By Ashley M. Casey

Staff Writer

The town of Cicero will proceed with the construction of a $9.9 million highway garage. Voters narrowly approved the proposal in a June 7 referendum 885-802.

The town board voted in March to bond for the project, which features an expandable 65,000-square-foot barn with offices and dedicated vehicle wash and maintenance areas.Since the board’s action was subject to permissive referendum, a group of citizens led by former Town Supervisor Judy Boyke and current Town Councilor Mike Becallo carried petitions to bring the matter to a vote.

“All we needed was one more vote than the other side,” said Supervisor Mark Venesky. “It’s been a long process … and I want to get shovels in the ground as soon as possible.” 

Becallo said he was pleased with the voter turnout. He said the referendum was a positive thing because citizens were given the opportunity to decide the issue.

“When I was in line I heard two people behind me [say], ‘It’s pretty cool that we get to vote on this,'” Becallo said. “To me, that was positive. More people came out for a garage vote than to vote for their elected officials.”

Venesky said in April that had there not been a referendum, contractors would have been able to break ground by September and have the building envelope completed and ready for office staff and mechanics to move in by winter. 

Now that the proposition has been approved, the town can move forward with some aspects of construction, but the new garage will be far from complete by the time winter rolls around.

“It looks like this year we’ve lost the construction season,” Venesky said.

The supervisor said he spoke with the MRB Group the morning after the vote to discuss the next steps. He said the firm is finishing construction drawings and will send out RFQs for concrete and steel soon.

If the weather cooperates through January, contractors might be able to erect steel on the site, but the goal is to have the concrete in place before winter.

“We want that poured before it gets cold,” Venesky said.

The current highway garage, which was built in 1965, has developed numerous issues, including mold, deteriorating walls and a roof at risk of collapsing under heavy snow.

While elections are normally held at town hall, the June 7 referendum took place in the current highway garage.

“I want to give everybody who signed that petition the chance to see what they’re voting for,” Venesky told the Star-Review in April.