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Date: 2/22/2021
WESTHAMPTON – A new year means new beginnings – sometimes with even bigger and better improvements. In 2021, a new safety complex may be constructed, while the existing complex located at 48 Stage Road would be demolished.
Selectboard Chair and Safety Complex Planning Committee member Phil Dowling informed Reminder Publishing that the plan for the new building includes additional office space, along with a garage bay for police cars and fire equipment.
The committee was established in November 2018. Their duties include the assistance in transition from the work completed by the study committee to the design and building phase for this project.
In 2018, residents at a Special Town Meeting approved the borrowing for a $4 million complex, but the necessary Proposition 2 ½ override was rejected by voters weighing in on the subsequent ballot question.
In June 2019, voters approved bonding to complete design work, develop bid documents and perform other needed work.
During a Westhampton Selectboard meeting in January, Dowling proposed a new budget to the board with a “near precise” estimate of $3.6 million.
Requests for bids estimated the project cost at $4 million. In total, there were 11 general contracting bids and Dowling shared that even with the alternates, they were low.
Recently, the Building Committee voted to accept the low bids and the two alternates. Dowling said that the first alternate was to install two overhead doors on the back of the building for a drive thru. The second alternate pertained to one of the bays that was already chopped off.
The construction contingency for this project is $150,000.
Some other important costs for the project development include the architect/engineer services, owner’s project manager, legal/miscellaneous, etc. Additionally, a part-time clerk must be hired to oversee the construction. Dowling said the clerk they’ve selected is a town resident and will only charge them for his actual time.
Since the 2018 vote, there have been some cost increases, but ultimately, the total price tag should be lower, the chair said.
“In this building, there is undeveloped second floor space – not a part of the original plan. The project is a little more than it was two years ago, which is reasonable. That’s kind of what you’d expect – prices to go up. But the cost to the town is considerably less than it would be two years ago,” claimed Dowling.
Dowling said that they hope to break ground in the spring. Since all the fire equipment will be moved and their trucks will be outside, this project can only be done during the spring, summer, and fall seasons, with hopes of having the trucks in the bay by November.
The board agreed to call a Special Town Meeting on Feb. 27 to see if the town will vote to borrow, or otherwise fund the constructing, equipping and furnishing a new public safety building. Costs will also include the demolishing of the current structure.
A separate ballot vote for a Proposition 2 ½ debt exclusion for the project will follow on March 13.
Affirmative votes are needed at both for the project to move forward.