DATE: Thursday, March 27, 1997              TAG: 9703270446

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

SOURCE: BY ANNE SAITA, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: WEEKSVILLE                        LENGTH:   60 lines

COAST GUARD LOOKS FOR DRIER LAND A LEAKY BARRACKS ROOF HAS FORCED GUARDSMEN INTO OFF-BASE HOUSING.

A leaking roof has forced the condemnation of more than half the residential rooms at the U.S. Coast Guard barracks in Elizabeth City.

Fifty-three of the 96 units inside the donut-shaped facility have been deemed dangerous. About 20 permanent residents of the barracks have been moved to government-leased housing off base.

If conditions worsen, it is possible all residents may be relocated until repairs are complete.

Should all barracks dwellers be forced out for an extended period, the Coast Guard - and taxpayers - could end up spending as much as $750,000 for temporary shelter and off-base food allowances.

``We don't anticipate that happening, but we're prepared in the event that it does occur,'' Capt. John Miner, the commanding officer of the Support Center, said Wednesday.

``We're doing everything we possibly can to rectify the situation and control the leaks,'' Miner said.

The roof began leaking about a year ago, and States Roofing Corp. of Norfolk began to reroof the building.

When leaks were discovered, only a few rooms were affected.

In November, the Coast Guard starting losing rooms at a higher rate, and the roof repair program was accelerated.

Heavy rains have continued to breech temporary barriers. In one storm two weeks ago, 16 rooms were lost to water damage. Water has been seen cascading down stairwells during downpours. Subsequently, water-soaked carpets have attracted molds and mildew, creating offensive odors and the potential for airborne diseases. Wet floors and carpeting also raise safety issues, such as electrocution hazards.

Members of the base's medical staff regularly monitor for airborne disease carriers. None has been found to date, Miner said.

Complicating the moisture problem are windows that cannot be opened. ``So it's very difficult to get fresh air into the buildings,'' Miner said.

The barracks currently house 123 people, including 93 enlisted men and women enrolled at the Aviation Technical Training Center on the base. Others are individuals who either do not qualify or have declined off-base housing.

``Some students have had to move from room to room in the barracks, but no student has been forced out of the barracks as a result of the roof leaks,'' Capt. Grant Leber, commanding officer at the ATTC, said.

``There has been no interruption of the training mission.''

Coast Guard officials estimate it will take about three months to completely repair the roof. Then the damaged rooms must be refurbished.

Miner said the $750,000 estimate to move every barracks resident into the local economy is a worst-case scenario.

That amount would include lodging and meals for everyone for up to nine months, he said.

``I do not anticipate that happening,'' Miner said.

The barracks were built in the late 1960s and were undergoing a renovation when the problems with leakage began. Most of the damage has occurred to dorm rooms on the third floor.

The second floor also is for residents, while the bottom level contains mainly office and storage space.

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