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Acton officials review nine DPW facility scenarios, favor phased option prioritizing staff space
Summary
Select Board members and the Finance Committee reviewed nine options for a new Department of Public Works facility — from full replacement to leasing or outsourcing mechanics — and repeatedly emphasized staffing needs over fleet-storage in a preference for a phased '4b' approach that builds staff space first and reuses existing storage.
Select Board members and the Town of Acton Finance Committee met Dec. 8 to document pros and cons for nine scenarios to address long-standing Department of Public Works facility shortcomings. No final vote was taken; the session produced a working record to inform recommendations to voters at town meeting.
The meeting centered on two persistent tensions: staffing adequacy and adequate, long-term fleet storage. A set of consultant options ranged from a full new facility (Option 1) to targeted renovations (Option 2), partial replacement (Option 3), phased new-construction-plus-renovation approaches (Options 4a and 4b), and nonconstruction alternatives such as leasing existing buildings, using Conant School if it becomes surplus, relocating staff into municipal properties, or outsourcing mechanics.
Select Board member (speaker 2) summarized Option 1 as the most-complete replacement proposal — about 40,641 square feet with an estimated project cost presented in the meeting materials near $34,000,438 —…
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