TOWN OF HIGHLAND, NEW YORK
NEW HIGHWAY GARAGE

Laberge Group was retained by the Town of Highland to provide services required to build a new Highway Garage. These included architectural, engineering, structural, mechanical, electrical design, and grant administration services, as well as bidding and construction phase services. A series of meetings with the Highway Department and other interested stakeholders provided the basis of the planning, design, and performance requirements required to meet the Town’s specific needs.

The new facility was constructed on the west side of NYS Route 55. The construction and relocation of the Town’s Garage removed the building from the Halfway Brook floodway, preventing flooding of the facility and potential damage to Town equipment. It also prevents salt and other vehicular by-products from leaching into adjacent creeks and wetlands which ultimately flow into the Delaware River.

Although the building was not intended to be LEED certified, LEED principles were continually in the forefront of all building, material and system decisions throughout the design and construction of the Highway Department Garage, which was partially funded through a Climate Smart Community grant. The completed garage includes 8 vehicle storage bays, a repair bay, a mechanical/electric room, administrative offices, and a break room. The drive-through vehicle access arrangement promotes the most efficient use of both space and structure. This efficiency, coupled with the use of movable lifts, provides the flexibility to conduct repairs anywhere within the space as different needs arise.

The in-floor radiant heat system delivers point-of-use heat to both the employee work zone and the vehicle drying zone. This strategy maximizes energy efficiency and increase the useful life of the vehicle fleet. In anticipation of future cost-saving and environmentally responsible improvements, the Highway Department garage and all utility systems were designed to facilitate a future transition to power generated by an array of solar panels.

Upon approval of the final design, construction documents were prepared for public bidding on four separate prime contracts. The bidding services provided included advertising the contracts, reviewing bids, and providing contract award recommendations to the Town. Construction was then completed on this highly-anticipated and much-needed garage facility designed to protect and extend the life of the Town’s fleet and improve the working environment of Highway Department employees.