Consultants present five options to replace Acton DPW building; finance committee raises cost and program questions

Arrow Street Consultants presented five alternatives on Oct. 15 to address the Town of Acton’s deteriorating Department of Public Works (DPW) facility and recommended a phased approach (option 4B) as the most promising, while members of the Acton Finance Committee pressed for more operational data and life-cycle cost analysis before the town considers funding.

The presentation, introduced by Assistant Town Manager Tom Begian, summarized a peer review of prior designs and feasibility work dating back to 2013 and delivered five options ranging from renovating the existing building to partial demolition plus new construction. “We’ve developed 5 options and they’re in sort of order of magnitude of cost and, scope,” Andrea Perue of Arrow Street Consultants said during the presentation.

Why it matters: Town Meeting previously approved a $150,000 appropriation for a study of the DPW building; the Finance Committee is weighing whether any proposed capital ask should return to voters. Committee members repeatedly said cost and demonstrable operational need would determine voter support, and they flagged gaps in the current analysis that they want resolved before any formal funding recommendation.

What the consultants presented Arrow Street said it reviewed the Weston & Sampson 40% design-development (40% DD) documents, past feasibility reports and interviewed town staff, the DPW building committee and the original designer and OPM. The five alternatives were described as: - “VEDD set” (value-engineered 40% DD): a down-sized version of the Weston & Sampson 40% DD program (retaining full fleet storage for 31 winter vehicles but reducing office/support area and simplifying the footprint); - Option 2: renovate the existing building (envelope and systems upgrades, all-electric HVAC using air-source heat pumps) to…