The Carroll City Council is working to determine how to proceed with restoration work after a fire destroyed the shelter house in Northwest Park last month. JEO Consulting examined the structure to determine if it could be salvaged, and the JEO engineer, William Murphy, says the damage was extensive.
The council has three options. The first is to remodel and update the interior of the mostly undamaged stone section and rebuild the damaged wooden areas. The second option is to tear down the structure and rebuild it like what it is now. The third option is to tear down the structure and wait until sufficient funds have been set aside to build a more modern, climate-controlled shelter house. Murphy says Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements will have to be incorporated into any new structure.
The shelter house was covered under the city’s property insurance policy, but the dollar amount of the claim is not clear yet. Mayor Jerry Fleshner compared the situation to a severely damaged vehicle after a crash.
No cost estimates for any options are available now, but Murphy notes there will be a significant difference between the top and bottom ends of the range. The structure is still standing a month after the fire and does not appear like it will fail catastrophically anytime soon. At-Large Councilman LaVern Dirks suggests they have time to weigh their options.
The council could also consider sectioning out that area of the park to make space for a new home, as it already has sewer and water service, or add other park amenities like a splash pad or court. The council directed Parks and Recreation Director Chad Tiemeyer to collect cost estimates for the shelter house options and report back when those are available.
