the ventilation system on the first floor cannot be balanced”.

The outdoor air intakes at ground level are, as stated, an issue.  These intakes, adjacent to the parking lot, can pull exhaust fumes into the prisoner cells in the basement.

The fan coil units in the work areas were found to be a major source of the spread of mold due to a lack of regular maintenance and their location – most of which were installed (and then reinstalled) under the 123-year-old leaky windows.

AIR QUALITY

Choose supplies, office supplies, furnishings and building materials with low chemical emissions to limit sources of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds. Check for legacy pollutants such as lead, PCBs and asbestos. Limit vapor intrusion by using a vapor barrier.  Maintain humidity levels between 30-60% to mitigate odor issues.  Conduct annual air quality testing. Respond to and evaluate occupant concerns.

There are no known legacy pollutants, however the building was constructed in the late 1890’s so it is possible they exist.  There is no vapor barrier.  A bulletin board from an untouched classroom wall on the second floor has peeled away, exposing the exterior brick.  The DPH inspectors advised that the attic exhaust, in combination with the lack of mechanical ventilation, pulls air in through the leaky windows and also the walls, causing moisture to enter the building, which leads to mold growth.

From the 2013 DPH report regarding humidity levels: “The relative humidity in the building at the time of the assessment ranged from 19 to 28 percent, which was below the MDPH recommended comfort range (40 to 60) in all areas surveyed.”  A humidity gauge on my desk has read 16% for most of this winter of 2020-21.

WATER QUALITY

Meet the U.S. National Drinking Water Standards at point-of-use. Test water quality regularly.  Install water purification system for removal of contaminants, if necessary.  Ensure residual disinfectant levels are sufficient to control microbes, but not in excess.  Prevent water stagnation in pipes.

Due to the age of the building and therefore the water pipes, police and dispatch personnel generally do not drink water from the faucets in the building.  For years the police union has paid for outside drinking water to be brought in to both the police and dispatch areas.

THERMAL HEALTH

Meet minimum thermal comfort standards for temperature and humidity and keep thermal conditions consistent throughout the day. Provide individual level thermal control, where possible. Survey the space and occupants regularly to identify zones that underperform.  Respond to and evaluate occupant concerns. Commission systems, conduct regular maintenance and monitor temperature and humidity in real-time to prevent and resolve thermal comfort issues promptly.

The HVAC system in the police building is a “two-pipe system”, which only allows for either heat or air conditioning to be run at one time.  The building must go through a changeover from heat to air conditioning in the spring and from air conditioning to heat in the fall.  During spring and fall in New England, however, temperatures fluctuate.  This issue causes the use of space heaters and/or fans during these times of year.  Inadequate electrical service causes issues when space heaters need to be run.

Even during known heating and cooling seasons, the system is inadequate.  Although the boiler and chiller have both recently been replaced, the fan coil units on the walls continue to have issues.  These units were identified as a cause of mold growth in 2013, as mold within the units was spreading spores into the air.  For that reason, during the mold remediation in 2014, they were replaced.

Unfortunately, the units were replaced with what are basically the same units in the same locations.  The units are of poor quality and were installed with the understanding that we would be in a new building by the end of that decade.  These units have since broken down and seem in a state of constant disrepair.  Many of them have thermostat issues which cause the rooms they heat or cool to become extremely hot or extremely cold and constantly have to be turned on and off.  Multiple units have already leaked onto the carpeting, causing another opportunity for mold growth.

The building is constantly in a state of inconsistent temperatures due to inadequate fan coil units, high ceilings, leaky windows and improper air flow.

DUST AND PESTS

Use high efficiency filter vacuums and clean surfaces regularly to limit dust and dirt accumulation, which are reservoirs for chemicals, allergens, and metals. For homes, take off shoes at the door to limit tracking in dirt. Develop an integrated pest management plan with a focus on preventative measures such as sealing entry points, preventing moisture buildup and removing trash. Avoid pesticide use, if possible. Train building management how to respond to pest problems and complaints.

The cleaning of our building has been an issue for years.  There has never been enough time or resources dedicated to cleaning our building correctly and consistently.   The 2020 Department of Public Health inspection noted “Dust and debris was found in many areas of the building.  One source of this dust and debris is deterioration and wear of building materials such as brick and wood.  This material can be irritating if aerosolized and should be cleaned regularly.”

