Tuesday, April 10, 2007
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| Martin Williams scoops mud from around an electric heater on Monday while cleaning debris from the basement of the Last Unicorn restaurant in Waterville. |
enlarge"It's going to be good as new -- better than ever, really," co-owner Michelle Cyr said. "Easter is a time for new beginning. We were discouraged yesterday, but today is a new day and we're hopeful."
She said all the restaurant's food was lost and the carpeting has to be replaced, but the business had extra provisions in insurance coverage to cover the damage and loss.
Others, including The Speak Easy -- which was set to open in what formerly was Freedom Cafˇ, a downstairs location -- and New England Fire Safety, down the street, were not so lucky.
The question now, property owners said, is whether they are covered by insurance. Located downtown -- high above the Kennebec River -- some business owners did not have the flood insurance.
Jeffrey LaCasse, general manager at Kennebec Water District, said a 14-inch round water main burst Sunday morning, flushing 2.5 million of gallons of water into the basements of Silver Street businesses. Drains on the north side of the building apparently clogged up with debris and mud, causing the water to back up.
He said the water lines were the original 1905 cast-iron pipes. About 15 feet of line, which had split open, were replaced with new, stronger ductile iron.
"I think we should be back to normal. We had to flush eight or nine buildings in all," he said Monday. "We have to run tests for 24 hours, the general procedure for a water-boil order. I think we should be back to normal with water quality and quantity in that area."
LaCasse said the force of the water actually lifted up new sidewalks put in by the city in 2005-06 for outdoor dining.
Waterville firefighters who responded to the scene feared Sunday the rear basement wall of The Last Unicorn would collapse.
Property manager Bruce Fowler, who supervises properties owned by Sid and David Geller, which include The Last Unicorn, said Monday the flooding could have been worse.
"It's not as catastrophic as everyone thought it was," Fowler said. "Water came through the front of the foundation, which is stone, and it came out the back. A foundation crew is working now. They're going to pour a new back wall and pour a new front wall and everything should back by this evening."
Fowler and Unicorn co-owner Joe Plumstead said the Waterville Fire Department and other city services helped out enormously at the peak of the emergency.
"I have kudos for public works, the water district, the sewer district and the Fire Department yesterday," Fowler said. "They all worked as a team; they gave 110 percent and they all stayed here and got the job done. They all did a good job."
Mary Gagne, manager at the Midnight Blues Club at the corner of Silver and Main streets, said the business was spared the brunt of the water flow.
"We made out all right. We made out better than the others; we had the least amount of damage," Gagne said. "We got hit -- we got a lot water; we got several inches downstairs."
The restaurant and pub was closed all day Sunday. On Monday, with a boil water order in effect, they were using paper and plastic plates and glasses, bottled water and canned soda. Large fans were in place in the downstairs section of the business to help dry the place out.
Mark Joseph at Steve's Restaurant said they had to close on Easter Sunday, one of the busiest days of the year, but otherwise, the business is intact and the structure is sound.
"Obviously yesterday was a loss because of the situation," he said. "I feel, not only for us, but for everybody on the street. It was a difficult day. Thank God nobody got hurt."
Penda Spencer at the Speak Easy jazz club and restaurant said she and her partner had planned to open this month.
"We had just laid all the new rugs -- those all have to come up," she said. "Some walls will have to be repaired, and we made all our own table tops and some of those are splitting, so we may have to make a few more."
She said brand new coolers and other appliances were under two feet of water Sunday and may have to be replaced.
Insurance, she said, could be a problem.
"We have insurance but were not sure whether they'll pay or not because nobody knows what going on yet," she said. "It'll be at least our $1,000 deductible out-of-pocket."
Jim Przytulski, co-owner of New England Fire Safety, sellers of residential fire alarm systems, said his telemarketing center in the basement was submerged in 18 inches of water from the flooding.
Walls, desks and the contents of file cabinets were damaged. Computers and other items also were damaged.
"We have to vacate down here; there's no way they can work down here," he said. He said he and his wife lease another Geller building on Main Street and will be moving there.
"I would be surprised if it added up to $10,000 worth of stuff," he said. "It's debatable whether or not we have flood insurance; I don't know if they'll call this a flood. Some people say no, but I would tend to think they would classify this as a flood and people who do not have a flood rider, their stuff is not going to be insured."
John Fortier, a State Farm Insurance agent next door, said his property was not affected by the rising waters on Sunday, but he knows how insurance works.
He said the event was indeed a flood -- not an individual plumbing leak or rain water -- and without that insurance rider, business owners might be out of luck.
"Generally these kinds of losses are considered to be ground water -- more commonly known as flood water," Fortier said. "A flood insurance policy would cover this kind of an event.
"I know my policy doesn't cover this kind of damage and I'd be surprised if any of the others were covered as well."
LaCasse said the Water District is responsible for the paved roadway and the sidewalk, but not for the damage of equipment or contents of any of the affected businesses.
"Being a quasi-municipal entity, we are protected by the Maine Tort Claims Act as far as liability," he said. "As long as we weren't negligent in our handling of the situation either before or during the situation, we are protected."
Doug Harlow -- 861-9244
dharlow@centralmaine.com
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