A large pane of glass became dislodged from a Town Hall staircase last weekend, shattering in the newly renovated and expanded building for reasons that officials are still trying to determine.
A glass pane somehow became dislodged and shattered in this stairwell at Town Hall. The contractor installed plywood as a stopgap until a new pane arrives. Officials are looking into the cause of the problem. Credit: Michael Dinan
The contractor for Town Hall came immediately after First Selectman Rob Mallozzi came upon the disconcerting scene of shattered glass early Monday, and has since replaced the glass—set between the banister and staircase itself, near the second floor—with a fitted piece of plywood.
“Until it happened we didn’t know we had a problem,” Mallozzi said.
A glass pane somehow became dislodged and shattered in this stairwell at Town Hall. The contractor installed plywood as a stopgap until a new pane arrives. Officials are looking into the cause of the problem. Credit: Michael Dinan
“We had a contractor in that day [Monday] to make the staircase as safe as could be” and a licensed professional set the boards that are now in place, Mallozzi said, adding that the fire marshal inspected the scene and determined the stairwell to be safe.
The glass pane itself is under warranty, said Bill Oestmann, superintendent of buildings with the Department of Public Works. The contractor is doing the installation work itself and paying for it, the first selectman said.
Oestmann called it a “freak accident” and said that although the town doesn’t know just what happened, it is “definitely an isolated incident.”
The replacement glass pane is custom-made and will likely take about six to eight weeks to receive, Oestmann said.