Wellington County’s current Drayton public works garage will be replaced with a new facility on or adjacent to the Township of Mapleton’s administration centre property.
County council confirmed the roads committee decision to build a new shop on Mapleton Sideroad 16 at its Sept. 27 meeting.
Funding for the Drayton garage replacement will be budgeted for 2016 in the upcoming five-year-plan, a roads committee resolution states.
The move will allow for sharing of some facilities between the county and the township, which is also planning to build a new shop at the location to replace one that burned to the ground in December.
County councillor Lou Maieron, mayor of Erin, asked why the Drayton shop replacement was moved ahead of the Erin shop replacement, which is also in the five-year plan.
“We did have Erin scheduled but due to circumstances happening in Mapleton with loss of their garage there are some advantages to relocating” the Drayton facility sooner, explained county engineer Gord Ough, who added “concerns with the Drayton garage relative to the wellhead,” also factored into the decision.
“There are some things that are going to have to be spent on in Drayton if we stay very long so it makes sense to take this opportunity to dovetail with Mapleton.”
Ough also pointed out the Erin garage is used only in the winter, while the Drayton shop is a year-round facility.
“I understand the synergies make sense,” said Maieron, who then asked how far back the Erin project would be pushed.
Ough suggested the Erin garage replacement could be expected to happen, “a couple or three years after the Drayton shop.”
