A piece of shingle falling off the roof of Old Town Hall could have just been the beginning, said Plant & Facilities Director Joe Piantedosi.

A crew has been up on a lift since Jan. 31 repairing the roof in the center of the downtown shopping district, after the shingle fell onto Barnard Street last month. Parking spaces on either side of Old Town Hall have been blocked off for nearly three weeks because of the roof's condition.

Not only do roughly 150 cracked or damage shingles need replacing, but workers have learned that the steel snow guards running the length of the historic building have also been in danger of falling. They determined their copper fasteners had failed, curling up and damaging the slate shingles in the process. The repairs are expected to cost about $6,000.

"Had we not caught it the way we did, we could have seen a piece of those snow guards coming down," said Piantedosi. "Those would be very dangerous if they hit a car, because of their shape."

The failure of the snow guard fasteners also severed a heated cable system atop the roof, which is used to help melt snowfall and minimize ice buildup.

"I think whenever there's snow on that roof there's always a danger of ice forming and falling," said Piantedosi. "That's always been a problem for as long as I can remember, though a shingle falling off, that's something that we've known of just for the past few weeks."

The recent repairs come at a time when Andover officials have said they'll consider leasing Old Town Hall to generate new revenue in light of the town's budget problems.

"I don't think we utilize the building well," said Selectman Mary Lyman. "I think we should examine it as an option. We're certainly not using it to full capacity."

The proposal to lease Old Town Hall, also known as the Town House, was one of several cost-saving measures included in Town Manager Buzz Stapczynski's Feb. 4 budget presentation to selectmen, school and finance officials.

Entering into a lease agreement at Old Town Hall would provide "substantial savings," according to Piantedosi. Though the U.S. Post Office remains under lease already, the remainder of the first floor is suitable for retail, he said, while the second floor could be ideal for a dance or martial arts studio, a business meeting space, or even a restaurant — though the town will not look to create major changes to building.

"Certainly, the savings to the town would be we wouldn't pay the utility bills," said Piantedosi. "The routine maintenance and cleaning costs would be picked up by someone else, plus we'd get the rental stream."

Along with an estimated $48,000 in annual savings, Piantedosi said, at $15 a square foot, the town could earn up to $140,000 in annual rental income.

"It's certainly something we had to throw on the table as part of the whole budget process," said Piantedosi.

With roof repairs continuing this week, Piantedosi said more maintenance work also has been targeted for Old Town Hall. After a major upgrade several decades ago saw the installation of new windows and a heating system, Piantedosi said new carpeting is needed on the first floor and stairwells.

A new paint job is needed for the second floor, he said.

"It's going to be controversial," said Lyman of the proposal to lease the structure. "It's obviously a beautiful building, but it's an expensive building to maintain. If we can't lease it out we're going to look at what it costs us to keep it as is. ... Maybe it's the right fit for someone out there."