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School bus garage nearly complete
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Published: July 17, 2009
On July 24, the certificate for occupancy for the new Cabarrus County Schools bus garage will be effective. Staff will move into the new building on August 11. Designed by architect Morris Berg and constructed by contractor Myers & Chapman, this public works project has been in progress over three years.
The 48,000-square-foot facility includes 14,000 square feet of office and meeting space and a 34,000-square-foot maintenance area.
Unlike the current metal structure, which was constructed in the 1950s, this one will be made of brick.
"It will have a building life of 40 years minimum, and could very easily last beyond," said Len Witke, director of construction for Cabarrus County Schools.
With only five work bays for the nine mechanics, the current garage isn't large enough, and mechanics are often forced to work outside.
"It's not conducive to safe, efficient school buses," said George Douglas, director of transportation for Cabarrus County Schools. "We've outgrown our current facility," he said, "increasing by 30 percent in the last five years."
The bigger building will give mechanics room to organize and better prepare for both short term operations like oil changes and long term fixes like transmissions changes. The new garage will also make state safety inspection requirements easier to complete.
"Every bus in the state must go through a 30 day inspection with a 1,000 item checklist," explained Douglas, "These facilities aid in getting that done."
"Employees don't have to [work] in the mud, now they can do it in a state-of-the-art facility," added Witke.
Cabarrus County school systems will share the space with Kannapolis City Schools. "Between the two systems there are 350 school buses," Douglas said. "It's the ninth biggest fleet in North Carolina."
The building will not only house transportation department faculty, it will also be shared by Child Nutrition Group employees because of its large amount of meeting space.
The new garage will feature training room large enough for 50 people. Rooms will be used by the Transportation Department and others, providing a large space for bus driver training and a central meeting location.
Due to the new building's central location and new amenities, Cabarrus County will host the annual North Carolina Pupil Transportation Association (NCPTA) conference in the new garage next summer.
The Cabarrus County Schools Transportation Department is an active member of the organization, and during the conference, mechanics will receive hands-on training to increase safety.
"It's the nicest facility in North Carolina" George Douglas said.
"The project's gone well, it's been a good project for us and the final product will speak to that," said Witke. "It's a good investment of tax dollars."
• Dorothy Schrader is a regular contributor to the Independent Tribune.
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