NORTHFIELD — Architectural firm Caolo & Bieniek Associates Inc. has submitted a concept phase report that includes a nearly $13.04 million cost estimate and final drafts of two design options for Northfield’s future public safety complex.
The Emergency Services Facility Committee’s receipt of the report last week is the latest step in the process of pursuing a new facility that has been ongoing for years, reinvigorated by the February release of a video tour showcasing the inadequacies of Northfield’s police, fire and emergency medical services buildings.
All three facilities have been criticized for being outdated, disorganized and having severe size limitations for personnel and equipment.
Caolo & Bieniek Associates Vice President John MacMillan said the nearly $13.04 million construction cost estimate was “just north of” the expected bid amount projected before the report’s completion. A spring 2023 bid date is anticipated.
The final designs presented strayed little from preliminary schemes, which involved characteristics including a 17,000-square-foot space with a double-bay apparatus area to serve police, fire and EMS personnel, a 50-foot setback, positioning within 100 feet of a wetland buffer, and around 76 feet of distance from the curb, which would provide response vehicles ample space to back into bays.
Although the committee favored one design option, they agreed to continue exploring ways to optimize the designs by paring down the number of public parking spots, implementing parking near the building’s entrance, adding an additional entrance to the parking lot, and minimizing wetland buffer overlap.
“I’d just like a little more detail before we make a final decision, that’s all,” said Floyd “Skip” Dunnell III, fire chief and Emergency Services Facility Committee member.
The favored design, labeled “Option B” in the report, is primarily distinct in its inclusion of drive-thru apparatus bays that would allow for greater mobility and smoother navigation for emergency vehicles. Other differences include an 8,300-square-foot office structure, as opposed to the 11,000 square feet present in “Option A,” as well as 50 parking spaces, as opposed to 48.
“Looking at the concept so far, I like the flow and the concept of B,” said Heath Cummings, Selectboard vice chair and Emergency Services Facility Committee member.
The committee also moved to officially recommend a vacant lot on Main Street owned by Ed Snow, just north of Dickinson Memorial Library, as the preferred location for construction. This location was previously described as “the most viable site (the town has) been able to discover so far” by Cummings and was a focus of preliminary planning.