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Ferguson Township Opens Long-Planned New Public Works Building

Nearly two decades ago, Ferguson Township officials began discussing the need for a new public works building to replace the existing facility constructed in 1982.

Now, about four years after serious planning began, and a year after construction got underway, the township has a new 14,500-square-foot facility on the campus of its municipal offices at 3147 Research Drive. Construction on the $7.8 million building was substantially completed in February and the department occupied the facility at the end of March.

“The quality of your facilities and equipment directly translates to the quality of services you provide and the quality of life in your community,” Township Manager David Pribulka said during a ribbon cutting event on Tuesday afternoon. “I can confidently say without hesitation that this facility advances our mission, vision and values and will allow us to better serve the residents of Ferguson Township for decades to come.”

Ferguson Township Supervisors, from left, Steve Miller, Prasenjit Mitra, Laura Dininni and Lisa Strickland perform a ceremonial ribbon-cutting on Tuesday, April 27, at the township’s new public works building. Photo by Geoff Rushton | StateCollege.com

The two-story building includes three vehicle service bays, a wash bay, covered fueling area, training and break room, locker room and second-floor office space.

“Staff had long since outgrown our current space and a lack of climate-controlled indoor storage was threatening the life cycle of costly capital equipment,” Pribulka said of the need for the new facility. “Our fueling station was beyond its useful life and it was increasingly challenging to keep our vehicles clean through the harsh Pennsylvania winter months without an adequate wash bay.”

The new Ferguson Township public works building has three service bays in its garage. Photo by Geoff Rushton | StateCollege.com

Though the need for a new building was identified in capital planning as far back as the early 2000s, the township first began developing the basis for design in 2017. Along the way, staff and supervisors found the needs of the public works department — which has a staff of 25 and services about 80 township vehicles — created a more expensive proposition than was initially thought.

The project was paused as plans were revisited and costs pared down before supervisors approved bond financing (no property tax increases have resulted from the debt) and awarded bids in November 2019. Construction began in February 2020 but was held up for about a month because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Designed for sustainability and energy efficiency, the township expects the new building will be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified. David Modricker, director of public works, said that with the future installation of solar panels on the roof “we should have a net-zero energy building.” Results of the building’s energy consumption and water use will be displayed on a touch-screen panel in the foyer.

With skylights, large windows and automated controls, the building also is oriented to the south to maximize natural lighting.

A high-efficiency variable refrigerant flow heating and cooling system provides energy efficiency, and built in to the first floor slab is a system of hot water tubes that radiates heat upward, keeping the service and wash bays warm even when the large garage doors are open for short periods of time.

Ferguson Township Public Works Director David Modricker explains features of the new garage, including overhead fluid dispensers and drop-down electrical outlets. Photo by Geoff Rushton | StateCollege.com

The wash bay was a critical need for the township, especially for trucks and plows operating in the winter months amid corroding road salt. Water used in the bay can be 100% recycled, though it will be monitored for salt content and recycling can be turned down to 50% or turned off until the supply has been refreshed with clean water. Water that is sent into the sanitary sewer first goes through a system that separates out contaminants.

The wash bay at the new Ferguson Township public works building includes the ability to recycle up to 100% of water. Photo by Geoff Rushton | StateCollege.com

Stormwater management is kept on site with natural and manmade features, including bioswales, infiltration basins and rain gardens.

“It was paramount that this building meet our needs while making every reasonable effort to reduce its carbon footprint and impact to our climate,” Pribulka said. “By every measure this project was a success.”

Board of Supervisors Chair Laura Dininni said that though the project faced some obstacles along the way, the end result is a top-quality facility that is well-designed to meet the township’s needs.

“As elected officials, it’s our chief responsibility to ensure quality service delivery to the community we represent,” she said. “This central tenet embodies all we do and this building is no exception. Every square foot of the facility was designed and constructed to meet a direct need… No decision was made without careful thought and deliberation.”

As part of the ribbon-cutting ceremony, township officials also prepared a time capsule that is buried on site to be opened in 50 years, when Ferguson Township marks 270 years since its founding.

The time capsule includes three newspapers from Tuesday, the April edition of Town&Gown, a Ferguson Township Police Department patch, Ferguson Township mask, a screen shot of a Zoom call, the most recent township newsletter, the basis of design for the building, a jump drive and keys to traffic signal control units. It also contains a letter to the future residents of the township and a bottle of Happy Valley Vineyards cabernet sauvignon, which will be nicely aged for the people of 2071.

The time capsule buried at the new Ferguson Township public works building is to be opened by residents and township officials in 2071. Photo by Geoff Rushton | StateCollege.com