DPW garages need overhaul
Published on December 17th, 1997
STONEHAM, MA - The town has once again called on the services of Prellwitz/Chilinski Associates to redesign a town facility--this time the cold storage buildings in the Department of Public Works yard on Pine Street.
Having recently completed the Elm Street Senior Center in addition to work at both Unicorn facilities, Prellwitz/Chilinski will now start investigating the best design for the 1930 brick buildings in the rear of the DPW yard.
DPW Director Robert Grover would like to keep the project in the $300,000 vicinity, but Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting has budgeted $400,000 in the town's capital improvement budget for the project.
"The buildings are in real tough shape," said Grover. "They were built with WPA funds during The Depression. The structures are breaking apart and the roofs are leaking. There are serious structural defects...We don't want to wait until they fall down."
Grover would like to begin work this upcoming summer on the buildings that currently house supplies, construction equipment, school vehicles and fire auxiliary department vehicles.
"Some of our vehicles don't even fit in some of the garage openings and some of the garage doors have to be opened by a front end loader because the garage door tracks are so out of alignment," said Grover.
The design of the new structures has yet to be determined. It could be entirely brick or a brick face with block back or even a metal shed although the latter is not Grover's first preference. They must also decide whether to use a flat or sloped roof.
"Cost will be the determining factor in its design," said Grover.
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