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Date: 8/17/2021
WILLIAMSBURG – After the town approved funding for the new public safety complex during a Special Town Meeting on April 3, the Williamsburg Public Safety Complex Building Committee has been meeting to determine the way forward for the project.
During the Aug. 11 meeting, it received recommendation from the Energy Committee about keeping the building in line with the state’s climate goals.
To start his presentation, Energy Committee Chair James Piermarini said the new public safety complex was an opportunity to meet both state and countrywide climate goals for 2030 and 2050.
“The conversation came up a few weeks back and the spirit behind our recommendations is largely tied to some of the aggressive climate change goals that are sweeping through the state and the country, particularly the 2030 and 2050 goals,” he said. “There is a 2050 goal of buildings being net zero, for a building like this, 2050 is right around the corner and we felt we would be remiss not to bring our thoughts forward to achieve these goals.”
One of Piermarini’s biggest recommendations was to plan the building to be ready to be retrofitted with solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in the future.
“One of the main ones is looking at what it would cost to make the building solar PV ready. Fully installing a full PV system may not be financially feasible but our committee is strongly urging to have the electrical infrastructure be poised toward PV because there could be an opportunity to retrofit solar in the future,” he said.
Piermarini said another one of the committee’s recommendations was to eliminate all fossil fuel use in the building.
"I think a lofty but possibly viable goal could be eliminating all fossil fuels from the building, meaning no oil, no propane and no gas. The variable refrigerant flow heat pump style technology is being considered for the bulk of the building and I think there was a propane gradient in the slab that could be retrofitted into an air to water heating system,” he said.
With potential grants coming for photovoltaic systems in the next several years, architect Kevin Chrobak said the building committee will keep environmental suggestions in mind.
“I think there is a degree of obligation and responsibility to prep this building for the next five years, which I think we will see more grant funding for PVs and things of that nature. Simultaneously we have to balance the nature of where the building is in town and the first-time costs,” he said.
Chrobak said the building committee is taking in as much input as possible now because the project is still in the design development phase.
“With the design development phase, we are not locked into anything, what it does is advance the design another step so we can have another estimate done, which will have comparative prices for different systems,” he said.
Board of Selectmen Chair Dave Mathers said while it was important to take public input on the design process, ultimately the Police and Fire Departments should have a larger say since they will be in the building.
“As far as it being a public building the town will own it, but it is being designed for the Fire Department and the Police Department. They have the ultimate say in how we design their future living quarters,” he said.
Ultimately, Board of Selectmen member Bill Sayre suggested that Chrobak and Owner’s Project Manager Rob Todisco discuss and prepare a list based on the Energy Committee recommendations for the next meeting.
During the meeting, the committee also agreed to create a subcommittee to focus on public outreach as the project moves forward.
The Public Safety Complex Building Committee next meets on Aug. 25.