Sussex County YMCA open despite storm damage to roof

Days after a portion of the roof of the Sussex County YMCA in Hardyston was damaged due to high winds Saturday during the Nor’easter, the facility was open for business.

“Our [construction operator] has approved operations following removal of the damaged roof section,” Rick Gorab, acting as spokesperson for the YMCA, said Monday via email. ”We [reopened] Monday with normal hours. The pool area remains closed until further notice while repairs continue. Information on affected classes and compensation is being assessed and will be shared soon.”

Hardyston Township Construction Official Joe Butto was on site Saturday.

“This determination [to allow the building to reopen Monday] is based on the extent of damage and its effect on adjoining spaces,” Butto said Monday afternoon via email. “The extent of the damage appears to be limited to the roofing materials and insulation. A licensed structural engineer is scheduled to evaluate and recommend the repairs to correct. The roof covering panels were removed by a contractor. The damage appears to be contained to the pool section only. No structural damage was apparent on initial inspection by the architect.”

Butto said plans are in place to make that portion of building as watertight as possible until repairs begin.

“In the interim, all life safety issues and requirements are met,” Butto said. “All systems are functional; alarms, sprinklers, egress components, corridors etc.”

Gorab did not reply to questions about a repair timeline and cost.