Mapleton’s municipal headquarters property may become home to a new Wellington County public works garage, as well as a rebuilt township works facility.
Council held a special meeting on June 19 to brainstorm ideas for a building to replace the township’s Sideroad 16 works garage, which burned down in December.
Wellington County officials also attended the meeting to discuss the idea of sharing the property.
County operations manager Paul Johnson told Mapleton officials the county is planning to replace several of its existing works garages, including the Drayton shop.
“As far as the shop at Drayton goes, the plan was to replace most of the shops because they are all of the same vintage and all have the same inherent problem,” said Johnson, explaining that the design of the ceiling joists, combined with the flat roof on the building, can lead to water pooling and possible roof collapse.
“Drayton, Arthur and Brucedale are sister shops built the same way,” said Johnson, noting the Erin shop is actually next in line to be replaced.
“It’s an old MTO one and they can’t get their plows straight into them,” he explained.
However, he said the Drayton shop could be moved up on the replacement schedule due to other issues, such as sourcewater protection.
“Drayton is the problem child that I would like to get rid of given the proximity to the well … If push came to shove it could be the next one in line, rather than Erin.”
Johnson noted proximity to a municipal well would also rule out the county taking over the township’s Moorefield works garage property, due to the need to keep fuel on site.
The property, he said, is “within spitting distance of the well over there.”
While stating, “I don’t think we’re ready to leave Drayton just yet,” Johnson told council, “We’re interested in your plans here.”
Johnson said the Sideroad 16 property “seems to be the logical place for us to go.”
He said such a move would avoid the need to impact local farm land, although Mayor Bruce Whale pointed out it may be necessary to purchase some additional land adjacent to the township property in order to accommodate both projects.
“While sharing the property is an option, sharing a building probably isn’t,” Johnson said.
“It likely isn’t appropriate to build one big building … in the winter time half our mechanics come to Drayton. We need to have a shop and a works yard still. To have yours plus ours together it would be a massive building.”
Buildings that could be shared include salt storage and truck washing facilities, said Johnson.
Whale suggested a refueling station could also be shared between the operations.
No decisions have been made on either the type of municipal garage to be built, or the prospects of sharing with the county.
However, following the meeting, Mapleton CAO Patty Sinnamon told the Advertiser in an email she will be meeting with township public works director Brad McRoberts “and hopefully creating a tender for a design build project in the near future.”
