Wednesday, September 30, 2026

Public safety building concept: one-story option

The committee voted unanimously to move the smaller one-story red option forward for more design work.

On 9/30/2026, Jason LaCombe of SMP showed three early site concepts for a building that would hold police, fire and emergency management. These were site layouts, not floor plans. Two were two-story designs. The taupe one would need about 2,500 cubic yards of fill because the site sits lower than Route 87. The grey one put the truck bays closer to Old Lee Rd, where less fill is needed. Both two-story designs needed more floor space for stairs and an elevator. The red option is a one-story building of about 14,800 square feet with a shared public entrance and separate department access. Mr. LaCombe said it was the most efficient in footprint and likely the cheapest to build. The group also discussed ways to limit effects on nearby homes, such as separate traffic flows, downcast lighting, timers, dimmers, fencing and landscaping. Mr. LaCombe proposed a work session with the chiefs and Lt. Blais, then a more developed plan in about three weeks.

Wetlands and site engineering

Engineers from Beals Associates and SMP said the wetland edges are now better mapped. A preliminary survey plan from Northam helped with this. The final building location, grading, drainage and wetland impact are not yet set and will need more engineering and state review. The project must show local conservation officials and the state Department of Environmental Services that wetland impacts are kept small. A wetland function-and-value study and a concept plan will come before a state pre-application meeting. The state may ask for changes, such as removing rear parking or moving access drives. The site seems to have old farm drainage trenches. Stormwater will be checked for two-year, ten-year and fifty-year storms, and Newfields' stormwater rules apply. The property is about 14 acres across four lots, with dry land mostly along Route 87. The developed area could be about two to two and a half acres, and most of the land would stay undisturbed. The team will study fill needs, sight distance, driveway placement, drainage and grading. Sight-distance measurements are not done yet.

Facility needs and long-term operations

The chiefs and members explained why the plan includes shared training, emergency operations, fitness, storage and future living space, after concerns that these were unnecessary. A community room for about 48 to 50 people would be used for police and fire training, the emergency operations center, emergency sheltering and some community use. The current emergency operations center is upstairs at the fire station and is not easy to reach for people with mobility limits. Hosting regional courses could give staff free or cheaper seats. One outside course was expected to cost about $900 per person. Police officers must pass regular physical agility tests and now train outdoors or in unsuitable places for lack of space and equipment. Firefighters also have fitness requirements. Fire representatives said the current station lacks bunk rooms, gear storage, apparatus space, elevator access and room for larger trucks. Gear is kept in the truck bays, which they said does not meet requirements. A fire captain said the department is mostly volunteer, its members are aging, and calls have risen to about five or six a week, many of them medical. They said the town should plan for possible full-time or per-diem staff and bunking. The Select Board also noted that a future advanced life support paramedic service could allow a two-minute in-town response if the service grows.

Public concerns and transparency

Residents raised concerns about wetland loss, effects on neighbors, parking, lighting, building size and how little they had seen of earlier site comparisons. On neighbors, Mr. LaCombe described past projects where siting, screening and lighting controls reduced effects. A resident asked about moving parking behind the building. Mr. LaCombe said it can be studied but must be balanced against security and keeping public, police and fire traffic apart. A resident asked whether filling wetlands could send water toward Meadow. The engineer said the site's drainage features should keep water moving through the property and that the design must show no damaging off-site stormwater impacts. The committee said mapped wetlands are based on soil and water classifications, not only standing water. Residents asked about other properties and separate police and fire buildings. The committee said it has reviewed many sites since last year. It said private parcels cannot be named publicly, and the town-owned property was the only workable choice after others were ruled out for logistics, traffic, ownership or future land use. Residents asked for a clear comparison of sites, including land and wetland costs. Members said earlier minutes are on the town website, that private landowner talks limit what can be shared, and that more outreach, tours and information are expected.