Lower Gwynedd presents plans for a new Public Works facility near Giant Foods

An update on the new Public Works Department facility was given at the recent Lower Gwynedd Board of Supervisors meeting.

After comprehensive studies were conducted, it was determined that 1201 Sumneytown Pike would be the ideal location for the new Public Works facility. It will be located on the eastern corner near Moore Drive, behind GIANT.

“Plowing our roads, salting, maintaining grounds at our parks, but then there’s also work they do on our sewers lines,” said Township Project Manager John L. Farrel of the department’s duties. “They are the ones who prevent flooding. They make sure all the vehicles we need are running smoothly. Because of all of this, there is a demand to have the right kind of facilities for them.”

In 2022, through a township-wide study, it was found that a current facility was inefficient, crowded, and outdated. There are a number of upgrades necessary for the new facility, which include employee facilities (staff offices, breakroom/kitchen, restrooms, locker rooms, etc.), a salt shed, a vehicle washing station, a fuel depot, expanded vehicle maintenance spaces, a welding room, a wood shop, rain garden (and ability to add other green features), covered storage for existing and future vehicles and equipment, sufficient room for vehicle circulation, a buffer area around facility, technology infrastructure, and a backup emergency operations center.

Given the lengthy list of needs, the supervisors agreed, following the study’s review, that a new facility would suit the township best. The option for a new facility is the most financially efficient plan option.

    Image courtesy of Lower Gwynedd Township
  

A parcel of at least nine acres was determined to be the minimum area that would be necessary to house the Lower Gwynedd Township Public Works Department. Officials evaluated six different site/design combinations that included existing township-owned buildings/land, but most of those options were eliminated due to logistical limitations.

Initial draft design concepts were shown at the public meeting. Further discussions about the project will take place in the upcoming months. A full presentation of the proposed new facility is available online here.