Town To Appraise Property As Part of Search for New Highway Garage Site

The Board of Selectmen has authorized up to $5,000 to appraise a property under consideration as a potential highway garage location.

Ongoing real estate considerations were discussed in executive session this week and first Selectman Richard Barlow said the board then authorized the appraisal using Small Town Economic Assistance Program Funds the town has for the project. The town received $200,000 in STEAP funding for the project. For years, the town has sought a site to build a new garage. 

Barlow did not specify the property.

At its last meeting, on Jan. 3, 2012 the Permanent Municipal Building discussed four potential sites, according to the minutes of the meeting. One at 225 Cherry Brook Road is no longer under consideration, according to the minutes. Another was 5 Cherry Brook Road, the site that voters declined to purchase at a 2010 referendum. Barlow did say that the site is not the one to be appraised.

“We’re looking at another option,” he said.

The others the municipal building committee discussed were 149/167 Cherry Brook Road and an unspecified parcel on Route 44.

The committee has also been conducting site visits and investigating highway garage projects in other towns to get an array of costs and approaches.

The town has been looking for a new town garage site for years. In addition to the one defeated at referendum, the committee has researched and walked numerous sites but has encountered wetlands, zoning, access, private sales and other issues.

A new garage has been identified as a need for decades. Officials say the current site on Old River Road near the Farmington River is inadequate in size and lacks space to properly store and maintain vehicles. Its proximity to the river limits the amount of type of materials the town can store on site and is in a flood zone as well.