Business trickles in after White River Junction building floods

Editor’s Note: Darren Marcy’s article first appeared on Valley News on August 20th.

WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — Some businesses were given permission to reopen on Friday after a broken water pipe flooded the building’s basement with an estimated 300,000 to 400,000 gallons of water Monday night. After that, cleaning and repairs continued at the 130-year-old Gates-Briggs Building.

Hartford Fire Marshal Tom Pelletier said the temporary occupancy will allow businesses in the building to resume Friday after all conditions related to maintaining the fire safety system have been restored to working order. said he had approved the

The water main feeding the sprinkler system was still being repaired Friday afternoon, but the system was set up to allow pump trucks to supply water, allowing residents to reopen the building. There are no residential units inside.

Some businesses have reopened with limited capacity, while others may not return for a week or more to clean up. announced that it would close its business.

Her basement had only about eight inches more water than the rest of the building, but she said leftover silt still messed things up.

David Briggs, who manages the building for the family trust that owns it, said cleaning will make the building “like new when it’s finished.”

A broken wire that flooded the basement continued to cause problems on Friday, as a 3- to 4-foot-wide, 8-foot-deep sinkhole opened in a sidewalk along North Main Street near Tuckerbox.

Town manager Tracy Yarlott-Davis said the town has closed sidewalks and parking spaces on that side of the street until technicians determine the necessary repairs.

Until the plumbing is fully repaired and the water supply is connected to the sprinkler system, the restaurant’s Tuckerbox and Peacemeal Pies will be restricted to reduced occupancy, Yarlot Davis said.

The Briggs Opera House on the 2nd floor is closed, there is a power outage, and no residency permits have been issued.

According to Briggs, the opera house’s electrical panels are underground and the crew wanted to inspect them more carefully before deciding whether they were safe. According to Briggs, one small theater production has moved to the Hotel Coolidge.

Briggs said work is underway, but it’s up to the supply chain to determine how long repairs will take.

“A critical task is completely dependent on the supply line of equipment,” Briggs said, adding that the two main pieces of equipment are usually on the shelf, though availability won’t be known until Monday. rice field.

With the equipment in hand, installation is a two-day job, Briggs said.

“It could be done by the end of next week, but it could also take quite a while,” said Briggs.

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