DPW Facility Improvement Project

The Nantucket Department of Public Works operates primarily out of a site to the north of the landfill and transfer station on Madaket Road. The portion of the site used by the DPW, comprised of approximately 13 acres, is a generally irregular shape and includes a total of 10 connected and free-standing buildings, an above-ground fueling facility, plus miscellaneous small structures and shipping containers scattered across the acreage.  

The Madaket Road facility has been developed in a generally haphazard fashion over many decades, and while some structures are structurally sound and operationally useful, others have long since exceeded their expected lives and are not suitable for redevelopment or continued use. 

There is currently no single operational or habitable headquarters where employees can report for work, change and store their belongings, wash-up, eat their lunch, or assemble for training or other purposes. 

There is inadequate interior vehicle storage resulting in exterior storage of much of the Department’s fleet, including emergency response vehicles. This exterior storage contributes to decreased service life and increased maintenance cost to the equipment. This is amplified by the absence of vehicle washing facilities to control salt corrosion. 

There is inadequate storage space for construction materials, supplies, and handling of waste materials and out-of-service vehicles. 

There is inadequate general shop space, which is exacerbated by the need to use vehicle service bays for protected equipment  storage. The very small size of the free-standing carpentry shop requires much work to be performed outdoors.

Proposed Facility


A Facility Needs Assessment and Feasibility Study carried out by Weston & Sampson engineers in January 2017 confirms the deficiencies in the existing facilities as well as the impacts to the operations associated with those deficiencies. 

The report recommends a combination of renovation and new construction to develop a new/renovated Public Works Facility comprising approximately 27,975 square feet of enclosed space, 1,250 square feet of renovated/repurposed space, 5,625 square feet of open canopy storage, and the continued use of 2,300 square feet from the existing DPW Administration building and 4,200 square feet square feet from the existing Vehicle Maintenance building to serve the current and anticipated future needs of the Department.A Facility Needs Assessment and Feasibility Study carried out by Weston & Sampson engineers in January 2017 confirms the deficiencies in the existing facilities as well as the impacts to the operations associated with those deficiencies. 

The report recommends a combination of renovation and new construction to develop a new/renovated Public Works Facility comprising approximately 27,975 square feet of enclosed space, 1,250 square feet of renovated/repurposed space, 5,625 square feet of open canopy storage, and the continued use of 2,300 square feet from the existing DPW Administration building and 4,200 square feet square feet from the existing Vehicle Maintenance building to serve the current and anticipated future needs of the Department.

DPW proposal Nantucket

Schematic Design Report Breakdown of Conceptual Costs

Replace Fuel System                                                     $ 775,977.00 (2) 10,000-gallon tanks (gasoline and diesel)

Replace Salt Shed                                                         $ 120,000.00 Replace the 1970’s vintage 2,400-sf salt shed

Utilities/Site Improvements                                            $ 840,840.00 

Replace utility services electrical/communications/water/sewer/stormwater treatment systems, pave parking lot, access aprons, loading ramp, material storage areas.

DPW Garage Building                                                    $ 6,855,678.00 

26,265-sf building with 4,500-sf mezzanines, and 5,610-sf of open canopy storage(includes employee facilities (bathrooms/showers), shops, vehicle/equipment storage, shop benches, racks, and equipment)

Hard Costs Sub-Total = $ 8,592,495.00

Soft Costs = $ 9,911,769.00

Total Project Cost = $18,504,264.00