Plans for a roof replacement at the Franklin Square Public Library are underway, according to Library Director Aviva Kane.
While still in the early stages of securing a grant to fund the project, Kane said the library is actively working on a solution to address ongoing issues caused by the roof’s deterioration.
The library roof was last replaced in 2001 by Frendolph Construction Group, making the roof over 20 years old—the general lifespan of a roof.
James Pagano, the assistant director since 2023, said the library board at the time began reporting issues with the roof, which showed signs of failure soon after installation, to Frendolph when leaks began a year later.
Frendolph failed to install a necessary layer of waterproofing, Kane explained.
In 2010, solar panels were installed on the roof by a solar company, Sunstream USA, which exacerbated the ongoing leak issues.
Kane, who has served as director since April 2020, described the roof as a “maze” due to the extensive ductwork and HVAC units that cover its entire surface.
According to a May 2019 report by Lothrop Associates LLP Architects, a White Plains-based architecture firm that evaluated the roof’s condition, access to the roof’s membrane surface is obstructed by the ductwork. The report also cited excessive debris collection and poor drainage as concerns.
The duct penetrations were said to pose an “unusually high risk” of sealant failures and roof-to-duct curb termination issues, making the roof prone to premature deterioration.
The report also noted the absence of a parapet wall or guardrail to prevent falls, posing a hazard to anyone accessing the roof, such as maintenance staff. Access is further limited to a vertical ship ladder and a small hatch without a safety guardrail, making it difficult for service personnel to bring tools and equipment onto the roof.
Inside the library, the report noted that the tile ceilings are stained due to leaks from perforations in the roof.
“That was a real eye-opener for the board,” Kane said of the report.
Pagano said he has climbed onto the roof several times to remove debris around the 10 HVAC units, describing the experience as “unnerving.”
Because the roof was replaced following a 2001 library expansion, Pagano said there are many surface drops and steep inclines. Not only does he have to pull himself up through the hatch using his body weight, but the roof itself is also slippery.
Ultimately, Kane said, the library roof has outlived its lifespan.
After a project management company, Sandpebble, estimated the replacement cost at over $3 million after their own evaluation in 2023, Kane began seeking grant funding for the project about two years ago.
Congressman Anthony D’Esposito later approached Kane and offered to secure Community Project Funding—federal grant money—to cover the roof replacement.
Among the improvements Kane hoped to include under the grant were sinking the ductwork below the roof line, installing proper insulation to regulate temperature and humidity, and adding a parapet along the roof perimeter. She emphasized that these repairs cannot be done piecemeal and must be completed simultaneously to be effective.
“I want to take my time and make sure that we do it correctly,” Kane stressed.
However, following the passage of a federal funding bill in April that excluded $111 million requested by Long Island’s House members, Kane said the library lost the funding. She expressed disappointment and emphasized that she does not want to shift the $3 million cost of replacing the roof to taxpayers.
For that reason, she said she is working with Representative Laura Gillen to secure grant funding from other sources.
Carl Gerrato, a Franklin Square Public Library board trustee and member of the building committee, said that since he joined the board six years ago, Kane and other members have made several efforts to mitigate the issues outlined in the Lothrop report while awaiting a grant.
In addition to removing the solar panels, a Lynbrook-based roofing company, Abraham Roofing, applied a silicon coating to the roof to prevent leaks. Maintenance staff also regularly visit the library to plug leaks as they occur.
However, Gerrato said this is not a long-term solution.
“It becomes a health and safety issue,” Gerrato said. “We can’t continue to put a band-aid on such a big problem.”
For example, he noted that the exposed HVAC units have to work harder to regulate the building’s temperature. This is not cost-effective, he explained, and places undue strain on the infrastructure.
While infrastructure projects are not readily visible to the general public, Gerrato said they are necessary to keep the building operational, safe, and cost-effective. He added that the longer the library waits to begin the roof replacement, the more expensive it could become.
“We don’t know what the future holds,” Gerrato said. “We do know what today is. Today, it is a necessity. It’s an urgency. If we don’t do something about it now, cost effectiveness goes down and cost increases go up.”
Kane said she hopes to conduct focus groups with core community groups, such as parent-teacher associations and civic associations, to discuss community support and gather feedback.
“We don’t want to say to the community that we’re just going to do this and not involve them at all,” Kane said. “It’s to let them know the scope of the problem that has existed for such a long time.”
Kane plans to host a public hearing in July and will release more details once the date, time, and other information are finalized.
Pagano also noted that if the library were to formally pursue the roof project, it would be subject to competitive bidding law, a process that requires the government to award contracts to companies with the lowest responsible bid.
“We want what’s best for the community,” Pagano said, adding that he and Kane have additional ideas for future projects to improve patrons’ experience, including more space for programs, larger study areas, and an expansion of the children’s area.
“We can show the Franklin Square community,” Kane said, “which is such a solid, hardworking community, that we’re being incredibly responsible to them and desperately trying to find funding wherever we can."
