The Red Hook Central School District is proposing a $15.9 million capital improvement project to renovate and expand its bus garage at Linden Avenue Middle School and augment its technology education facilities to facilitate a planned welding career and technical education pathway.
The projects, which will appear as Proposition No. 2 on the ballot for the May 19 district budget and Board of Education election vote, were approved to go forward to voters by the board at Thursday’s board meeting.
The bus garage project accounts for the majority of the expense attached to the proposition.
The renovation plan would improve the safety of the facility by paving unpaved and uneven areas, removing tripping hazards and increasing the space drivers and mechanics have to move around the currently cramped buses. Expanded storage areas would likewise alleviate clutter impacting available space to operate in repair bays, further adding to the safety of employees.
The building would be expanded to allow for more office spaces, including a break room and training room for the drivers and private offices for staff. Currently, Transportation Department leadership does not have space within the building for private or confidential conversations, sharing cramped offices with thin walls, and the break area does not fit the department’s drivers.
“We want to give our school employees a better environment to work in,” Transportation Director Anthony Curcio said.
The new addition would also include new vehicle lifts and a new wash bay; currently one vehicle lift is broken and cannot be easily repaired, while the wash bay and the other vehicle lift – which is more than two decades old – are in need of service. The layout of the addition would also led itself to bus bays that would not require drivers to back out of their spaces, which would also add to safety.
Meanwhile, electrical conduits and piping would be added to support possible future electrical needs.
“We don’t know what that future use is, yet, but we’re going to try to put as much in place as we can,” Curcio said.
Take a look at the video to get a glimpse inside the Transportation Department’s facility and hear details on what the proposal includes.