Highway Building Advisory Committee narrows site and design choices for Mutton Road garage

The Highway Building Advisory Committee on April 28 reviewed a site walk of the Mutton Road property and agreed on preliminary design choices for a proposed highway garage while asking staff to refine structural and drainage details.

Selectman Jim Hoyt, chair of the Highway Building Advisory Committee, opened the meeting after a site walk led by committee member Brett Walker. Walker guided the group through wetlands, brush and a small stream leading to a sloping field and identified property line markers for residents. Hoyt and Walker discussed tradeoffs between building closer to the driveway entrance (shorter driveway but potentially more fill) and placing the building on a flatter northwest area that would require more fill; William MacDuffie Jr. said it could be cheaper to build a longer driveway than to import large volumes of fill.

The committee discussed septic placement and agreed it should be located away from areas where trucks would habitually drive. Hoyt noted that if trucks need to circulate around the building, the septic should not be placed under a driven area.

During a design update, Hoyt presented a rough draft floor plan and the committee debated interior and exterior layout. Members discussed adding a separate shower while retaining a handicap‑accessible restroom, relocating a kitchenette to allow a shower entrance from the breakroom, and leaving upstairs storage open for future use. Chuck Bodien recommended adding a vestibule so the public would not walk directly into employee‑only garage areas; the group agreed to relocate the staircase to the front so a vestibule could fit beneath it. The committee decided against providing a lift to the upstairs storage area to avoid encouraging storage of heavy equipment there.

Committee members settled on a 60‑foot building width (instead of 56 feet) so the garage could accommodate two plows, and agreed that all bay doors should be the same size to reduce driver errors. The group concluded six bays would provide working room and future flexibility; that configuration resulted in a 60'x60' garage area.

Structural and site‑work issues remained to be resolved. Members noted that an 8‑inch concrete slab would be appropriate for the garage bay areas while office areas could have a 4‑inch slab. The committee discussed roof orientation and truss design to avoid interior supports, and recommended consulting a truss designer. They also discussed wash‑bay drainage and grease/washwater management—options ranged from an internal pitched slab and trough to locating the wash bay outdoors depending on cost. Bodien recommended shear walls between bay doors and discussed first‑ and second‑floor heights and joist options.

Hoyt said he will revise the rough draft plan and present the changes at the next meeting; Selectman David Kelly will bring the subdivision plan to help determine final building placement. The committee scheduled its next meeting for May 7, 2025, at 6 p.m. in Academy Hall. Chair Hoyt moved to adjourn; Brett Walker seconded and the board adjourned at 8:14 p.m. Municipal Assistant Samantha Wasil signed the minutes.