Mar 10, 2021 4 min read

In the late 1990s, North Franklin Supervisor Bob Sabot pushed hard to construct a new township building to replace the current one on Franklin Farms Road that was outdated and prone to flooding.

For various reasons, that dream never came to fruition and Sabot eventually left the board. But flooding continued – a heavy rainstorm inundated the building in July 2017 – and mold became a problem.

It became a priority again when Sabot returned to the board in 2018, and on Tuesday he unveiled an architectural rendering of a new $2.225 million municipal building that township officials plan to break ground for around Labor Day.

“This has been very long in the making,” Sabot said. “It’s been a personal crusade of mine since the 1990s.”

The new building will be constructed just off of Franklin Farms Road about a half-mile north from the current office on land previously owned by Pennsylvania American Water Co. The 80-acre property, which runs diagonally from Franklin Farms Road to Route 18, has two reservoirs and access to Chartiers Creek, which will allow for various outdoor amenities, including a nature trail. A century-old out building once used by the water company will be converted into a three-seasons pavilion.

The new municipal building will be about 7,000 square feet and offer community rooms and a banquet hall for events, in addition to township offices. Erin Dinch, director of planning and development for the township, said the complex’s indoor meeting space and outdoor amenities will be a great addition for the residents to enjoy.

“We’re very excited,” Dinch said. “This building will provide so much for our residents.”

Sabot said they hope the development of the community center and park will spur business development nearby and help bolster Washington Crown Mall and the Washington Wild Things, both of which have been battered during the coronavirus pandemic.

“We need to do things now to get the township moving again,” Sabot said.

The current facility was built in the late 1950s or early 1960s, Sabot said, and has outlived its usefulness.

“The building is simply outdated. It was good for its time, but now it needs to go,” Sabot said. “This building has its limitations (and) we need to make a change, no doubt about it.”

Township officials voted on the decision to construct the new building late last year. Sabot said they will fund more than half of it through a $1.2 million loan they recently refinanced for 12 years. Other money will come from a $150,000 “local shares account” grant, proceeds from the sale of the current property and additional funds from the township’s coffers. The township is also setting aside about $500,000 to build outdoor courts, playgrounds and hiking and biking trails.

The supervisors cut property taxes by nearly 14% last year after eliminating the township police department in December 2018, allowing for a significant cost savings that is being used on other projects, including the municipal building. The new building will not include space for a police department, although Sabot acknowledged the parcel is large enough that an additional building could be constructed if other supervisors in the future decide to reinstate local police services.

“There might be a time when someone wants to do something (with police services), but this board isn’t interested,” Sabot said.

County tax records show the township acquired the new property from the water company in September. Sabot said they’re finishing the process now and will “swap” another township parcel with the water company so it can build an out building for its employees near Route 18.

K2 Engineering of Uniontown designed the rendering that shows a gleaming white building just in front of one of the reservoir ponds. Sabot expects the township to hire a general contractor soon and approve the final design in the coming months in order to break ground by Labor Day. Construction would take about a year and the new building could be ready for use by fall 2023.

“This is going to happen, finally,” Sabot said.

“It’s been a long time in the making,” Dinch added.