DALTON, Mass. — Discussions over the proposed public safety facility continue to prove contentious as officials debate next steps. 

 

During several meetings, Police Chief Deanna Strout has emphasized how the condition of the station, located in Town Hall, has been deteriorating for the last 28 years. 

 

It was determined early on by the Public Safety Facility Advisory Committee that the basement of Town Hall is not a viable long-term location after reviewing documentation and touring the facility and other local police stations. 

 

During its Tuesday meeting, the committee decided to have its consultant, Brian Humes of Jacunski Humes Architects LLC in Berlin, Conn., conduct a feasibility assessment of the existing space.

 

"It's shocking to most of us in this room, the first time any of us have even heard that's an option, because we all know that it is not an option," Strout said. 

 

The goal is to determine if it can be renovated to meet the Police Department's needs by evaluating code requirements, space constraints, and potential costs.

 

This task is in addition to his work in developing a rendering of both a one-story and a two-story station on a "fictitious" parcel that resembles the lot next to the Senior Center.