Acton officials and consultants make case for new DPW facility as public raises tax, timing concerns

Town of Acton consultants and project team members presented updated plans and revised costs Monday evening for a proposed new Department of Public Works facility on Forest Road, saying the current garage — built in 1970 — fails code, presents safety risks to staff and cannot house modern vehicles.

The public forum presentation came from Weston & Sampson architects and PMA Associates, the owner's project manager. John Como, the Weston & Sampson architect on the project, summarized the design work and timeline and said the base building has been reduced to about 42,530 square feet after value-engineering, with the vehicle storage garage accounting for roughly 23,900 square feet of that footprint. "We're the architect and the engineers for the design of the new DPW for the Town of Acton," Como said.

The presentation emphasized operational, safety and code reasons for replacing the existing DPW building. The consultants said the Forest Road facility was built in 1970 as a roughly 19,000-square-foot structure; it is undersized for current fleets and lacks adequate ventilation, structural reinforcement and locker-room space. Della Donahue of Weston & Sampson told the board the town has adopted a specialized stretch energy code and a fossil-fuel-free municipal bylaw, and the proposed design is all-electric and geothermal-ready. "The Town of Acton has adopted the specialized stretch energy code as well as a by law for, fossil fuel free municipal buildings," Donahue said.

Why it matters: the DPW is a first responder for winter road clearing, debris removal and other emergency support tasks, the team said. The project team argued that indoor storage extends equipment life and reduces maintenance costs; a wash bay and organized fluid-containment systems would protect waterways and public health. Project materials included photos of current overcrowded and structurally compromised storage, seepage and makeshift mezzanines that the designers called unsafe.

Costs and next steps: the consultants said the total project estimate has been brought down via value engineering from earlier estimates to a current total project cost of $37,900,000. The town has previously appropriated $1,225,000 for design; the presenters said the board would request $1,500,000 from the capital stabilization account at town meeting to offset borrowing, leaving a proposed borrowing request of $35,220,690. The team told attendees a debt-exclusion ballot question appears on the May 5 election; if approved by voters the borrowing would be presented as Article 7 at town meeting for final action.

Public reaction and concerns: dozens of residents asked questions after the presentation. Several commenters said the project is too expensive given recent overrides and household tax pressure. Tom Pills of Willow Street told the Select Board the finance committee had not voted to approve the project and raised questions about labor time spent each day moving vehicles in and out of the current garage. "I'm just wondering if the — other DPW departments, other towns going to start looking at Acton employees?" Pills asked, urging the board to consider turnover and training costs if the project fails to pass. Other commenters proposed lower-cost alternatives including pre-engineered metal buildings, phased work, or using off-site leased storage during construction.

Operational impact if the project fails: Select Board member Dean Charter, who chairs the Public Works Facility Building Committee, told the room the town would need a plan B if voters reject the debt exclusion. He said that temporary relocation of operations would be likely and that rented space would be used while construction proceeds if the project is approved. "If this project is not approved, we will have to continue attempting to find solutions to an inadequate building," Charter said, adding the town does not have an alternate final plan at this time.

What was not decided: Monday's forum provided information and public comment; there was no final Select Board vote on construction funding at the meeting. Town voters will decide the debt-exclusion ballot on May 5; if it passes, the project will proceed to town meeting for authorization of the borrowing.

Ending: presenters left poster boards and digital materials for residents and said they would post the analysis spreadsheets and productivity estimates online for further review. The project team and town officials encouraged residents to review the materials and said they would respond to follow-up technical questions after the forum.