Cleaning up the highway garage in Warner has been top of mind for the town — and progress has been rapidly under way.
A fire broke out at the garage, located off Route 103, Around 11 p.m. on March 18, damaging several trucks. Herm Blanchette, the town’s director of public works, said the fire most likely sparked from an eletric wire near a dump truck, the only piece of equipment lost in the blaze.
Blanchette said he filed claims with the town’s insurance company Primex; the trucks and equipment were cleaned, but needed additional maintenance; and a temporary space was set up in a state-owned garage adjacent to the original garage.
“It’s been a godsend for us,” Blanchette said. “We have an office to work out of, instead of a job trailer. We have a garage to work out of, instead of lying on the ground, working on stuff. It’s not as big as what we’re used to, but it’s certainly well worth having it right beside us.”
Two trucks went to Westminster, Vt., for interior repair, two pick-up trucks were sent to Concord and Hillsboro to be fixed, the grader and backhoe received mends to the hydraulic lines and the street sweeper will be ready for use soon, Blanchette explained. He said the department should see two of their bigger trucks come back in a couple of weeks.
As for the building itself, work needs to be done on the electrical and plumbing systems, as well as the insulation. The project, Blanchette said, is at a standstill until an option is chosen for the garage’s shell repair: either a retrofit or a removal and cleaning of the metal on the roof and walls. The price difference is an estimated $130,000.
Warner’s Finance Director Clyde Carson said the project’s total cost is still being calculated, but that most of the large expenses will most be paid by insurance and town residents should expect minimal impact to their taxes.
“The town is fully protected by Primex,” Carson said. “The impact to the the taxpayer is negligible.”
Blanchette said he would like to see some minor upgrades to the building as it’s being restored, including more lighting and windows, larger fans for heat in the winter and sealing off the offices and break area from the rest of the garage.
The shell restoration was estimated to be completed sometime in September or October of this year. Once finished, the next phase will include fixing the electrical wiring, plumbing and alarm systems. Blanchette said the department could move back into the building around the start of November, “which would be great before plow season starts.”
“It never goes as fast as you want, but given the scope and the magnitude of the problems that we’ve had, it’s gone relatively well,” Blanchette said. “The support of the town officials and the public … has been great.”
