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Greenburgh Library Open Despite Heating, Water Issues

GREENBURGH, N.Y. — The Greenburgh Public Library re-opened Monday despite  dealing with water and heating issues that forced the center to close for several days.

The Fairview Fire Department responded to the Greenburgh Public Library Monday afternoon after the fire alarm was set off, causing more water damage from the sprinkler system.

The Fairview Fire Department responded to the Greenburgh Public Library Monday afternoon after the fire alarm was set off, causing more water damage from the sprinkler system.

Photo Credit: Samantha Kramer

The library fire alarm sounded around 1:30 p.m. Monday, setting off another sprinkler system on the library's already water-damaged floors. It was the second time in two days the sprinklers went off. The sprinklers caused an inch of water to flood through the first and second floors of the library on Sunday.

The flooding just added to the list of the library's issues after it was forced to close last Thursday from inadequate heating. Assistant Director John Sexton said he was unsure of whether the pipe burst because it was frozen, but was glad damage was minimal.

"The water somehow avoided all the books," Sexton said. "Now, we have a lot of wet carpet and crews are busy cleaning it up."

The children's library will stay closed for several days as DPW workers dry the carpets and install a new compressor.

Sexton said it's not the first time the library has had issues with its heating and cooling system. The compressor isn't able to handle extreme temperatures, he said, and a new boiler would be necessary for days like last week's, when temperatures fell below 20 degrees in Greenburgh.

Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner said he wants to implement a backup heating system to prevent the ongoing problems. The board will consider a new boiler or geothermal solutions, he said, adding that a boiler would cost somewhere between $50,000 to $100,000.

Feiner said he will also look into the possibility of filing legal action against the library's architects or construction managers, stating that ongoing problems shouldn't be present for a building that is only four years old.

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