Lanesborough Selectmen to Hear Temporary Police Station Plans
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The Police Station Committee plans to present its proposal for a temporary police station location to the Board of Selectmen on Monday.
"I think us getting a temporary location set up is huge. It's something that, when the committee was formed, we didn't think that would be something we'd really be doing, but it ended up being something that worked out really well," said Chair Kristen Tool.
The Selectmen will have to approve the committee's proposal to relocate the Police Department to 545 South Main St. before anything can move forward. The American Rescue Plan Act Fund Committee approved a budget on April 20 that includes the $65,000 for a potential two-year lease of the property.
The lease, according to Tool, should already save the town a significant amount of money compared to what was anticipated.
"By moving the officers to this temporary location, once that is able to get approved, we will have already saved $120,000 that we budgeted to have a temporary location," she said "A trailer somewhere, that was going to be closer to $200,000."
Regarding the new station, Tool said she thinks a separate meeting with the Selectmen to discuss details with each potential site would be helpful. The committee discussed the feasibility of several potential sites, including the current police station site at 8 Prospect St., with Brian Humes of Jacunsci & Humes Architects on on April 6.
"It would be irresponsible for us to say, 'Do it and see what happens,' if there are other things here that would rule this site out before that taxpayer money is spent," she said. She noted Humes is willing to work with the town regardless of which site Lanesborough chooses.
The committee discussed the difficulties of getting any accurate estimates for the price of a new station. Tool said the committee is nowhere near a discussion on costs.
"I think there's a lot of fear in town about the money. Then it's like we're not even ready to talk about it because it's just an idea that we will get there. I'm confident that we will be able to lower the costs," she said.
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