PITTSTON — The city will restructure the city garage area when a new maintenance shed is erected for a project that has been on the table for a few years.

Mayor Michael Lombardo announced the addition of a 60’ x 60’ maintenance shed that would be built later this summer, eyeing completion before the beginning of the winter season.

“We applied for an LSA grant for $400,000 in December of 2017 for the project,” Mayor Lombardo said. “We received word in the spring of 2018 we were granted the money.”

Pittston was eligible to apply for an LSA (local share account) grant through the Pennsylvania Dept. of Community and Economic Development under the Luzerne Co. Gaming Act (Act 71).

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“We are adding more bays and one of the bays will be a drive-thru to access the yards behind the building, including a new location for the snowplow blades that will be mounted and under cover,” Lombardo said. “The salt shed will be relocated to allow the new maintenance shed to be constructed. By moving the salt shed, we can now build a bigger shed for salt.”

The updated plans for the city garage will centrally locate all city equipment to one area instead of being scattered throughout the city.

“The new construction will give us more room, so all of our equipment will be inside,” Lombardo said. “The new building will be essentially sanitation and larger vehicles and all the smaller trucks will be housed in the older garage.”

With the addition of the maintenance shed, the city will go from five to seven or eight bays, depending on the final rendering approval.

The new maintenance shed will also house an office, bathrooms and a conference room which could be utilized in case of an emergency management situation.

“During the new build, we are going to make all this ready by bringing in the electrical and plumbing but we don’t have enough money in the budget to build these rooms,” Lombardo added. “What we decided to do outside the budget, we are actually going to build these rooms ourselves.”

“Bids went out for the job last month and we granted the lowest bidders, Hadley Construction, for the build, All Service Rite for plumbing and Apollo Electrical,” Lombardo said. “All winning bids were under the budget and we will start and be finished before the winter season.”

With the new shed being built and the salt shed being relocated, the city will have the opportunity to relocate a waterline that has been victim of freezing during the winter months.

“The water line has to be over 70 years old and the problem needs to be rectified,” Lombardo said.

According to Lombardo, the entire garage facility will eventually be fenced and gated, making the area safe and secure.

The structure shown on the left houses Pittston City’s supply of winter salt which will be relocated to another part of the yard to make room for the new 60’x60’ maintenance shed which will be constructed this year.
https://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/web1_Garage1.jpg.optimal.jpgThe structure shown on the left houses Pittston City’s supply of winter salt which will be relocated to another part of the yard to make room for the new 60’x60’ maintenance shed which will be constructed this year. Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch

The current Pittston City maintenance shed has five bays which cannot house all the city’s equipment.
https://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/web1_Garage2.jpg.optimal.jpgThe current Pittston City maintenance shed has five bays which cannot house all the city’s equipment. Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch

By Tony Callaio

For Sunday Dispatch

Reach the Sunday Dispatch newsroom at 570-991-6405 or by email at sd@psdispatch.com.