The Pink House is Not RIDDLED with Contaminants

L to R: Bill Barrett, Building Advisor, Steve Sawyer, Engineer, Alieen Graf, architect, Craig Pessina, The Pink House Restoration Partner, Matt Hillman, Parker River Wildlife Refuge Manager. Photo taken by Rochelle Joseph, STPH President, who also did the walk through, and has done many since Feb 2016.

No civilian has been in The Pink House as often as the man on the left in the red shirt, Bill Barrett, HIC/CSL licensed owner of Plum Island Construction and Plum island Property Management. ​Bill did the first walk through of the house in early February 2016 on the community's behalf,  to see how stable the house was before we began this work to save it, and reported she had good bones - no cracks in the foundation, all windows and walls straight, no leaks from the roof, confirmation it's on the PIOD (Newburyport water). Bill subsequently checked on the house many times a year, especially before and after significant storms. There was a 1.5 year break before and during early Covid when there was no manager, and the house suffered from negligence. But the house is still completely salvageable. 

This photo is from what was to be the final walk through, on August 16, 2022: the month FWS set for closing. 

​Below is Bill's most recent letter of conditions of The Pink House, 60 Plum Island Turnpike, Newbury MA. 

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November 18, 2023
 
Evaluations, Observations and Suggestions for the property known as “The Pink House”.
 
My name is William Barrett, Owner of Plum Island Property Management. I am a retired home builder, remodeler and general contractor. Currently I am the owner of Plum Island Property Management. I help my customers evaluate property, obtain building permits for remodeling and new construction projects and manage their properties for them. I have been in the building and remodeling business for 49 years. 
 
I have visited “The Pink House”, (TPH), on many occasions dating back to early 2016. I have evaluated and given opinions on the conditions of the building and the property in whole. 
 
Below is a synopsis of my thoughts: 
The last time I was on the property and in the house was in August of 2022.
 
My opinions, evaluations and observations of the building have not changed dramatically in those years. 

• The building is on solid footing and foundation and is in great condition structurally. There is water that seeps into the basement through the floor/wall joint, though only a few inches. This could be easily resolved with a sump pump installation. If for some reason this cannot be resolved with the pump, a second flooring system can be installed above the level of the water table. Not an insurmountable problem.
• I have seen Fish and Wildlife report that indicates there is asbestos in and on the building. It is minor in nature and can easily be remediated. This is common in most houses built before 1978. I myself have dealt with this situation on more occasions than I can count. The material containing asbestos can be removed or encapsulated at reasonable cost and if handled properly is no danger to the future inhabitants of the home. There is no danger in simply walking through the building or doing minor repairs to keep the integrity of the building envelope. If this were to include working on areas listed in the asbestos report a professional should get involved. Removal of the asbestos by professional remediation team would be the first step of any remodeling project that is proposed.  This would also be required should the building be demolished.
• Mold was observed on the first floor and in the basement but was not significant. This is to be expected on a house that has been closed up for many years. Mold remediation can be easily achieved at minimal cost. If I were to be remodeling this house I would most likely be taking the walls down to the studs. This will eliminate any mold issues but would also allow for easy updating of the electrical and plumbing systems. 
• The roof is old and needs to be replaced but as of my last visit on site the roof had a leak which was repaired by Fish and Wildlife personnel. 
• The front porch needs to be leveled and secured. Minor repair.
• There is a good amount of rot in the trim boards and windows. With permission from Fish and Wildlife, I personally sealed up the areas I could reach from the ground. In my opinion someone who is renovating this house would be installing all new doors and windows as well as replacing the siding and trim boards. 

 
It has been 7 years since I first looked at this property. I have volunteered my time to paint some areas and foam the openings and gaps due to rotting wood. The Fish and Wildlife personnel have done some minor repairs to the window openings and the 1 roof leak we detected. At our suggestion they have also cleared out the brush and shrubbery that had grown up around the building. 
 
I would have to say that a lot more could have been done to keep the building in better condition. However, with that said the building is worth saving given its current condition and the fact that it is a historic and iconic symbol for the Plum Island area. It is a viable structure that can easily be restored to its past glory. 
 
Bill Barrett

William Barrett,

Anyone who actually understands construction would know what is in there is common to 75% of the houses around here and can easily be remedied without harming the environment or workers. And FWS knows this too. We have their reports. it is being overblown. And commenters who are not experts in the subject who inflate it even more are doing the community a grave disservice.