We do not take our shoes off upon entering the building as suggested above.  In fact, most of the first floor is carpeted, which can trap the various, possibly dangerous, things brought into the building on officers shoes after responding to calls where officers were potentially exposed to dangerous materials.  This was noted in the 2020 Department of Public Health report: “Many areas in PPD are carpeted.  …it is not recommended for police departments and other emergency response agencies to have carpeted floors due to the possible cross-contamination that may occur from footwear contacting automotive products, chemicals, or biological contamination.”

Regular pest management was removed from the police budget years ago due to financial constraints.  Pest management is now either performed by employees, or by a pest management service on an as-needed basis.

LIGHTING AND VIEWS

During the day provide as much daylighting and/or high intensity blue-enriched lighting (480nm) as possible while maintaining visual comfort and avoiding glare. Get regular light breaks outside.  Provide blue-enriched task lighting when necessary for comfortable viewing. For as long as possible before sleep, reduce light intensity as much as possible and use blue-depleted light to enhance sleep. Aim to provide direct lines of sight to exterior windows from all workstations.  Incorporate nature and nature-inspired design indoors.

All lighting fixtures are from the renovation in the 1980s.  Several years ago, the ballasts were replaced and newer bulbs were installed.  It is unknown if these are “blue-enriched”, but they don’t appear to be.  Not all workstations have direct lines of sight to exterior windows.  In fact, both the detective’s office and the detective’s lab have no windows and there are none visible from these rooms.

NOISE

Protect against outdoor noises such as traffic, aircraft and construction.  Control indoor sources of noise such as mechanical equipment, office equipment and machinery.  Provide spaces that minimize background noise to 35db for unoccupied work and learning areas, and a maximum reverberation time of 0.7 seconds.

Even with the windows closed, there is constant noise interference from Main Street and also Dunkin Donuts, including vehicles often beeping at each other in the parking lot as well as the drive-thru “squawk-box” noise.  Some heating units, especially on the second floor, are loud and need to be turned off if conducting a group meeting or training session so voices can be heard.

MOISTURE

Conduct regular inspections of roofing, plumbing, ceilings and HVAC equipment to identify sources of moisture and potential condensation spots. When moisture or mold is found, immediately address moisture source and dry or replace contaminated materials. Identify and remediate underlying source of the moisture issue.

Several paragraphs could be written here.  The roof still leaks.  The “new” fan coil units are mostly placed under leaky windows, as they were prior to the mold remediation.  There have been multiple issues of plumbing leaks causing water damage and potential mold growth.  Most of the causes of the previous mold growth were not remedied due to the false premise that we would be in a new building “in five years” – that was seven years ago.  Mold has returned.

One attempted remedy for mold growth was defeated by the inadequate electrical system, as noted in the 2020 Department of Public Health report: “Dehumidifiers were placed in the basement…these units cause too much stress on the electrical system to be used.”

SAFETY AND SECURITY

Meet fire safety and carbon monoxide monitoring standards.  Provide adequate lighting in common areas, stairwells, emergency egress points, parking lots and building entryways.  Manage points of egress and the physical perimeter. Be situationally aware through video monitoring, interactive patrols and incident reporting. Maintain a holistic emergency action plan and mechanism for communication to building occupants.

Lighting has been an issue in the parking lot since the ballast replacement several years ago.  The front entryway has a granite step with a large divot at the edge of the step which is a trip hazard.  The parking lot is in a state of disrepair and has multiple trip hazards.  The exterior is monitored by video surveillance.

Summary

Regardless of the needs specific to a police department functioning from the building at 59 Main Street, the building itself, a former school built in 1898, would receive a failing report card if graded on the above nine elements.  The first step in the process of correcting those problems is to holistically study our needs. While my institutional knowledge tells me that our building — and our town’s fire stations — are in disrepair, we need to engage professionals who can study the current state of our buildings and chart a course forward that will allow our public safety facilities to meet our community’s needs while protecting first responders and staff in the decades to come.

I hope that if you’ve made it this far reading this that you’ll attend future town meetings, listen to what Pepperell’s Building Committee has to say, and make a knowledgeable decision on each vote.

Thank you again for investing the time on this matter.

Chief David Scott

For more info:

Building Committee Website: https://pepperellproject.com

Nine Foundations Info: https://9foundations.forhealth.org/

DPH Reports: https://pepperellproject.com/documents/