Special Town Meeting Approves Fire Station, Fund Transfer, Tax Incentive

Jeff Cohen, chair of the Bedford Fire Station Building Committee, made the main presentation during Tuesday’s Special Town Meeting at Bedford High School. The fie station was overwhelming approved. Photo by Wayne Braverman

Bedford’s Special Town Meeting on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a $32 million bond to pay for a new fire station at 139 The Great Road.

Voters also approved transferring $500,000 from free cash to the reserve fund to cover a current school budget deficit; and authorized a tax increment financing agreement to incentivize a major new commercial tenant to fill vacant office space.

The fire station vote is the latest and most significant milestone in a process that formally began in 2015 with a study recommending replacement of the current facility at 55 The Great Road.

None of the arguments that have been advanced against the site – its location in the Historic District, the challenge of preparing a sloped lot, underground electrical fixtures in front – were mentioned in a presentation in the discussion that lasted about 45 minutes.

Several regulatory steps remain before the town will advertise for construction bids late in the year.

The Bedford Citizen will have the complete story on Wednesday.