Peer review finds DPW building repair and smaller additions may be viable; costs and heating options remain key

Acton — A peer review of the Town of Acton’s proposed Department of Public Works facility found localized structural and envelope problems but stopped short of recommending demolition, with Arrow Street Architects outlining four possible paths — from limited renovation to new construction — and setting a timeline for cost estimates and a Select Board briefing.

Arrow Street’s principal Larry Smang told the DPW Building Committee on July 24 that the firm and its structural partner, RSE, began on-site work in July and have preliminary findings and costing tasks underway. "We were hired ... to evaluate the existing conditions and meet with the DPW staff to understand their needs," Smang said. He added the firm will return with more detailed pricing after its estimator completes a run of options.

The peer review was authorized after a town meeting vote that provided funding for follow-up study following a failed earlier ballot question on a full new building. Committee members said the town meeting and an unscientific poll ("300-some odd people" versus roughly "2,000-some odd people" who voted in the election, as one member described) showed two clear public positions: supporters who want a new DPW facility and opponents who worried the project was too costly.

Why it matters

The committee, the select board and finance committee framed the issue as both operational and fiscal: DPW staff described cramped vehicle storage, ventilation and separation problems between vehicle bays and occupied spaces, and public officials stressed the need for a package the town could sell politically. Arrow Street’s review is intended…