BUCKLAND — To convert the town garage from a “temporary home” into one that meets both the town’s Highway Department needs and state building requirements, Buckland is seeking residents’ approval to spend up to $3.5 million for either renovations to the former Mayhew Steel plant or for new construction on the Highway Department site at 2 Sears St. Extension.
A special town meeting is set for Tuesday, at 7 p.m., in the Town Hall. To be approved this debt-exclusion vote must pass by at least a two-thirds majority. Voters will then return to Town Hall on Wednesday for a ballot vote. Polls at Town Hall, 17 State St., will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday.
According to Selectmen, the town must comply with state building regulations for a “change of use” Commercial Building Permit, converting the old manufacturing plant into a highway facility, and is now working on its occupancy permit.
In September, the board received bids for a project manager that came in at between $275,000 and $330,000.
“The Board felt that, if approximately $300,000 was to be spent on a project manager, then it made sense to bring the larger project estimate to the town for discussion before additional money was spent,” says a statement from selectmen on an informational handout.
There is no design plan yet, because selectmen didn’t want to spend money on design and engineering in case the town voted down the project. Also, the board doesn’t yet know if the town can renovate the old facility to suit highway department needs, or if new construction is the best way to go.
Barring any dramatic drop in town revenue or increase in town expenditures, if the maximum amount is borrowed, the owner of a $200,000 home would see a tax increase of about $135 per year — starting in 2019 or 2020.
A year ago, residents unanimously voted to spend $325,000 for the Mayhew facility, which includes a few old buildings and about 4.7 acres. Selectmen told the voters at that meeting they would be back, asking for money to make improvements.
The town has until April to submit a report that includes construction documents, structural engineering conditions, and other technical information needed for building and occupancy permits.
Buckland went without a town garage from about 2005, when the old Conway Street garage was condemned, until 2014, when Selectmen signed a two-year lease for the vacated Mayhew Steel property.