For the past 10 years, the Old Saybrook Chamber of Commerce has leased the prominent, town-owned 1 Main Street building as its home. Chamber Executive Director Judy Sullivan says the chamber has been thrilled to be in such a perfect location. Every day visitors stop and walk inside to ask about the town and its businesses and get ideas for things to do—all positive. But there’s been one flaw that no one has been able to fix: The roof leaks.

“Water drips from the ceiling when it rains. It has been an ongoing leak that has been getting worse over the past decade,” said Sullivan. “Repairs have been tried, but haven’t been successful.

Once workers even brought a hose up on the roof and turned on the water to try to find the spot where water was getting in. After that, some repairs were made that slowed but did not stop the leak. In the past year, some bits of wallboard have also fallen down from the tower area underneath the cupola; this seemed to suggest that water leaks had soaked the wallboard and perhaps rotted some wood under the cupola.

So First Selectman Carl Fortuna, Jr., and Facilities Manager Dan Moran decided it was time to explore a permanent fix.

That plan is to replace the current roof and supporting drainage systems and to repair and/or replace the cupola and its support structure. The town released in late April a request for proposals (RFP) for firms to do the work; bids are due back to the Town Hall on May 17.

The RFP asked the bidders to quote for the “labor and materials to remove and renovate the existing roofing system and cupola.” If possible, the town asked bidders to quote a substitution of Azek water-resistant building materials for wood currently in use underneath and in support of the roof and cupola. Also requested were possible material substitutions for the building’s dentil moldings and trim boards.

The RFP requires use of Inspire Synthetic Slate roofing system. And last, as with other town buildings, the current interior lighting fixtures will be changed to LED versions.

The town’s 1 Main Street building was built over a two-year period from 2005 to 2007 during the administration of former first selectman Michael Pace. Instead of spending town funds on the project, Pace sought to tap mostly donations of labor and materials from area contractors and suppliers. The building’s design is a historic reproduction similar to the town’s original visitor information center that had been located at the Town Green. In October 2007, the Chamber of Commerce signed its first five-year lease to use the building.

Other Chamber News

Two months ago, younger members of the Chamber decided to start a new subgroup for members aged 21 to 40. Brittini Oxendine of Edward Jones and Bartlet Damon of Ameriprise agreed to found and co-chair the group. They named the networking and service group PLOT for Progressive Leaders of Today, and created a Facebook group with that name.

PLOT’s first community service day is scheduled for Sunday, May 20. The plan is to tackle environmental cleanliness on the causeway that connects Saybrook Point with Fenwick.

“We’d like to do two service projects a year and provide a mentoring group and opportunities for town youth,” said Oxendine. “The whole idea for the group is to offer a way to engage with the community and to network with other young business people along the shoreline.”

Anyone interested in participating in the first service day or in joining the group should contact Oxendine at brittini.oxendine@edwardjones.com or 860-388-6266.