By Sunayana Prabhu
SHREWSBURY – A new Department of Public Works (DPW) building is being built to replace the aging trailer at 90 White Road, which the department currently uses as an office.
The borough council considered design plans at its July 9 meeting, weighing concerns over size, cost and community needs.
Brendan Murphy, an architect from Spiezle, presented the expansion plan for the building, proposing an 1,800-square-foot addition to replace the worn-out trailer. The basic floor plan includes office spaces, a break room and updated restroom facilities. Murphy’s design options featured concrete masonry units for durability and cost-efficiency. The proposed building would be structurally independent of existing facilities and include energy-efficient insulation.
While council members agreed the trailer has outlived its use, some expressed concerns about the proposed new building’s scope and cost.
“They deserve the best facility you could possibly get,” said Jay Eaton, a borough resident who advocated for DPW employees while urging caution in limiting the building’s size. “As a taxpayer, I would caution making it too small,” Eaton said, noting the finished building could potentially create more community space for educational opportunities such as recycling workshops and “meet and greets with DPW.”
“The more open you can make the floor plan, the more flexible” it will be, he suggested. “We’re spending a lot of money,” said council member Deidre DerAsadourin, who felt the borough may already have spaces for community meetings at the firehouse and borough hall, among other places. “Let’s look at the inventory that we have right now,” she said.
According to DPW director Matthew Hall, who took over the position in March, his team has been working from the trailer for over a decade. The improvements will focus on modernizing the aging facilities, particularly the office space cur- rently housed inside the trailer. He noted that while the current facilities are functional, they’re showing their age. “Right now, we do have a break room and bathroom and stuff but the building’s getting a little older,” he said.
The DPW, which operates from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, handles a variety of essential tasks to keep the borough running efficiently, such as picking up brush and leaves, cutting grass, maintaining the park and sports fields and other ongoing projects. With a team of nine, including Hall, the department manages to keep Shrewsbury running smoothly.
Hall acknowledged that improvements to their workspace will take time. “I understand that it takes some time to get these things done, and it’ll be nice when we have them,” he said, showing patience with the process.
The staff of the DPW works “extra hard for us, and they’re just cherished by everybody. So, we want to make sure they know they’re appreciated,” said Mayor Kim Eulner immediately following the meeting.
The council plans to finalize design plans, obtain cost estimates and is expected to open bidding applications to start construction approximately in the next six months.
The article originally appeared in the July 25 – July 31, 2024 print edition of The Two River Times.
