Says current facility is too small
News staff photo by REBECCA LEONARDThe current Templeton Police Station is about 2,000 square feet and considered inadequate to be used as a full-time police station. A proposed addition would add an additional 4,000 square feet to the back of the building.
Rebecca Leonard
TEMPLETON A proposal for a new addition to the town’s police station has been made by Chief Michael Bennett.
The Board of Selectmen gave the green light on the project to continue but Town Meeting and residents have the final say.
“The town has never really had a police station – the building they have now is too small,” said Board of Selectmen Chairman John Columbus.
According to Mr. Columbus, the building is inadequate, especially for a full-time police station.
The new addition to the station would add about 4,000 square feet off the rear of the current building, which is currently about 2,000 square feet.
The completed building would consist of updates to mechanical systems, a new roof, an additional cell, an interview room, a dry evidence room, a training area, locker rooms, break room and an external sally port big enough for two police cruisers, which would assist in safely transferring prisoners into the building. The dispatch and entrance vestibule would also be reworked.
“This addition would provide officers of the department an adequate working environment,” said Mr. Bennett.
The project is still in its early stages and many finer details need to be worked out. Currently there is no solidified cost for the new building, however, Mr. Bennett said the target cost of the updates and addition is in the $1 million range.
“When I started this project I was … trying to be fiscally responsible to the taxpayers of Templeton,” explained Mr. Bennett, “Once the final plans are completed it will show that the proposal is fiscally responsible … and the needs of the department are addressed without costly, unnecessary wish list items.”
As the project moves forward, Mr. Bennett will keep the board up-to-date on price estimates and he would like to have a series of open houses for residents to see the condition of the current station.
When Mr. Bennett took over as police chief a year ago, he made it one of his goals to expand the size and adequacy of the police station.
“(The station) would be able to provide the town of Templeton with a permanent fix to an inadequate building and not just a Band-Aid resolution,” expressed Mr. Bennett.
Isn't the proposed elementary school encroaching on the Police department parking? see sidebar
ReplyDeleteHow do you double the size of the Police department building without more land? Will this project mean taking land by eminent domain?
How does the town borrow money without a bond rating?
Templeton does need a new Police station! Templeton needs have always outweighed its budget.
Is this project part of the Capital plan that was approved by the selectmen?
So how does a town borrow money without a bond rating?