There's a lobby for the public, separate offices for personnel, a sally port, men's and women's locker rooms, new lockups, climate control for the electronics, security for evidence, and a large training room with kitchenette with an eye toward community events. And lots and lots of space.
Voters shot down a proposed $5.9 million public safety complex 139-214 on Thursday. They did approve nine other articles on the warrant, including accepting $150,000 from the Baker Hill Road District to purchase the land where the police and ambulance station would have been located.
On Tuesday the panel OKed applicable articles for the Special Town Meeting on March 9, one of which is to raise and appropriate, transfer, and/or borrow $5,989,100 for a new public safety complex at 405 South Main Street.
JMJ RE Holdings LLC and JMJ Holdings Corp., which will soon be taking the title of the mall, sent a letter to the board offering space for police and emergency medical services in its proposed cannabis campus.
Residents virtually queried planners on Tuesday at the first of three public hearings scheduled before a March 9 vote that will determine the fate of the proposed $5.9 million public safety building.
The new estimated cost for the town's proposed combined police and ambulance facility is $5.9 million, which is lower than what the committee expected for the project.
Mayor Jennifer Macksey informed the City Council on Tuesday night that she had signed an agreement with Scarafoni & Associates, owner of the Berkshire Plaza, to relocate the police force temporarily to the building off Main Street.
The Police Station Committee reviewed a new design proposal for the combined police and ambulance facility, with hopes that residents can vote on the project at the special town meeting in January.
The American Rescue Plan Act Committee has approved $15,000 for geotechnical and other sitework for the combined police and ambulance building project.
Police Station Committee Chair Kristen Tool said the sooner the town meeting, the better. Tool said she would also like to have the project itself approved by the town at the meeting for grant reasons.
The Police Station Building Committee briefly discussed the event at its meeting on Wednesday. Committee Chair Kristen Tool said the event won't be extravagant, but it will allow those interested to familiarize themselves with the building.
The Lanesborough Police Department has officially moved to its temporary location at 545 South Main St., as the department still waits for a brand-new station.
Members of the committee recently had a property visit to the Skyline that is owned by Mill Town Capital. They looked at the upper clubhouse and driving range area, which are technically two parcels.
Work on the temporary police station site at 545 South Main St. is nearing completion, and the Police Department expects the building to be fully operational by August.
The Board of Selectmen has approved $65,000 to fund a two-year lease for a temporary police building as the Police Station Building Committee continues discussing its concerns with the site of the proposed new station.
The committee asked the officers several questions about the current station, what they think of putting the new station there and other potential locations for the building. Officer Sakan Sadowsky said having to use the current station is, at times, embarrassing.
The Police Station Committee met with Brian Humes of Jacunski & Humes Architects on Wednesday for a Q&A on the site, design and specifics of the proposed new police station.
Members of the committee have already conducted a visit to the site and will be doing another this week. The committee said, if chosen and approved, the site would not need significant work to become a temporary station.
Police Chief Robert Derksen pointed out several deficiencies with the structure, including its size, lack of privacy, mold presence, the lack of insulation and the lack of proper air conditioning. Many of these issues, he said, are due to the age of the structure.