Belltower was warned of roof weakness

A 2015 report recommended replacement of plaza roof that collapsed last week

By Patrick Luce
Posted 3/23/17

The owners and management company of Belltower Plaza knew as long ago as July 2015 that the roof was compromised and did little about it before part of it collapsed during a snowstorm last week, …

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Belltower was warned of roof weakness

A 2015 report recommended replacement of plaza roof that collapsed last week

Posted

The owners and management company of Belltower Plaza knew as long ago as July 2015 that the roof was compromised and did little about it before part of it collapsed during a snowstorm last week, according to business owners in the plaza.

It is the second time part of the Metacom Avenue shopping center’s roof has collapsed in as many years. No one was injured as the roof caved into a vacant unit, which was filled by Ernie’s Karate until the studio moved a couple months ago.

“It has been completely mismanaged,” said Doug Gablinske, whose AppraiseRI office is in the plaza that was shut down for more than two days last week. “Communication, transparency, coordination of things is just horrible.”

And that includes coordination of repairs that have been recommended since soon after part of the plaza’s roof collapsed in March 2015, Mr. Gablinske said. He points to a report by Tremco Roofing and Building Maintenance that warned owner Bellower Acquisitions LLC of the failing roof, noting standing water, multiple roof leaks and added stress caused by “ballast” — rocks and gravel used to hold roof components in place, which add 8-10 pounds of weight per square foot. Such roof construction is no longer commonly used, and on new roofs would actually violate building codes in a hurricane prone area like Bristol.

“A systematic plan to replace the roofs should be developed beginning in the worst area,” the two-year-old report reads. “Based on visual observations and reported active leaking, it would appear that Roof Areas J, K and L are the first priority.”

That recommended replacement was not done, and Roof Area J is the section that collapsed last week.

A follow-up report by Trinity Engineering, conducted in August 2016, identified weakened roof trusses at Belltower Plaza, blockage of the roof draining system, and a compromised roof membrane system leading to water infiltration, further weakening the structure.

“The trusses are overstressed at the center of the bottom chord as well as in shear in the top chord at the bearing location,” engineer David O’Neill wrote in his report, noting the roof is overloaded during winter snow. “Water infiltration through the compromised roof membrane over many years caused localized water damage to trusses, weakening them and leading to the failure (in 2015).”

Mr. O’Neill’s report in August recommended that all snow and ice be removed immediately from the roof and that “prior to next winter,” all roof drains be inspected and repaired, and all ballast be removed from the flat roofs. The ballast remained as of the collapse last week.

“Because precautionary and remedial action was not taken, all of the businesses in Bellower, except Citizen’s Bank, were shut down by the town of Bristol as a precautionary safety measure, which I agree with,” Mr. Gablinske wrote in a letter resigning from the condominium association that governs the plaza. “My concern for the direction of the plaza - transparency, communication and management - is palpable. With this communication, I hereby resign from the Bellower Condo Association Board of Directors, which is really powerless and a sham for BALLC.”

Belltower Plaza is a business condominium community made up of 22 individual units, some of which are privately owned by the businesses. Belltower Acquisitions owns a majority — 15 of the 21 units — and seats three members on the five-member governing association. Greg Salvatore — of Salvatore Capital Partners, the management company that runs the plaza — serves on the board and said the company had taken action after the March 2015 roof collapse.

“There was a lot of engineering and investigations done,” Mr. Salvatore said this week. “Load tests were completed in late summer and information was being gathered to come up with a plan of action.”

Mr. Salvatore said the company has been working with the Bristol Building Department and engineers who have said there were no other areas of the roof “that showed signs of fatigue.”

Asked if the management company or plaza owners took too long to repair the deficiencies before last week’s collapse, Mr. Salvatore said, “Based on what the engineers have guided us on, I don’t think so.”

Bristol Building Official Richard Pimento confirmed that some of the warnings in the reports from 2015 and 2016 were legitimate and ended up being causing factors in last Tuesday’s collapse.

“Our engineers have said the failure is due to a number of factors — the long span of the trusses, excessive stone ballast, heavy, wet snow and poor drainage,” Mr. Pimento said, noting the building was thoroughly inspected before businesses and customers were allowed back in last Thursday afternoon. “We cleared the building. We went through each unit to get a comfort level that everything is alright. We really tried to push it and get someone out there immediately so the businesses could reopen.”

Some of the units have conditions imposed, requiring excess ballast to be removed and any snow and ice to be removed from the roof before the business can open.

“Part of the long-range plan is to have the excess ballast removed,” Mr. Pimento said. “It is up to the building owner to maintain the building, which includes clearing snow and ice, but we will certainly be keeping an eye.”

Whether there will be a plaza to keep an eye on long into the future is in question, Mr. Gablinske said. Ten of the 22 units are or will be vacant by the end of the month, leading him and other owners in the plaza to wonder what the future plans are. The vacancies, combined with the fear customers have entering a building whose roof has collapsed twice in two years, is hurting business, they said.

“What’s happening is negatively affecting my value here,” Mr. Gablinske said. “I can’t figure out their motives. I’ve been here 16 years and I’ve never seen so many vacancies. These are not stupid business people. There’s some motive here we can’t quite pin down.”

The only motive, according to Mr. Salvatore, is to fill those storefronts and continue operating the plaza. “We are actively seeking new tenants,” he said.

Belltower Plaza, Belltower roof collapse

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