Highway building plans revised as committee weighs phased funding and timing

The Highway Building Advisory Committee met Oct. 16 at Academy Hall to consider updated draft plans for a proposed highway building and to discuss funding strategy for Town Meeting.

Drafter Mark Cowdrey presented the changes, saying he raised the first-floor ceiling about a foot and a half so that from the concrete slab to the mezzanine framing the height is now 9 feet 6 inches. That change added two stair risers and moved the stairs closer to the breakroom, which shifted door‑swing and landing considerations. "Plans now show, from concrete slab to the mezzanine floor framing, a height of 9' 6\"," Cowdrey said as he walked the committee through the revisions.

Committee member Chuck Bodien recommended narrowing the scope of required fire separation: Bodien said the 1‑hour fire rating or separation should apply between the storage area and the rest of the building rather than broadly across the bottom floor framing; he asked Cowdrey to revise the plan note to reflect that narrower requirement. Cowdrey agreed to change the note. Bodien also noted that a landing is not required when the total rise is under 12 feet, and that a 3‑by‑3 foot landing at the bottom with doors swinging away from the landing would meet code concerns.

Committee member Jason Hood suggested several design changes to reduce cost and simplify construction: smaller dormers (like those on the safety building), moving the storage door to the gable end to eliminate the need for a dormer, and framing the smaller drive‑through doors for future installation rather than building them now. Chair Jim Hoyt said moving a storage door would require a walkway because that side may not be otherwise accessible, and other members noted it could be less expensive to include some elements now rather than retrofitting them later.

Budget timing became a central issue. Committee member Brett Walker warned that time is short to get pricing for a bond and urged a concise text list of specifics that could be priced quickly. Walker recommended multiple separate warrant articles — for property access, for sheds, and for the main building — so Town Meeting voters would not be asked to approve an all‑or‑nothing package. Chair Hoyt said he believed the current drawings were sufficient to solicit bids, but the committee agreed a whole‑project cost number will be needed for Town Meeting even if separate articles are offered.

Next steps: Cowdrey will update plan notes on fire separation and other requested details; Chair Hoyt said he will consult a concrete finisher and a structural engineer on foundation and haunch‑wall questions; and the committee will seek pricing to determine whether to present a single bond or phased warrant articles. The committee set its next meeting for Nov. 12.

The committee approved the Sept. 23 draft minutes earlier in the meeting and adjourned at 8:00 p.m.