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Chair Jim Hoyt says updated garage plan moves wash bay outdoors; committee schedules site walk
Summary
At the May 7 meeting, the Highway Building Advisory Committee reviewed a revised garage plan, agreed to place the wash bay outside because an indoor drainage tank would be too costly, settled on 14-foot doors, adjusted garage-door placement, and set a June 11 site walk at the Mutton Road property.
The Highway Building Advisory Committee on May 7 reviewed an updated plan for the town’s highway garage and agreed on several design changes intended to cut cost and improve vehicle circulation. Chair Jim Hoyt presented “Rough Draft #2,” and members moved to place the vehicle wash bay outdoors after concluding an indoor drainage tank would be prohibitively expensive.
The committee agreed that 14-foot-wide garage doors would be sufficient, based on a site visit report from William MacDuffie Sr. about a recently built garage in Andover, N.H. MacDuffie Jr. said three-sided driveway access would add significant cost, and the group settled on a configuration that removes the three rear garage doors and adds a side garage door about 6 feet from the back wall, with a drain at the back wall to collect runoff from the side bay. Chair Hoyt said drainage from the front bays will run out through the garage doors.
Committee members discussed interior layout and operations. Kevin O’Neil and Brett Walker asked about building height to accommodate a second floor; Hoyt said raising the height by roughly one foot should allow space for a mezzanine. The group agreed to provide a window between the office and the entry so garage staff can see visitors entering the building. Walker proposed a slop sink on the wall adjoining the bathroom and garage; the plan was adjusted to move the utility-room door toward the back to accommodate that plumbing.
Members also discussed mechanical and structural details. MacDuffie Sr. reported that radiant heat in a different town’s garage caused slow recovery for trucks; Hoyt suggested adding portable heaters to address that concern. Hoyt said 60-foot trusses are an available option but would not span the committee’s current 66-by-80-foot layout without adding pillars; members discussed pillar placement as a way to use the shorter trusses. Hoyt confirmed the building will be stick-built with metal siding, a metal roof and a four-inch concrete frost wall in the garage.
On site layout, Bill MacDuffie Jr. suggested orienting the building perpendicular to the roadway after the door changes; Hoyt said the septic could then be located at the back of the lot and that sheds could be sited south of the building. Gene Shaw asked where on the lot the building would sit; MacDuffie Jr. said it would be at the top of the lot. The committee scheduled a site walk for June 11 at 6 p.m. at the Mutton Road property, with the regular meeting to follow at 7 p.m. upstairs at Academy Hall. Hoyt said the committee should hold a public hearing before spending on detailed drawings.
Procedural actions at the start and end of the meeting were brief: Chair Hoyt moved to approve the April 28 draft minutes; Brett Walker seconded and the motion passed with none opposed. Hoyt later moved to adjourn; Walker seconded and the meeting ended at 6:54 p.m.
The committee left several design details to be finalized — including truss selection, precise door placements and mezzanine load limits — and tasked members to conduct a site visit before the June meeting.
