One priority in Hanover Township’s proposed $10.66 million budget for next year is beginning to replace the township community center’s roof.

Township Manager Mark Hudson said during the Nov. 11 board of supervisors meeting that the existing roof, composed of two flat “rubber” sections and a metal section with skylights, is 30 years old. “They really only have a 15-year lifespan expectancy,” he said.

A presentation by Hanover Township resident Chris Devers, a 20-year roofing industry professional who works for Exterior Building Solutions, took center stage during the meeting.

Devers recommended a phased approach and said the metal roof probably still has “a few years” left, provided that some interim targeted repairs are made. “If you conduct those repairs, I think you can stop the leaking in the metal roofing areas for a little while – until another one pops up,” he said.

However, Devers said, the flat rubber roof sections are contributing to leaks in the building. “What you don’t want is to wait and wait and wait until it does fail, and then you have a catastrophic failure,” he said.

The estimate for necessary repairs and replacement, including HVAC system updates, is approximately $1.25 million. Because replacing the metal roof will likely cost another $1 million, Hudson recommended replacing that section in two to three years.

“The HVAC units are more past their prime than the flat roof,” Hudson said, adding that the budget could be amended if an excessively rainy spring forces a full roof replacement.

“I think we ought to have blessings for the longevity that we’ve had, and the service that we had out of this roof,” said supervisor John Diacogiannis.