Potsdam moving forward with construction of salt storage building

The town board has authorized Town Supervisor Ann Carvill to sign a contract with the company Hybrid Building Solutions of Pembroke for the construction of a new salt storage building at the town highway facility at 19 Madrid Ave.

The company will build the Sourcewell building for $531,659 according to the contract. The town has received a 50/50 match grant of up to $285,205 through the New York Water Quality Grant program to help pay for the structure.

The building is expected to be complete sometime this summer.

At the regular town meeting, Feb. 8, Town Highway Superintendent John Keleher told board members that the town should expect to receive the actual contract for the grant from the state in the next 45 days.

Keleher said the town will also be responsible for installing electricity at the site, the concrete pad for the building, paving around the site and and will dig the trenches for the footers, all which will cost about $70,000.

Mari Louise Merkwa, one of the co-owners of Hybrid Building Solutions who attended the meeting, told board members that the footers of the storage shed the company will construct are designed to be able to stock sand up to 9 feet against them or be hit by a loader at 25 mph.

“The building is put up much like an erector set,” Merkwa said as she outlined various specs for the building. Hybrid Building Solutions has constructed a variety of structures and salt storage buildings for municipalities around the state.

Merkwa said sets of stamped plans for the building and bolt connections and for the foundation will be provided by the company to the town.

The company’s pricing for the building was due to go up on Monday a minimum of 5 percent of the overall cost, so the town board opted to approve the purchase at the meeting before the hike.

In addition to authorizing Carvill to sign the contract with the company, the resolution passed by the board at the meeting directs Keleher to move forward and start preparing the site where the building will stand.