By Debra Parkhurst and Meredith McCulloch
Separate reports on the space needs of both the Fire Department and the Police Department were presented to the Selectmen at their meeting on December 7, 2015. In each case no decision was made, and the next step is for the Selectmen to choose which options to explore further.
Fire Station
The firm of CDR Maguire studied the fire station and found that demands placed on the Fire Department have increased since the 1998 renovation as the number of residences, businesses, emergency calls, staff size (from 22 to 31) and responsibilities have grown. The size and number of fire and emergency vehicles as well as other apparatus cannot all be accommodated on-site. In addition, the Town is adding in-house ambulance and paramedic services. The current building is 13,331square feet whereas the space needed is 20,303 square feet.
Options and cost estimates include renovating and expanding at the existing site,building a new facility on the current site, or building a new facility on a different site. There are too many unknowns for good estimates, but the range of costs starts at $9.4 million.The question of location for a new site is a challenge.
The Selectmen discussed the option of building a sub-station, asking if that would reduce costs. Currently, most calls can be answered in less than six minutes from the present site. A sub-station would bring new costs and would not alleviate stress on the current building. There are also several deferred maintenance projects in the current building that must be addressed regardless of expansion plans.
To read the full report by architects CDR Maguire, with details and photographs, click Bedford Fire – CDR Maguire Report; to see the presentation delivered at the meeting, click Bedford Fire Study.
Police Station
The Police Station study by the architectural firm Donham and Sweeney looked at current use and future needs for 20 years.The optionslisted were for four levels of renovation, costing from $1,800,000 to $4,350,000and adding up to 4,081 square feet. The space expansion would address space deficiencies and improvements to locker rooms and rooms for evidence processing and training. All options were limited to the existing site. Three options include the relocation of the Bedford Historical Society, which now occupies rooms on the main floor of the building. (The building was originally constructed in 1951 for the public library,using gift funds that were accepted at the1951 Annual Town Meeting and called for “an assembly room for the Bedford Historical Society.” The library relocated to the building at 7 Mudge Way in 1968, but the Historical Society remained.)
Police Chief Robert Bongiorno said that at present services are not impacted, but space per police officer does not meet current standards and there are other space deficiencies.
To read the full report by Donham and Sweeney, click Bedford Police Study.
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