OBCC was Temporarily Locked
October 31, 2013 to March 6, 2014
Why
were the doors chain-locked? The club was inspected by the Ossining
Building Department 4 times in October 2013: on the 10th, 18th, 25th, and 30th. There
was advance notice only on the 25th. An
Order to Remedy
was issued to the owner of the building, the Town of Ossining. Most of the items
in the OTR apply to spaces of "public assembly" for code purposes. The
items included such things as missing signing for no smoking (club rules already
prohibit smoking), missing occupancy signs, a ceiling that is a few inches low,
a small, consumer cooking range that is not equipped with a commercial hood,
ANSUL system or K-type extinguisher. Electrical citations were also noted under
standards for public assembly.
The club
was built by members in 1921 and has been maintained continuously for nearly a
century by volunteer members at no cost to the Town. The members of OBCC would
like the opportunity to continue that tradition by clearing the issues in the
OTR as soon as possible to the satisfaction of the building department. Power
has now been restored, we have heat and water in the building. Pending a final
inspection we will be open for our spring membership drive and normal operation.
Why wasn't the building up to code? Over the decades,
members have made many upgrades to modernize the building, including the
addition of bathrooms (!), addition of heating and air conditioning,
addition of a family-style kitchen,
handicap access, egress enhancement, fire safety equipment, decking and
railing safety, modernization of doors and windows, modernization of bathrooms,
and cosmetic improvements, along with regular cleaning, repairs, and
maintenance.
In recent years we have become more open and welcoming to the public, while
maintaining our status as a not-for-profit recreational membership club. In
addition to hosting community organizations like the Ossining Community Sailing
Club, The US Coast Guard Auxiliary, and others, we have increased the number of
public events and outreach to the community, with historical lectures, a
professional historical exhibit, defensive driving classes, open houses,
scholarship breakfast, clam bake, and other events open to the public. Building
codes for "places of public assembly" are much stricter than those for
a private home or closed private club. Membership in OBCC is open to all.
What now? In an agreement with the Town Board, a
limited number of members of OBCC were allowed into the building to clear all of the issues in the OTR. We
want to work cooperatively with the Town to continue our traditions of
maintaining the building our members built, under a new long-term licensing
agreement.
We worked all through the winter of 1013-2014:
