Lexington breaks ground on new highway garage

LEXINGTON―Heading into the future while honoring the past, Lexington Town Supervisor Robert Riccardella hosted a ceremonial groundbreaking for a new highway department garage.

“This has been thirty years in the making,” Riccardella said of the $3.5 million project, noting the efforts of previous supervisors JoEllen Schermerhorn and John Berger who “got the ball rolling.”

Discussions on the aging and frequently flooded facilities also date back to supervisors Dixie Baldrey and the late Kenneth Becker, diligently seeking outside funding to make the effort financially feasible.

Riccardella thanked them and said the town is, “incredibly grateful to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation” for making available a $1.31 million Climate Smart Communities grant.

The town further anticipates selling two old properties used by the highway department, reaping as much as $800,000 toward the overall expense.

“Our tireless, hardworking highway department has been shuttling between two antiquated facilities for years,” Riccardella said.

“This modern facility,” he noted, “will bring all of our equipment together in one centralized location along with our salt shed,” located along Route 42 on the outskirts of the hamlet district.

Workers and equipment could be moving in by January 2027, according to Lamont Engineers Project Manager Jason Preisner.

The new garage includes:

- Six truck bays (allowing weather-protected repairs), office space, a break room, storage space and restroom facilities with a shower;

Energy efficient design on the 9,000 square foot structure including a rooftop solar array to offset the town’s energy usage at the site;

Heat pumps, technology for heating and cooling of the office areas and a rainwater recycling system for all-season equipment cleaning.

The ceremonial event, held earlier this month, was attended by local, county and state officials, including representatives from the offices of Senator Michelle Hinchey and Gov. Kathy Hochul.

“Thank you all for having our back,” Riccardella said, noting the real digging by the general contractor, Tweedie Construction, would commence this month.