New options for DPW expansion

Clarkston’s beleagered DPW plans are still ongoing. At Monday’s City Council meeting, the Facilities Committee presented its report, offering four options.
The options include keeping the existing 1,500-square-foot Depot Park garage, 720-square-foot school rental garage for $250 a month, and outside storage at Clintonwood Park and township DPW, and possibly install a large garage door at the school rental facility
The second option is to lease 2,000 square feet at a new Independence Township DPW building, to be built this year on Flemings Lake Road. Disadvantages include its location outside city limits, two miles from Depot Park, no equity, unknown rent, and traffic from Clarkston High School, according to the report.
Option three is to build a new 2,000-square-foot pole barn at the west end of Depot Park.
“To fully investigate this option, we are requesting $6,000-$10,000 for soil borings at the west end of the park – to determine if the land is uniform enough to support the platform,” said committee member Rich Little.
The fourth option is to lease Baylis Farm property from Clarkston schools, either a 1,500-square-foot barn or about 1,900 square feet of a 4,000-square-foot barn. It would not be heated and is a few miles from the city.
The committee, which also includes city council members Jason Kneisc and David Marsh, and residents Karen Eckert, Steve Percival, Dennis Ritter, Bob Sowles, Steve Wylie, and Paul Zupon, was formed in May 2016.
An affordability analysis of building versus leasing is pending. Goals are to avoid raising taxes to construct a building, or no more than $1,600 a month to lease a facility.
According to the report, current work and storage space for the DPW has been inadequate and inefficient since the fall of 2015, when the city lost the leased 2,400-square-foot facility at 3 E. Church Street.
DPW equipment is stored in the 1,500-square-foot Depot Park garage, 720-square-foot Clarkston school garage, and outdoors at Independence Township DPW facility on Flemings Lake Road and Clintonwood Park. Records and equipment are also stored at Maxx Storage on Andersonville Road.
Last year, Clarkston City Council debated and approved a plan to expand the DPW facility in Depot Park, as well as city hall, and put the project out for bid. All bids were rejected in May as being too high.

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