Story · Public Safety Building Committee
Architect firm shortlist and interviews
The committee's agenda lists an update from SMP as an item for discussion.
How it happened
Aug 5 · VideoFirst mention
Select top three firms for interviews
Aug 12 · Video
On August 12, 2026, the committee met a team led by Turner Group (a New Hampshire architecture and engineering firm) with Techtown Architects and Martine Northern (a contractor that does cost estimates). The chair said the committee needs a site, a concept, a list of space needs and a cost estimate to bring a proposal to town voters. It is not a full set of plans. The town approved $50,000 in March for site selection and this next phase. The chair said about $3,000 in legal fees had been spent so far. The firms said they could work with $30,000 to $35,000. The team said square footage is the biggest cost driver. They said public safety buildings in this part of New Hampshire cost about $600 per square foot. They said costs have risen 2.5% to 5% a year, and the committee has been using 4%. They described working with a construction manager to set a guaranteed maximum price, a cap on construction cost. They described bid alternates, which are priced extras that can be added later if money allows. They said federal grants often carry strict conditions, and a state emergency management grant could help pay for a generator and emergency operations room equipment. A committee member said part of the town is in the Seabrook emergency planning zone. The firms suggested they, not the site engineer, do the test fits (checks of where the building fits on the site). The committee did not vote on this item.
Aug 12 · Video
The committee met a team from Placework (a Portsmouth architecture and planning firm), with Jobin Construction Consultants as cost estimator and owner's project manager. An owner's project manager is hired by the town to oversee a project for it. The team described three steps before the March town vote: a needs assessment, renderings and a budget. They said the work would start around September 1 and run to about November. They said the total project cost includes soft costs, such as design fees, permits, furniture, equipment and radio systems. They said soft costs can be 20% to 30% of the total. The team used 5% a year for cost increases. The estimator said that a rough 15,000 square foot building has a minimum cost, and that sharing space between police and fire could lower it. He asked the committee for a sense of the budget voters might accept. The team said the $30,000 to $35,000 left to spend is low for this work but not out of the question. The chair said the site is three lots of about 14 to 15 acres with some wetlands. The chair said the committee got eight responses to its request for qualifications (RFQ) and narrowed them to three. It has met two of the three and will meet the third, then decide. The committee did not vote on this item.
Aug 19 · MinutesDecided
After SMP left, the committee compared the three finalist firms it had interviewed: Turner Group, Placework, and SMP. It looked at their qualifications, town project experience, cost estimating methods, and public safety building experience. A member moved to choose SMP Architecture to help develop a concept, needs assessment, site evaluation, and cost estimate for a proposed public safety building. One member recused himself, meaning he stepped out of the vote. The motion was seconded and carried.
Motion to select SMP Architecture carried. One member recused himself. The vote count was not given.
Aug 19 · VideoDecided
SMP Architecture, a seven-person firm, walked the committee through its proposal for planning a joint police and fire building. Its plan covers a kickoff meeting, a site review, a needs assessment with each department, a building program, a cost estimate, and two public events before a vote in March 2027. SMP said a building of roughly 12,000 to 15,000 square feet is typical. It said the timeline is already short, and it would likely drop one of the two public events. SMP's engineer or estimator would be hired to price the work. SMP suggested hiring a construction manager before the vote, who would stay on after it. The chair said the committee is a subcommittee of the select board and cannot commit money above the town's $10,000 limit. The committee has about $30,000 to $35,000 left of the roughly $50,000 voters approved last March. SMP said it was plugging in about 4% yearly cost increases. The committee later discussed three firms in all. It also looked at the town purchasing policy, which lets the purchasing agent waive competitive selection after talking with the select board.
The committee voted to choose SMP Architecture. A motion and second were made. The vote count was not stated. Members will ask SMP to explain its construction-manager idea to the select board.
Aug 19 · Video
Select SMP architecture firm
Aug 25 · Agenda
Representatives of SMP Architects are scheduled to talk with the board about public safety at 7:30 pm.
Oct 20 · Agenda
The committee's agenda lists an update from SMP as an item for discussion.