BERNARDSTON — The feasibility study concerning construction of a new fire station is finished but the Fire Station Expansion Committee feels it’s missing an important piece of the puzzle: the thoughts of townspeople.
Hoping to gain a sense of the town’s willingness to move forward with the project, the committee decided during a Tuesday meeting to have an informal question put on the May 11 annual town meeting warrant asking whether residents would attend a special town meeting where a decision could be reached on the price and property to move forward with. Fire Chief Peter Shedd also plans to give a presentation concerning the results of the feasibility study, options moving forward, and the pros and cons of each.
“All these questions are going to come up about the Foster lot, the Kurber lot,” Shedd began, listing some of the properties that have been considered as locations for a new fire station. “We’ll lay out all the numbers and what we came up with.”
The decision came following discussion of the final results of the study done by Stevens & Associates. To build a 6,000-square-foot station with six bays, office space and a training room at 23 Kringle Drive would cost $3.7 million, including property acquisition costs.
By comparison, to build a 5,000-square-foot station with four bays, office space and a training room at 12 Church St. would cost $2.7 million. Should the committee move forward with using the property, current owner Frank “Bud” Foster said he would donate the land to the town.
“The only thing we would gain from our current station would be the training room and offices,” Shedd said of the findings for 12 Church St.
Committee member Jane Dutcher, who is also Finance Committee chairwoman, said a loan for a $3.7 million project with a 3.75 percent interest rate would raise the tax rate by $1.38 for a 30-year loan, and $1.68 for a 20-year loan. By contrast, a loan for a $2.7 million project with the same interest rate would raise the tax rate by 92 cents for a 30-year loan, and $1.14 for a 20-year loan.
The committee struggled to decide on next steps, despite an agreed upon desire to not lose momentum in getting the project going.
“Personally, I don’t want to see this project hit a complete stone wall altogether,” Shedd said. “The prices aren’t going to go down. The prices are only going to get higher.”
One proposed idea was to set aside money for the station’s construction on a yearly basis, though no decision was reached.
“I think the taxpayers would appreciate us taking a little bit at a time rather than all at once,” committee member Tim Snow said.
Another idea was for members of the Fire Department to build a station themselves, following the example set by the Warwick Fire Department, in which case the Warwick Firemen’s Association conducted the necessary fundraising.
However, some committee members balked at the idea, with Snow explaining how asking the firefighters to work their full-time jobs, answer calls for the Fire Department, participate in training and construct a building in their spare time would quickly take its toll.
“I think the scope of a project that large, done completely by volunteers, is a lot,” he said.
“If we don’t have a lot to build it on, there’s no telling what we can or can’t do ourselves,” added committee member Dennis Shockro.