Pictured is Farmington Township’s new building.

Farmington Township has acquired a new home on Route 957 in the former Chase building.

The township previously stored much of their equipment outside and rented a renovated shipping container for business. The new building was acquired with a low interest loan of less than 4% through the United States Department of Agriculture.

The new building allows easier storage and maintenance of machinery, according to Matt Jewel, township road foreman. The township is investing in new trucks and other equipment to keep up the 43 miles of road that the township is responsible to maintain. Route 957 is cared for by the state, but there are many other roads in the township’s 34 square miles.

A used truck that will be used to plow snow with 35,000 miles on it was acquired at auction from Philadelphia. The road crew spent the winter welding on the posts and other equipment needed to operate a snowplow with a wing on it. In the last five years, the township has purchased a road grader and added a water tank and broom to clean the roads.

“The new equipment makes it possible to do more work with less effort,” Jewel said.

The township employs only two people to care for the roads, with an additional hand in the summer. The investment in new equipment allows the township employees to be more efficient.

The new building needs some renovation to be functional for the township. The new building does not yet have doors to accommodate the snowplow attachments, which require a sixteen foot wide door instead of the existing twelve foot doors.

“We’re really excited about the new building,” said Township Supervisor Ron LaBarte.

Now that the township has a building, he would like to see a pavilion and playground for the community built in the field next to it.