Facility needs prompt Jackson discussion
JACKSON TOWNSHIP — As the harsh winter nears its end, the chairman of the Jackson Township trustees is suggesting that officials consider looking at upgrades to building facilities at the corner of Taylortown and Plymouth-springmill roads.
Greg Vogt noted that the township’s outbuilding has no concrete floor and no heat.
“This winter, there were situations where we had to move our meeting in here,” he said of the township’s meeting area. “We had no room out there (outbuilding), no heat or anything.
Everything was jammed out up out there.”
At the March 2 meeting, Vogt suggested that trustees Mark Wright and Mark Eshelman consider the option of upgrades, including concrete for the 40x65 outbuilding and an overhead door.
“There was a case this winter, where we couldn’t get the sliders open,” Vogt said of the sliding doors.
“We’d have to put some money into it,” he said of outbuilding upgrades.
Vogt expressed a desire to get township equipment, including mowers, into a heated area, especially during wintertime.
“They are out there,” he said. “Cold storage is what it is. At least heat and insulation would help even if you didn’t want to put concrete in the outbuilding.”
Trustee Eshelman said he could see putting the overhead door in but had questions about concrete and other issues.
He also noted that insulation would be needed and had questions about multiple other aspects, including the proposed concrete as it relates to the condition of posts in the outbuilding.
Vogt said another option would be adding on to the separate township garage building, which houses the township’s dump trucks and meeting room area.
Trustee Eshelman expressed concerns, about that, too.
“If you start adding on to that building here, you are going to run into trouble,” Eshelman said.
“You are going to have to put a firewall in. You’re going to have to put in the
Newspapers met on March 2. Shown left to right are Trustees Chairman Greg Vogt and Trustees Mark Wright and Mark Eshelman. They discussed facility needs at the township government’s site.
engineering.”
Vogt estimated the addition at roughly 32x50.
“This is just a thought,” he said. “If you guys want to think about it, but I really think we need to think about it.”
Trustee Wright asked about a “rough cost” of the ideas involved.
“That will determine
what kind of other work we do the rest of the year, depending on what something like this will cost us,” Wright said.
Trustee Wright noted the various options presented, and Jackson Township Fiscal Officer Marty Penwell mentioned getting price quotes.
“I would think that that would be
where you’d want to start,” she said at the meeting.
In estimating the outbuilding’s age at about 40 years old, Trustee Eshelman suggested the township dig back to see how much the outbuilding cost back then.