Sinclair wanted to close on the purchase by Friday, Aug. 24, and strongly hinted that he'd put the property back on the open market if the town didn't finalize the deal.

So the town had to obtain several permits within a very short time from the Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC) and other state agencies in order to comply with Sinclair's wishes. "It was amazing, but it all came together rather quickly. We did most of the work by fax and phone," said Town Manager John Simko.

Simko also said that Greenville Code Enforcement Officer Richard Gould "did a tremendous job helping us get the paperwork together."

The LURC development permit and approval for a new salt and sand storage area was faxed to the Greenville town office last Thursday, and the sale was closed at Elton Burky's law office in Greenville at 1 p.m. Friday. "Now the real work begins," Simko said.

Voters approved purchasing Sinclair's building for $125,000 at the annual town meeting in June and it could take another $75,000 to $100,000 to convert it into the public works facility. Still, the price was considered cheaper than the town's original plans to construct a new building on Oliver Road.

Two new additions will be constructed onto the existing building and a bituminous pad will be installed behind the garage for salt and sand storage. The garage will be heated by a conventional hot air furnace and a waste oil burner, which will help solve the town's longstanding problem of getting rid of used petroleum products, Simko noted.