Brimfield trustees discuss road garage options; seek cost estimates and budget clarity

The Brimfield Board of Trustees reviewed several design options for a new road garage and discussed site layout, parking impacts, and funding feasibility. Road Superintendent Dave presented multiple site options; trustees and staff emphasized the need for cost estimates and clarity on available funds before choosing a plan.

Dave said the preferred layout would align the garage north–south with room for truck maneuvering and a salt dome, while trustees raised concerns about loss of parking at the park complex, restroom placement, and maintaining operations during construction. Several trustees noted previous feasibility work that produced widely different cost estimates — one past estimate was about $7 million — and said the board should obtain updated, realistic ballpark numbers before proceeding. Trustees asked staff to request high‑level cost estimates from engineering or building contacts and for the fiscal officer to produce worst‑case budget scenarios and the township’s debt‑to‑income position to inform borrowing capacity.

Discussion included operational needs: the road crew currently has six bays (three heated) and seeks a minimum of six additional bays to house equipment and staff; however, moving or expanding the salt dome and tearing down an old shelter would affect parking and the layout of athletics and concert events in the adjacent park. Trustees and staff also discussed staged construction (build additional bays first, add more later) and the need to avoid repeated studies that do not lead to action. The board directed Dave to gather rough estimates for the options and asked the fiscal officer to prepare funding scenarios for the next meeting.

No binding financial commitments were made at the meeting; trustees unanimously agreed they need cost and budget information before choosing a design option.