Hempfield plans to replace road salt storage building

A new auxiliary road salt storage building will be constructed at the Hempfield municipal building to replace one that was damaged during snow removal season last year.

A wooden back wall blew out, leaving the structure in bad shape, said public works director Austin Erhard.

“We opted not to refill it with salt this year due to the structural nature of it,” he said.

Township supervisors recently approved buying a 50-by-60-foot hoop-shaped salt storage building for $45,150 from Log Cabin Fence. The cost includes installation. The rest of the work will be handled by township staff, Erhard said.

“This auxiliary salt bin serves a major purpose in our snow removal operations,” he said. “We are a municipality that’s able to meet a best practice of storing 100% of our salt order under roof in one given time, rather than having to rely on just-in-time deliveries of salt.”

A foundation for the structure will be built by township staff using concrete block salvaged from the demolition site of the former SCI Greensburg. The township bought the former state prison property in mid-2023. A project to tear down the buildings and prepare the land for redevelopment is ongoing.

“We have the equipment, the ability, the manpower to do it,” Erhard said.

He estimated about $30,000 worth of employee wages will be dedicated to the project. The purchase is being made through the public works budget. Reusing block from the prison site and employee labor will help save on costs, he said.

“Even with his manpower, he’s still going to come in at a decent price,” Supervisor George Reese said.

The now-damaged storage building apparently was purchased for $1,000 from the township by someone about 10 years ago. The buyer never collected, but the township got its money, officials said.

“If we could find him, I’d love to get him here to take it down,” Erhard said.