Building rooms and amenities

Sep 30 · VideoFirst mention

A resident asked why the plan has a community room when the town has other meeting space, and said it seemed like a wish list given the wetland impact. The police chief said the room would serve as the emergency operations center, now on the fire station's second floor. It would also be used for police, fire and emergency management training, and as a heating or cooling shelter during outages. The room seats about 48 to 50 people, roughly 1,200 square feet. The chief said police training there happens four or five times a year, and a recent drill used the fire department's training room with about 20 people. He said a room that could host regional meetings and trainings would bring free seats, and cited a class costing almost $900 for a week. He said the plan was cut from about 17,000 square feet to 14,000-15,000 and is meant to last 50 years. No decision was recorded.

Sep 30 · Video

A resident asked whether police and fire stations all have a gym. A speaker said modern ones do. The police chief said officers must pass a physical test every three years, including a mile-and-a-half run. The department has no treadmill or space for one, and officers run outside on local roads, which is hard in bad weather. Another speaker said fire personnel must also pass physical tests. The resident said the plan has several drawbacks, including wetland impact and effects on abutters, which are neighbors next to the site. No decision was recorded.