WESTHAMPTON — The building that houses the Westhampton Fire Department has no fire protection system.
That’s just one of the problems listed in a new report on the Westhampton Public Safety Complex at 48 Stage Road, which houses the town’s fire and police departments.
The building was originally constructed in 1948 as a highway garage. Despite several renovations and additions since then, the report identifies first and foremost a lack of space to safely perform the functions of modern police and fire departments.
The town appropriated $56,000 in the current fiscal year for the study, completed by Caolo and Bieniek Associates Inc. of Chicopee, which looks at the options of renovating and expanding the existing building or demolishing the current building to make way for a new public safety complex.
“This study was completed this past January and provides two viable options for the town to explore in order to address the deteriorating building with extensive code violations and significant health and safety concerns for all of our personnel and residents,” Fire Chief Christopher Norris and Police Chief David White wrote in a letter to the town.
A seven-person Public Safety Review committee that includes town leaders, fire and police personnel was formed to consider the options for a more functional public safety complex.
The options are:
A $4.4 million plan to demolish the existing building and build a new complex in its place.
This plan calls for a tentative move-in date of March 2020 and would allow for complete customization, the report states.
A $5.7 million plan to repair and bring the current building up to code.
After examining the existing building deficiencies and deferred maintenance, the report estimated the cost to renovate and expand the existing facility at around $5.7 million.
The positives of renovating and expanding the existing building listed by the report include allowing the Fire Department to remain on-site during phased construction, that the addition would provide approximately 2,570 more square feet of space than a new building and less overall waste and landfill material.
The existing building can’t support appropriate sized bays for fire apparatus, the report states, but a new addition and expansion of the building could be reasonably constructed, leaving the existing space to be developed for other police and fire operations.
“This method to renovate and expand the existing Public Safety was the committee’s preferred study option due to the ability to renovate and reuse most of the original facility,” the report states.
However, the renovation has a higher estimated cost than a new building, would come with higher life cycle costs and would need Zoning Board of Appeals approval to address the existing building’s non-conforming land use.
The Police Department might need to be temporarily relocated during construction and the renovation would require a larger contingency fund for unexpected costs that would likely crop up.
Among issues pointed out in the report are the Police Department’s location in a single room on an inaccessible second floor, a lack of a shower facility for cleaning and decontaminating firefighters’ gear and the fact that the existing facility does not comply with Massachusetts Handicap Accessibility or Americans with Disabilities Act regulations. More than 50 photographs attached to the report detail problems with the facility from rust to cracks to disturbed insulation.
Norris has said that one major issue with the facility is exposure to diesel exhaust because the facility does not have a vehicle exhaust extrication system, which most modern public safety complexes employ to limit exposure to toxic chemicals in the exhaust that can contribute to serious illnesses such as cancer.
Exhaust lingers in the garage and seeps into the office and common room above, Norris said.
At a May 14 Select Board meeting, White said that the gas pump at the facility leaks when the sun heats up the seal during the day and the automatic shut off when fueling does not work, leading to frequent overfilling and spillage. He said gas odors fill the office of the Police Department.
Stephen Holt, chairman of the committee and assistant fire chief, said the committee is hoping to schedule a public hearing for the town to vote on a preferred option. Holt says he’s hoping to schedule that hearing this month.
Once the town decides whether to renovate or start fresh, Holt said the town will have a special election to vote on a Proposition 2½ override to fund the project, which he said would likely happen in the fall.
Holt said that 25 to 30 people have attended each of the three informal information sessions the committee has held so far about the study. He said he hopes the town will decide to build a new facility because renovating the existing complex could come with unexpected costs and a new facility could last the town for 50 to 70 years.
“Most people are saying it looks like a good plan. Some are concerned about the financing, obviously, especially any long-term financing,” Holt said. “It’s a Catch-22. It’s like having an old car — do you keep adding and adding and fixing and fixing or do you finally buy the new car?”
Holt said the facility needs office space that is accessible to the public and safe storage for fire equipment and gear.
The positives of renovating and expanding the existing building listed by the report include allowing the Fire Department to remain on-site during phased construction, that the addition would provide approximately 2,570 more square feet of space than a new building and less overall waste and landfill material.
However, the renovation has a higher estimated cost than a new building, would come with higher life cycle costs and would need Zoning Board of Appeals approval to address the existing building’s non-conforming land use.
The Police Department might need to be temporarily relocated during construction and the renovation would require a larger contingency fund for unexpected costs that would likely crop up.
“We ask that you please use this opportunity to help our First Responders who have and will continue to help all of you in your time of need,” Norris and White wrote.
An information session will be held on Thursday, June 7 at 7 p.m. at the Town Hall for residents to learn more about the options presented in the study. There will also be an open house on Wednesday, June 13 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. to tour the current public safety complex.
M.J. Tidwell can be reached at mjtidwell@gazettenet.com.