On February 2, 2010, the Pottsville Republican and Herald printed a story about a $1,200,000 grant received by the Dauphin County Housing Authority to be used for “green” energy renovations and installations at the Gratz Park Terrace, a low-income, public housing project in Gratz, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.
As in the past, particularly at the time the facility was built, the anti-public housing crowd was aroused, but this time they presented bogus claims about “green” energy, including that the wind turbine would kill thousands of birds, cause cancer by the constant whirring, and in the event the turbines would blow over in a storm would cause significant property damage including the possibility of the loss of human life. They also spread their unfounded belief that installing solar panels on the roof would cause the building to collapse.
The text of the news article follows:
HOUSING IN GRATZ GETS $1.2 M GRANT
by Vicki Terwilliger, Staff Writer
GRATZ — With $1.2 million in greenbacks, a Dauphin County housing facility is slated for “green” energy-saving renovations this year.
U. S. Rep. Tim Holden, D-17, made the presentation Monday to the Dauphin County Housing Authority for Gratz Park Terrace, a 30-unit housing facility for elderly and disabled persons. The funds are part of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Capital Fund Program Competitive Grant.
The Dauphin housing authority secured the $1.2 million grant through a nationwide competition with other housing authorities. The motivation for this project came from the fact that Gratz Park Terrace is an all-electric building that just experienced a significant increase in electricity rates due to the expiration of the rate caps in Pennsylvania.
The Gratz facility, 100 S. West St., is heated by electric heat pumps, and residents pay their own electric utility bills. The improvements are projected to lower the electric consumption at the site by as much as 50 percent to 75 percent.
To control the increasing cost of operating the property in the long term, the housing authority will conduct comprehensive, energy-related rehabilitation of the site. Those upgrades will include the replacement of a deteriorated building exterior with more suitable concrete materials, increasing the R-value of the exterior walls by installing a soy-based insulation; replacing existing windows with energy efficient, single hung windows with more sustainable fiberglass frames and sashes; reconstructing the front entrance with a more thermally efficient design; replacing the asphalt shingles roof with a more sustainable metal roof; installing roof-top solar panels to heat all the domestic hot water in the building; redesigning and installing a more energy efficient hallway HVAC system; and installing a wind turbine on the site to generate electricity for the building.
Holden said it was important to make the facility energy efficient for its residents.
“I’m pleased we were able to get the stimulus money out as soon as possible and that we’ll be able to put people to work and put money into the economy as quickly as possible,” the congressman said.
Joining Holden were Charles Gassert, the housing authority’s executive director; Leo Agresti, deputy executive director; William Pettigrew Sr., authority chairman; Nancy Thompson, authority treasurer; and David R. Weaver, regional manager.
Larry R. Shade, Gratz Borough Council president, and about a dozen residents were on hand for the announcement. Many favored the upgrades.
“I think it’s great. I’m already very happy here,” said Helen P. Knisely, 89, a nine-year resident.
Agresti said the authority members visited residents before making the grant application and secured their input during an open process. He expects the county will seek bids in March, potentially award bids by April and possibly begin the improvements by as early as May. The company, KD3, Lemoyne, is scheduled to work as the engineering firm for the project, Agresti siad.
“Most of the building work should be completed by this summer,” Agresti said.
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News article from Newspapers.com.
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