Grass Island Marina Building To Be Replaced

The aging locker building that houses the restrooms at Grass Island Marina is to be replaced, under a plan approved by the Board of Selectmen.

The selectmen granted municipal improvement status for the project that will raze the existing structure and replace it with a building that meets both ADA requirements and new FEMA flood regulations for structures built in flood zones. 

By granting municipal improvement status,  the proposal will now be presented to the town's Architectural Review Board and then the Planning and Zoning Commission, Superintendent of Buildings and Construction Alan Monelli told the board at its Nov. 14 meeting. That approval process will take up to six months, Monelli said.

According to Monelli, the 2,700 square foot building on Greenwich Harbor was slated for renovation or replacement as part of the Town Wide Restroom Improvement Plan. The building needs to be replaced because it cannot be made ADA compliant given its existing size and the building's underground electric service also doesn't meet the FEMA flood standards.

The building site — with its picnic area and sheltered veranda — is a popular respite for boaters and Grass Island Park visitors alike. 

The building has been given a condition score of 24. The town standard on building condition is a score of 15 with the worst having a rating of 27, Monelli said.

Monelli said the estimated cost of $500,000 is now about $650,000, to meet the FEMA flood requirements.