New Lake George School District transportation center approved by voters

LAKE GEORGE | On Dec. 7, residents of the Lake George School District voted 188-48 to approve the district's proposal to construct a new $13.5 million transportation center. The facility is to replace an existing bus garage that is considered undersized, deteriorating, and inadequate to meet the district's needs. Following the vote, Lake George Superintendent of Schools John Luthringer said he was pleased with the public support of the construction project. "I'm thrilled — so thankful for the support the community — as well as for the school board and stakeholder groups involved in the years of planning," he said. "We're fortunate and happy to be in a place we can now build the facility for our present and future needs. We're excited to now start the design phase of the project." The present bus garage, built in 1953 and initially used as an elementary school, has a leaking roof and is too short and not wide enough to properly accommodate modern buses. Also, it has insufficient room to repair vehicles and store parts and supplies, according to district officials and state inspections. The existing bus garage also has failing electrical, plumbing and heating systems. The old garage's insufficient height has required that the district's buses be custom-manufactured so they can be hydraulically lowered to fit into the old garage — with merely a few inches to spare. Also, the present garage has inadequate equipment for bus repair and lacks a wash bay and locker room. Many vital repairs and maintenance procedures now have to be accomplished on the buses outside the aging building, which is located on Mountain Drive in a residential area of Lake George Village. The new 15-bay transportation center is to be built on a site near the Lake George Elementary School on Sun Valley Drive: property that the school district now owns. The new, far-larger facility will feature updated equipment, as well as infrastructure to accommodate all-electric buses, which the district must start purchasing in 2027, with a total-fleet conversion to electric power expected by 2035. School district officials have said the construction project would not raise taxes, as the project's cost is to be paid from district savings, as well as state building aid. Also, payments on the loan for the construction cost would be offset by recently retired loan installments. Construction of the new transportation center is expected to start in 2025 and be completed sometime in the following year. Luthringer said that the fate of the present bus garage has not yet been determined. He said that all or a portion of the existing building could be re-purposed as a storage building, particularly for equipment to maintain the adjacent sports field. Or, the site could be used for parking to accommodate spectators attending events at the field, he said. Luthringer added that discussions on this topic will be held with the school board, the district's staff, architects and consultants, as well as with the public. "Over the coming months, we'll be exploring all our options," he said.

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New Lake George School District transportation center approved by voters

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