Residents got a chance to see a few possible designs for a new or expanded fire station Tuesday night, but seemed to agree they’d need to strike a balance between going big enough to meet the department’s needs while keeping a tax increase within reason.
Jonathan Saccoccio, a project architect, and Cory Frehsee, a civil engineer and partner, both of Steven & Associates, presented four proposed designs to about 40 town residents in the elementary school’s cafeteria Tuesday. Before the meeting, residents squeezed themselves between engines and trucks during an open house for the current station on Church Street.
The four proposals range in estimated cost from between $1.85 million to about $4 million. Saccoccio said those numbers represent a wide range to encompass all the eventualities, but the true cost won’t be known until the design process proceeds.
The current 40-year-old building lacks adequate space for vehicle maintenance and storage, and could hamper a quicker response to an emergency, Saccoccio said.
The first design would be the most expensive, but Saccoccio said it represents the ideal modern fire station. Located on the same site, it would have four bays that could fit two trucks stacked one behind the other each, plus office and training space around the perimeter.