Study calls for new DPW facilities costing $15 million

The completed study of the options for moving some or all of the DPW’s Lewis Street functions to allow rezoning of the property recommends that the town replace the outdated facility at an estimated cost of more than $15 million.

Weston and Sampson were hired in 2017 to identify the current and future needs of the Department of Public Works and to identify a potential site to address those needs. The study will be formally presented to the Board of Selectmen on Monday, April 22  at 6:30 p.m. The board will ultimately make a decision as to whether to recommend the DPW as a future project to the Capital Planning Committee.

Weston and Sampson’s report says the current facility, which was built 60 years and has not been expanded since; does not comply with building, plumbing or mechanical codes; does not have enough space for storage or maintenance; and poses safety concerns for DPW employees.

The public works facility needs almost 30,000 square feet (about two-thirds of an acre), including 17,000 square feet of indoor vehicle and equipment storage, according to the report. The Lewis St. property facility has almost four acres, but most of the space is open to the elements.

The consultants started by compiling a list of 182 potential properties for a DPW (including Lewis St.) and narrowed it town to six, excluding most based on size, current use, and wetlands/floodplain status. The six remaining sites were Lewis St., the transfer station (both town-owned); land on Old Bedford Road owned by MassPort; land on Virginia Road owned by MassPort and the U.S. government at Hanscom Field; and land on Cambridge Turnpike owned by Farrington Memorial. Lewis St. is by far the smallest of the finalists based on acreage.

The rough cost estimate includes $8.5 million for the main building, $2.5 million in site and site support structures, $3.5 million in soft costs, and $670,000 in contingency costs, but no escalation costs.

The South Lincoln Planning and Implementation and Planning Committee is working on rezoning the Lincoln Station area, including the DPW property and will host a public forum on their work on Tuesday, May 7 from 6-8 p.m.in the Town Hall (see accompanying story).