Wellington County held an official opening ceremony for the brand new Arthur public works garage.
The brand new 38,900 square foot facility was officially opened on May 22 and was planned to coincide with National Public Works Week as "a key event to recognize and celebrate public works in the county," according to a press release from Wellington County.
According to the press release, the new garage in Arthur is barrier-free and "meets the County’s highest Green Legacy Building Standard, ensuring that the garage is energy efficient and environmentally responsible."
The garage includes 6 large truck storage and service bays and 1 large truck wash bay, integral sand/salt storage structure with protected truck loading facility, tool, equipment and maintenance supply rooms and much more.
"The new Arthur Garage will enhance and support operations and improve public safety," said Wellington County Warden Chris White. "This is the third County garage to be replaced with a larger modernized facility. Arthur follows the Central and Drayton Garage replacements and is the next step in modernizing all County garages to better serve residents and the travelling public."
A full list of features for the new Arthur garage includes:
• 6 large truck storage and service bays and 1 large truck wash bay
• Integral sand/salt storage structure with protected truck loading facility
• Tool, equipment and maintenance supply rooms
• Office, Administration and Training areas for Roads Division and Solid Waste Division staff
• Fully Barrier-free staff areas and washrooms
• High efficiency cold climate air source heat pump HVAC system
• High efficiency energy recovery ventilation system
• Rainwater collection system for vehicle washing facilities
• High efficiency lighting systems throughout
• Full operational capacity emergency electrical generator on site
• Mass Timber superstructure / fully sprinklered facility
Key Green features:
• Mass Timber superstructure including all walls and roof structural components replacing carbon-intensive conventional steel construction utilizing 100% renewable materials and providing significant carbon sequestering capacity for the complex as a whole
• Rainwater collection to sustain truck-washing operations and augment well- supplied fire fighting water supply
• Roof structural design and internal electrical provision for future solar PV rooftop or ground array addition
• Electrical distribution system provided for future EV charging of future electric fleet vehicle transition
• High efficiency exterior building envelope insulation design to optimize interior thermal mass / minimize heating and cooling requirements
• Provision of essential underground infrastructure to support future EMS facility on site if required