Marcia Chambers Photo
Plaziak,Mahoney,Stein
Deputy Fire Chief Tom Mahoney summed up the vast difference between the current fire headquarters built in 1963 and the current needs of the fire department:“ In 1963 we were primarily a reactionary department,” Mahoney said. Now, he said, the fire department not only reacts to fires; it tries to prevent them and transports patients to hospitals.
Mahoney gave that comparison in a presentation to the Board of Finance Monday night, where plans for a new firehouse gained approval.
In the past, Mahoney said, “Someone called 911, and we responded and put the fire out. But over the years our mission has expanded to include emergency ambulance and medical services, hazardous materials mitigation, and code enforcement to prevent fires. We also have to be prepared for disasters.” (The Branford Ambulance Department and the fire department merged in November, 1992.)
After additional presentations from architect David Stein of Silver/Petrucelli and Associates, and Todd Moss from Turner Construction, the Board of Finance, in a unanimous bi-partisan vote, approved the $12.5 million dollar plan for the new firehouse which would give the department 34,000 square feet of space, on site training facilities, better vehicle circulation, and rooms for community and departmental meetings and events. Last week the Fire Commission approved the project.
The vote took place at Canoe Brook Senior Center at the end of a two-hour meeting. Afterwards there was applause and well-wishes, especially among the firemen, who have worked for years for a new building.
Their approval is the first major step toward the building of a new fire headquarters to replace one that is nearly a half-century old and in a state of such deplorable condition that it is not up the fire codes it mandates for other buildings. It is also unsafe for firefighters. If the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) approves the plan, as it is expected to do given the endorsement of the Board of Finance, town residents are likely to see a new firehouse on Main Street sometime in 2012.
The town recognized the current headquarters as too small in 1989, and the Fire Department’s needs have been growing. As it stands now, the building has roof leaks, mold in ventilation ducts, and an access route that forces the public to enter the building by walking in front of the apparatus bays for emergency vehicles.
Stein and Moss explained that it is a good moment to start the project, because the economic situation has made a competitive market for sub-contractor bids, and because demolition of the current public works building and hazardous materials removal on site could be done during the winter, meaning that the foundation work could begin in March of 2011. The new building could be watertight by October 2011 and open for use in 2012. This schedule prevents the additional costs of winter weather protection.
Board chairman Joseph Mooney asked if the town should appropriate less than the proposed $12.5 million: “Why wouldn’t the town appropriate an amount less than that in order to push a more competitive bidding process?” Stein responded that is was important to preserve a healthy contingency. “What’s competitive is that you’re able to buy more today than you would be able to buy year from now,” Stein said.
Stein also discussed the green design aspects of the building, which will include geothermal energy and solar panels. These will increase the construction costs by 2 to 3 percent, but, Stein argued, they will reduce the operating costs from $82,000 without geothermal to $46,000 with it. This reduction will recoup the town’s investment within 5 – 7 years, and make the building less dependent on fossil fuels.
“The government should set an example a steward of the environment, and as architects we have a responsibility to do the same,” Stein said.
The proposed firehouse is also contingent on the removal of the current Department of Public Works building from the site. The board approved $600,000 of funding for a three-year lease (with the option to renew for two additional years) of the former Echlin building on Route 139 as a temporary location for the DPW until it can move to a permanent site. That funding also includes moving costs.
Though the town approved the funding, it will not come through issuing bonds as proposed, but rather through the town’s general operating budget. Sources said that bonding was proposed for the Public Works move because it is so closely tied to the new firehouse, but that the decision not to bond would make no difference to the taxpayer. “I just can’t see bonding for a temporary commitment,” said board member Lorraine Young.
“I’m pretty confident that the $600,000 will get us through what’s needed, provided we don’t go the whole five years on the lease,” said Director of Public Works Edward Masotta.
Finance Director James Finch projected the effects of these projects and others on Branford’s overall budget and debt burden. He projected Branford’s debt at just under $40 million at the start of 2011. It would grow to approximately $70 million in 2013, and it would return to approximately $43 million in 2018. For comparison, Branford’s bonded debt was just over $60 million in 2003. “It’s probably a good time to borrow,” Finch said, adding that the approval for the project was about “a willingness to pay, rather than an ability.”
These projects still need approval from the RTM. Approval from the Board of Finance marked the first major step forward.
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