The Town of Plattekill Board approved to send out a request for proposal (RFP) for a feasibility study and concept planning for town buildings during their regular meeting on Wednesday, August 7. The town board unanimously approved for the RFP to be posted in the local newspaper.

Town of Plattekill Supervisor Dean DePew Sr. said the RFP item came before the town board two months ago. He explained the town has been surveying the town hall and highway department building located at 1915 Route 44 55 and town owned property located along Route 32. DePew spoke about the possibility years ago of a newly constructed building to support the town’s government offices opposite Thomas Felten Community Park along Route 32 on the southern side of Patura Road.

“As a board, we looked at it realistically. We talked to a couple of engineering companies. They came in and gave us a brief idea on the path that we would have to take to do an assessment. So this is strictly for an assessment,” said DePew. “This is not that we’re going to start building a building and we’re going to start tearing things down, this is simply the first step in quite a long road, and it’s basically an assessment.”

DePew said to the public that the current town hall buildings were first constructed in 1973 and there are many issues currently. The RFP would help the town to look into the possibilities and the cost effectiveness of either repairing and modifying the buildings or completely reconstructing them. Space inside the building was a concern as there is a lot of documentation that must be kept. DePew again reminded the public this is the first step, it does not mean the project is going to break ground tomorrow.

Within the RFP, it states that the town is considering building a new building to house the town municipal offices, town court and the town police department at the new building. The town hall building located at 1915 Route 44 55 would be demolished and reconfigured. The site would then be utilized solely by the town highway department and would include a new garage facility with drive through bays, interior wash bay and office space for employees.

A prepared report and study would help the town evaluate and determine current and future space needs, construction/configuration options and estimate costs for demolition, site reconfiguration and construction. The scope of services would include but are not limited to the following: visit each of the sites and document the existing conditions; discuss space needs and goals; develop preliminary space programs for each of the proposed facilities; develop conceptual design and optional design for facilities; develop preliminary options of probable demolition, site reconfiguration and construction; preparing a report on all previous items and including potential infrastructure issues; attend one or two town board meetings to discuss the report with the board and receive public input and prepare a final report addressing comments and questions raised at the meeting attended; a cover letter with expressed interest in the project; a list of individuals with their credentials, qualifications and experiences; at least three professional references from previous clients. Proposals must be received no later than 4 p.m. on August, 28, 2024. Proposals can be mailed or emailed to the town supervisor. Questions about the proposal should be directed to the town supervisor via email or phone.