LEXINGTON - Heading into the future while honoring the past, Lexington town supervisor Robert Riccardella hosted a ceremonial groundbreaking for a new highway department garage, last Saturday morning.
“This has been thirty years in the making,” Riccardella said of the $3.5 million project, noting the efforts of previous supervisors JoEllen Schermerhorn and John Berger who “got the ball rolling.”
Discussions on the aging and frequently flooded facilities also date back to supervisors Dixie Baldrey and the late Kenneth Becker, diligently seeking outside funding to make the effort financially feasible.
Riccardella thanked them and said the town is, “incredibly grateful to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation” for making available a $1.31 million Climate Smart Communities grant.
The town further anticipates selling two old properties used by the highway department, reaping as much as $800,000 toward the overall expense.
“Our tireless, hardworking highway department has been shuttling between two antiquated facilities for years,” Riccardella said.
“This modern facility,” he noted, ”will bring all of our equipment together in one centralized location along with our salt shed,” located along Route 42 on the outskirts of the hamlet district.
Workers and equipment could be moving in by January, 2027, according to Lamont Engineers project manager Jason Preisner.
The new garage is well-suited for professionalism, efficiency and cost-saving, coming with day-to-day features such as:
—6 truck bays (allowing weather-protected repairs), office space, a break room, storage space and restroom facilities with a shower;
—Energy efficient design on the 9,000 square foot structure including a rooftop solar array to offset the town’s energy usage at the site;
—Heat pumps, technology for heating and cooling of the office areas and a rainwater recycling system for all-season equipment cleaning.
Several officials attended the event including Greene County undersheriff Tracey Quinn, Jose Torres (on behalf of Senator Michell Hinchey, and Daniel Wrenn (representing Governor Kathy Hochul).
“Governor Hochul understands the good work towns and villages do. You have a partner in the Governor’s office,” Wrenn said.
“Thank you all for having our back,” Riccardella said, noting real digging by the general contractor, Tweedie Construction, would commence this week.
Ceremonial groundbreaking took place, last Saturday, for the town of Lexington’s new highway department garage, Among those on hand were (left to right) town councilmen Bradley Jenkins and William Pushman, town supervisor Robert Riccardella, Hunter town supervisor Sean Mahoney, Greene County Economic Development, Tourism and Planning director James Hannahs, Greene County Legislator Daryl Legg (District 7, Hunter, Lexington, Halcott), Department of Environmental Conservation grants officer Myra Fedyniak, Catskill Watershed Corporation flood program manager Eric Lane, Greene County Sheriff’s Office Captain Joel Rowell, Greene County undersheriff Tracey Quinn, Jose Torres (representing Senator Michelle Hinchey), Daniel Wrenn (representing Governor Kathy Hochul), Doug VanDeusen and Jason Preisner (Lamont Engineers project manager and lead engineer, respectively), town highway superintendent Kevin Simmons and town councilwoman Rose Petrella-Wilson. Absent is councilman Michael Barcone.
The new highway department garage will be workplace home-sweet-home for current personnel (left to right) senior crewman Dan Grinnell, Tom Mattice, Emmett Turk, Roy Spanhake and future colleagues.
Wasting no time, Tweedie Construction worker Chris Merwin (left) arrived at the site on Saturday, readying to start the real digging on Monday morning (May 18), joined for the occasion by town wastewater treatment plant chief operator Steve Anshanslin.
“This has been thirty years in the making,” said Lexington town supervisor Robert Riccardella (at podium), serving as Master of Ceremonies with (left to right) highway superintendent Kevin Simmons, town council members Bradley Jenkins and Rose Petrella-Wilson, town clerk/collector Maureen Anshanslin, councilman William Pushman and town justice Devon Russ.
