AMHERST – Building a new Department of Public Works headquarters could cost more than $37 million, based on figures presented Monday by a consultant to the Select Board.
But Jeff Alberti, senior project manager at Weston & Sampson of Foxborough, said the town would benefit by making staff more efficient, with all employees consolidated in one building, creating a safer work environment and taking better care of the vehicles and equipment.
Alberti issued a 113-page report that includes both estimated price tags, between $37.06 million and $38.26 million to construct a building with at least 79,129 square feet, more than half of which would be dedicated to storage for the DPW’s fleet.
The conceptual plan also examined nine locations and focused on the best three, using criteria including the current zoning of the property and possible traffic impacts.
The top three sites are a vacant parcel on Old Farm Road, the Matuszko Trucking site on Ball Lane and the current Fort River School, 70 South East St., which could be abandoned by the public schools if a project to create two 350-student schools goes forward at the Wildwood School site on Strong Street.
Alberti said the 1916 trolley barn from which the DPW has been run since the 1940s has seen no significant improvements despite more responsibilities, larger trucks and a growing community.
“That facility no longer meets the needs of the employees or the town,” Alberti said.
Efficiency is harmed by having various departments scattered around town, he said, and it doesn’t meet various modern codes, such as the fire code and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“For today’s standards, it does pose a lot of risks for staff safety and millions of dollars of equipment stored indoors,” Alberti said.
The consultants also looked at the current site at 586 South Pleasant St., but determined that it would be too expensive to build there and any building wouldn’t be large enough.
“We went through the process, but we’re confident that’s not a good option,” Alberti said.
DPW Superintendent Guilford Mooring said the study, which took about a year and included interviews with staff, cost about $70,000 that was appropriated from two Town Meetings.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com
