The committee charged with finding locations for a public safety building are looking at two Main Street sites as possible police stations.

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The committee charged with looking for a home for the town's public safety departments is turning its attention to two sites that may be suitable for a new police station only.

 

With its efforts in regard to the so-called Lehovec property on Main Street in limbo, the Public Safety Building Study Committee decided on Tuesday evening to ask its consultant to evaluate the suitability of two commercial properties as potential new police stations.

 

The Lehovic site, which previously was targeted for acquisition by the town's Fire Department, is thought to be the only property on the market with the size and location that could accommodate a joint police-fire facility.

 

But the committee hit a road block this summer when it sought permission from the estate of Kurt Lehovec to do test borings on the property to see if it was suitable for a public safety building. The estate wanted money up front in return for permission to do the test; the town is unwilling to make a financial commitment to the property without knowing if it will suit the town's needs.

 

The committee previously decided to develop a request for proposals for other suitable properties in town, but on the advice of the town manager, on Tuesday it made a slight adjustment in course.

 

"[Peter Fohlin] suggested that if we wanted to initiate further due diligence on one or two properties with existing buildings, an existing building might be attractive," said committee member Andrew Hogeland, who ran Tuesday's meeting in place of Chairwoman Jane Patton.

 

Specifically, the committee wants to investigate the suitability of the vacant former Williamstown Financial Center (296 Main St.) and the former Grand Union (430 Main St.), currently home to Developer Finance Corp.

 

"The proposal tonight is not to do an RFP until we do some 'pre RFP work,' " Hogeland said. "We could still do an RFP for either a police station or a joint facility ... but let's do a little due diligence on the [existing] buildings. If it turns out they're unique enough for our purposes, we could go forward on them."

 

Hogeland said that as far as he knew, there had been no change in the position of the Lehovec estate.

 

"So rather than just do nothing, let's do something," he said. "I think the message to the Lehovecs, through their attorney, if they're listening tonight is we're interested [in the property], but we can't do it on the terms we've heard so far."

 

Committee member Charles Fox moved that the committee spend money to study the former Williamstown Financial Center, the former Grand Union and "any other properties that may come to light before the money is exhausted."

 

That motion passed 4-0 on a vote of the committee members present: Hogeland, Fox, Scott McGowan and John Notsley.

 

Notsley is chairman of the Prudential Committee, which oversees the Fire District, a separate governmental entity with its own taxing authority in the town.

 

"I personally think the Police Department is in dire need of something — much sooner than the Fire Department at this point," Notsley said. "If that's the direction we're heading in, I have no objection to it.

 

"I still think a joint facility is the way to go and Lehovec is the best option, no question about it, for a joint facility or either one or the other. But I agree with [Hogeland], we've been dilly-dallying for a year almost and nothing's been accomplished."