OTISFIELD — Selectmen awarded a bid Wednesday evening to renovate areas of the Otisfield Community Hall to avoid a major overhaul estimated to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The board gave the project to J.L. Adler Carpentry of Andover, which bid $6,294 for the various upgrades at the hall. Dyer’s Camp and Cottage Service bid $14,714.64 for the work, but owner Garry Dyer withdrew his bid during a discussion on the bid specifications.

The requested work at the hall includes the replacing interior and exterior doors, repairing front-wall siding, and installing new exterior steps and a handicap-accessible ramp. The request also outlined extensive work to the kitchen, such as inspecting and replacing the floor; adding a new window, cabinets, and countertops; and painting the ceiling and walls.

The town is supplying materials for the project from Record Lumber. Administrative Assistant Marianne Izzo-Morin said Thursday that she did not know the cost of the materials.

Earlier this year, a study by Fish Street Design of Fryeburg and The H.L. Turner Group of Concord, N.H., identified several major upgrades that could be made to the structure. The assessment said the building could be moved back from Route 121 and placed on a foundation, with additional repairs or upgrades to windows, shingles, siding, insulation and the kitchen.

The groups estimated that the full upgrade would cost $329,518, and an analysis by two local contractors put the price at between $300,000 and $370,000. At a public hearing in April, residents expressed support for having a community hall but questioned whether the town should spend such a sum to repair the building.

Selectmen scheduled the hearing to gauge public opinion before moving forward with any work at the building. Since then, work has started on upgrading the electrical system and replacing the kitchen appliances.

“We’re just making it so it’s in compliance with ADA and the electrical is up to code,” Morin said. “And they’re putting in new kitchen appliances because the appliances that were in there were very, very old.”

Selectman Rick Micklon said Wednesday that the decision follows numerous site reviews, cost estimates and public input.

“It isn’t as simple as people might think,” he said. “We’ve been assessing this for some time.”

Jim Adler, owner of J.L. Adler Carpentry, is the son of selectman Lenny Adler. Lenny recused himself from the vote and said Jim had not spoken with him about the bid.

The estimated completion date for the work at the hall is Oct. 1.

mlangeveld@sunjournal.com

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