Freezer plant demolition expected to start next week
Demolition of the former freezer plant that sits alongside the Cape Cod Canal will begin next week according to Sandwich Fire Prevention Officer J.J. Burke.
Burke and other members of the fire department are currently working with the building’s owner Arthur Fournier to secure proper fencing and set an erosion control system in preparation for the demolition. The state Department of Environmental Protection will approve the demolition permit after that work is completed. Fournier has 30 days to demolish the building following receipt of the permit. Bourne contractor Brian Bergen will carry out the demolition.
The freezer plant consists of two connected units including a single story concrete block and mortar structure and a two-story timber framed structure. The single story unit will be dismantled first, which will take approximately 10 days to complete. Materials from the two-story building will be removed systematically starting with the east side of the building until the demolition is finished.
Burke said the freezer plant will come down piece by piece because it is more efficient than destroying the building with a wrecking ball and sorting through a pile of debris. He said the debris will be separated into five piles; steel, heavy timber, concrete, asbestos, and regular waste material, and then transported to local recycling centers. Any materials containing asbestos will be taken to an approved site in Maine.
Burke said each recycling center must sign a work order upon receiving the debris, which the town will keep a copy of for its records.
Burke said the debris will be transported to the recycling centers on a daily basis so the work site will be cleaned up by the end of each work day.
Fournier will have a 24-hour security officer overseeing the demolition. Burke and other members of the fire department will also visit the property throughout the demolition to ensure its being carried out effectively. The demolition will likely be finished by April 1 barring weather delays. The nearby children’s playground will be closed during the demolition.
Burke said the demolition should be “fairly continuous” once the Department of Environmental Protection approves the demolition permit. Burke has been working closely with Fournier and his attorney Ben Losordo throughout the demolition. Assistant Town Administrator Doug Lapp said Burke has helped “to avoid some big costs to the town” by working with the owner so the town didn’t have to pay for the demolition and then sue Fournier for the cost.
“Not only is [the building] an eyesore, it’s a public safety hazard and we want it down,” Burke said.
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