Palmer to Build a House for its Salt

on Monday agreed to send the concept for a 50-by-72 storage shed to an architect to render a design.

Once the township has an acceptable design, it will open the project for bids, said Public Works Director Tom Adams, who hopes the project can be completed this year.

The building will be used to hold road salt, and, in the long run, save money by allowing it to buy in bulk, said Board Chairman David Colver.

Palmer can use up to 15,000 tons of road salt in a normal winter, but now it can only store about 100 to 150 tons at a time. Enough for one or two storms, Colver said.

“We’ve been lucky this year,” he said. “Knock on wood, but normally, by February we’re looking for salt.”

Buying road salt in the middle of winter can also cost about 30 percent more. With a large storage shed, the township can participate in the state bidding process and get salt at a much better rate.

Currently, the township keeps salt in bins, some covered by tarps behind the public work building on Hartley Avenue. The new building will be near there, but on the land where the will be built.

Architecture firm Portner and Hetke, which did the design for the new public works building, will complete the design of the road salt building at a cost of $7,910.