(Today’s Northumberland file photo)
By Cecilia Nasmith/Today’s Northumberland
Relying on Scott Jibb’s expertise as Hamilton Township’s former Chief Building Official, Northumberland County has deferred a decision on the fate of the soon-to-be-vacated Golden Plough Lodge.
The discussion arose as the result of County Councillor Jibb’s recent request to tour the facility to get a better idea of what might realistically be the building’s future.
The 100,000-sq.-ft. building was constructed in multiple stages over a number of years. Each month it stands, even as a vacant structure, it costs more than $72,000 for things like insurance, utilities, cleaning, pest control and security.
Whether to demolish it (once it is empty) or to renovate and repurpose it was the discussion at the March Public Works Committee meeting, at which time Jibb requested the tour (which he took with fellow county councillor John Logel).
“When I attended the site with Councillor Logel and several staff members, I realized it’s a very large building with a lot of components – electrical, mechanical, heating, plumbing, sewer, water, a lot to actually understand and digest all at once,” Jibb reported.
“I made notes to myself shortly after that tour, and have not had adequate time to really draw my own conclusions for my engagement with the decision on this. In fact, there are a couple of numbers, maybe even some concepts of alternatives that I have reached out to staff and asked if they might be able to pursue.”
In order to undertake his own review, Jibb asked that a decision might be postponed – not only to give him time to complete his own analysis, but to afford an opportunity for a tour to other councillors who might be interested.
“I appreciate my colleague’s comments, and I too think this is an important and careful decision to make,” Councillor Olena Hankivsky remarked.
“And I would like to have some more time to do my due diligence on this file.”
