Police Building Committee Report to the Bristol Selectboard (3/8/07)
The Police Building Committee has been meeting for several months to evaluate potential sites for the proposed police building. Funding was raised at last years town meeting in the amount of $90,000 to study this project. (Current balance is $80,000). An architect, Dennis Mires, was hired this past summer to help the committee with the evaluation process. In addition to the sites already being considered a thirty day window of time was left open while the town advertised for potential sites to be brought to the committee (2 additional sites were considered as a result).
An initial space needs analysis was conducted to determine the necessary size of the proposed building. Follow up meetings of the committee reduced the size of the building from the initial 12,000 square feet to 9,300 and the latest drawings depict a building just under 9,000 square feet. It was necessary to get an idea of the size of the building needed early in the process in order to determine the parcel size required. This space needs process will be furthered defined and refined next year during the design phase of the project.
A site selection matrix was used to evaluate nine potential sites. Each category on the site selection matrix was ranked by all members of the committee individually and then collectively. The matrix provided in your packet this evening shows the collective scores from the committee. On the matrix, the category labeled “value” was used to rank the asking price for each piece of property. If the asking price was unknown the assessed value was used. Only the top ranked sites moved onto the next phase which involved the architect visiting the site and coming up with estimated development costs and rough layout plans.
Initially three sites ranked high enough to move on to the next step-the Dead River site, Pleasant Street, Napa. However, once the Napa site was visited and wetland areas were reviewed. It was determined that this was not a viable site due to the lack of useable property. Towards the end of this stage in the process the Lake Street Auto site was added to the mix due to a late offer from the property owner to the town. The Town Manager also requested that the Town Office location be evaluated further by the committee due to comments and questions from Selectboard members and members of the public, as this was the one location that did not require land purchase.
A detailed review and comparison including estimated development costs were done for the Town Office location, Dead River, Pleasant Street and Lake Street Auto site.
Dead River became less desirable once the asking price was provided-just after the public hearing for the budget. In the end, Lake Street Auto ranked number one on the matrix and Pleasant Street ranked number two.
The committee met on Monday March 5, 2007, to discuss the two top ranked sites and the recommendation to be presented to the board this evening. It was agreed that the committee would recommend the Lake Street Auto site as the site for the location of the new police building.
The Lake Street Auto site was chosen over the Pleasant Street location (Cemetery property) due to several reasons here are a few:
ü Asking price for the Lake Street Auto Site is $350,000 less. Even though the cemetery site offered a great deal more acreage it was more than what was needed. The committee could not identify other town uses for this site known for the near future (the fire dept was happy with their current location with only the need of a possible addition in the future). It was also agreed that it was unlikely that even if the town were able to sell off ten plus acres of the cemetery land to another project that the $350,000 difference would be recouped. In the end the committee felt it was too much of gamble for the committee to speculate on the possible sale of land and whether such a sale would result in enough to offset the large difference in purchase price.
ü The Lake Street Auto site is in a more desirable location because of it’s proximity to downtown. Locating on Main Street provides for greater visibility and ease for foot & bike patrols of the Main Street area.
ü Both sites were available immediately; however, the Lake Street auto site’s purchase price is less than this year’s bond request. In fact, the $668,000 bond vote if approved would provide additional dollars that would allow the committee to move forward in the upcoming year with design phase of the building project. It is the committee’s hope that this funding would allow the town to be prepared with construction documents to present at the next town meeting. The cemetery site would require not only the bond vote for acquisition this year but some sort of agreement with the cemetery for yearly payments at a negotiated interest rate and finally a future bond payment for construction. This would mean three payments for several years.
ü The Lake Street Auto site ranks high in visual appeal as does the Cemetery site. However, the Lake Street site has greater visibility because it is on Main Street and a new building would be a welcome visual improvement to the downtown area.
ü The Lake Street Auto site abuts Kelly Park and a piece of this property could potentially be used for a skate park.
ü The Lake Street Auto site provides for easier public access to the downtown area.(potential for public walk-ins)
ü Both sites are readily available but Lake Street auto site has buildings that the town could use for storage etc. immediately. The cemetery property would sit dormant for another year until construction funding was approved.
It is the committee’s hope that this information is helpful to the Selectboard. The committee remains ready to support you in any decision you make and excited to begin the next phase of this needed project after town meeting.
Submitted by Committee members,
Chris Dolloff, chair
Monique Abear
Don Milbrand, Jr.
Barry Wingate, Police Chief
Mike Lewis, Police Lieutenant
Steve Favorite, Selectmen’s rep
Elizabeth Corrow, Town Manager
Architect-Dennis Mires, P.A.