Franklin Township supervisors on Tuesday fielded questions related to the decision to convert the former Blue Mountain Candle Co. Inc. building into a police department and administrative office.

Resident Kermit Heiland asked township supervisors if the former candle shop at 570 Interchange Road is usable.

Supervisor Fred Kemmerer Jr. replied that it was.

Heiland then asked if the pipes were frozen. Kemmerer Jr. said they were not. Heiland then asked if the roof was good. Kemmerer Jr. said it was not.

Heiland then asked supervisors if they started doing anything yet with the building.

“We just got word that the grant that we were looking for, we didn’t get,” Kemmerer Jr. said. “So we wanted to make sure we’re doing the right thing by requesting granting, and when that didn’t come through, now we’re going to be phasing in to deciding what we want to do there, and what we even have to do to keep our investment and that is doesn’t get destroyed, so a part of that is definitely the roof.”

Supervisors Chairman Nick Storm noted that before the township applied for the grant last year, the township budgeted for a roof and for a new heating/cooling system in that building, and then when the township applied for the grant the township was not allowed to do any work to the building.

“So we did budget to replace both of those things last year and it wasn’t done,” Storm said. “We did budget the money to fix I think both of the things that he was asking about. We just were kind of restrained on what we could and couldn’t do up there until we found out if we received any money from the grant.”

Heiland then asked if the township has someone checking it out to see what the township is going to do with it.

Kemmerer Jr. said they’ve had a building committee put together for two years figuring that out.

Storm said there was also a building layout done.

“Like a cost analysis type of deal done to apply for the grant, so things are laid out, loosely, there’s not set in stone,” Storm said. “But there were things that were laid out to make sure everything would fit inside the footprint of the building.”

Heiland then expressed more concerns.

“That road’s a one-way street to get out of there,” Heiland said. “Is there any possible way they can get the state to open that up so if police got to get out, they got to go.”

Kemmerer Jr. said the first thing they did was speak with the police department when the township decided to buy the building.

“The police have been on board since day one,” Kemmerer Jr.

Heiland said that can be dangerous going down there making a U-turn.

“The police have been on board with the situation since day one,” Kemmerer Jr. reiterated. “That’s all I can say.”

In April, supervisors approved seeking a $1 million state Local Share Account grant through the Commonwealth Financing Authority for renovations to the building. The township previously received word that a federal grant request had been denied.

Storm previously said the township cannot make structural changes until the grant process is completed. Resident Jill Renfrew previously noted there is still no finalized plan for the building.

The township finalized the purchase of the roughly 9,000-square-foot candle shop earlier this year for $550,000. Officials have said the goal is to create enough space for police, administration, the zoning hearing board and supervisors.