Montville Social Services to return to renovated building

Sep. 19—MONTVILLE — Mold, asbestos and a buckling floor had kept the town's Social Services department out of its former building for more than three years, but the department next month will return to a newly renovated space.

The building at 310 Norwich-New London Turnpike has new paint, windows, furniture and heating and cooling systems, all things Social Services Director Kathie Doherty-Peck, who was charged with making many of the style choices, said would enhance clients' experiences there.

The department has scheduled an open house for 4-6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 23.

"It really is beautiful," Doherty-Peck said. "And it really shows my vision of what I wanted: A warm and inviting atmosphere so that people in need, and facing crises, will feel welcomed."

For about 3 1/2 years, social services employees and clients had to make do in spaces that were not so inviting ― a parking lot and a small building next to Town Hall that had once been inhabited by the Montville Visiting Nurses Association.

Prior the COVID-19 pandemic, social services had been located in the basement of the former Town Hall building. The building closed to the public during the pandemic, forcing the department to operate out of the parking lot of the Senior Center. During that time, the heating system in the basement failed, bursting steam pipes that made the floor buckle and caused water damage.

The building leaked from the roof and had grown mold, said Town Councilor Billy Caron. He added asbestos was found and one of the bathrooms wasn't working.

In October 2021, the town's American Rescue Act Plan committee appropriated $200,000 for renovations while the Social Services department remained in the old nurses association building.

Caron, who was on the ARPA committee, attributed delays over the three years that followed in part to the fact that things move slowly in town government. He said it took a long time to get bids that kept the project under budget. As the project progressed, it revealed more problems.

"All of the sudden we had to bring Mystic Air Quality Consultants in. We had to do asbestos removal. The mold remediation took time. The roof took time," Caron said. "So, there wasn't one thing that held it up that I can point to and say, 'It was that.'"

The project came in under the $200,000 budget amount.

The work was a community effort, with public works employees building new shelving that Doherty-Peck said would make it easier for clients and staff to see over.

Charter Oak Federal Credit Union donated desks and a conference table.

Doherty-Peck said the return to the social services building provides clients a more inviting, less sterile environment, which is necessary for those seeking food, diapers, clothes or participating in programs, which she anticipates will expand with the hiring of a new programming director.

An open house had been scheduled this past week, but was canceled. She said it was because she wanted residents to see the building in its finished and completed state.

Doherty-Peck said she is proud of how the building looks, and the open house is a way to show residents where their donations go.

"It's a way for them to see this is where we're providing all the services that we couldn't do without their help," she said.