Crescent town board moves to improve town shop buildings

The town of Crescent’s drafty town shop buildings, overdue for improvements, will soon be getting attention.

A proposal from Jeff R. Musson Architect, LLC, to provide architectural design services to evaluate the town’s shop buildings has been accepted by the Crescent town board. The decision was made at the board’s regular monthly meeting last Wednesday, Feb. 11.

“We’re looking to replace the flat roof in this year yet, and then getting a package together to present at budget time for 2027 for the rest of it,” said town chairman Grady Hartman.

The approved proposal is a two-part project. In part one, estimated to cost between $1,500 and $2,500, Musson will meet with Hartman to list possible improvements that may be considered for the Town Shop buildings, and then work with local contractors to come up with budget costs for those improvements.

Possibilities on the list include: replacing the main shop building’s single-ply membrane roof; insulating the exterior walls of both buildings; adding insulation to both buildings’ attics and covering all ceilings with a metal liner panel painted white.

“We wanted to brighten it up in there as best we could inside … should really make a drastic difference from the dungeon that it is to something easier to work in,” Hartman observed. 

Additional possibilities include upgrading the lighting with LED fixtures; upgrading the power distribution; replacing all existing service doors, overhead doors, and windows; upgrading floor drainage by installing catch basins with trench drains; providing options for addressing a drainage issue by the south overhead doors; upgrading the heating systems and exhaust ventilation systems; repairing any leaks on the existing holding tanks and upgrading the existing well to provide a potable water supply.

“We’re not married to anything, any project or price,” Hartman told the board. “It’s merely a try to get some money ideas together so that we can plan appropriately at budget time for next year … We need to know what the cost is. This is our avenue to get there.”

In the project’s second part, with an estimated cost between $2,500 and $3,500, Musson will assist in preparing an RFP (request for proposal) for the replacement of the main building’s membrane roof, advertise for bids, assist in evaluating submitted proposals, answer questions during construction, review payment requests and change orders, review the completed work and prepare a punch list for completion or revision, verify the completion of the punch list items, and provide a compliance statement once everything has been satisfactorily completed.

Money for the cost of the roof itself was already budgeted for 2026, Hartman noted.

Plan commission appointment

Also at the meeting, a new Crescent plan commission member was welcomed aboard. Lonnie Harrelson was appointed for a three-year term, which began immediately and will expire Feb. 11, 2029.

His appointment filled one of three vacancies in the commission.

Other highlights

The board considered a pair of operator license applications, approving the application of Khi Singleton and denying that of Haley Cox.

A closed session was held concerning a Notice of Circumstances of Claim regarding the end point of Logging Camp Road. No action was taken.

The next meeting of the Crescent town board will be March 11 at 6 p.m. at Crescent Town Hall.

Ardith Carlton may be reached at [email protected].