Letter: New Fire Station

To the Editor:

I support our Fire Department as well as our Police Department. The proposal to spend $25 million is not unreasonable for what is being proposed.

However, the primary reason we need a new fire station is the requirement to have big fire trunks with long ladders to protect Williams College's tall buildings for which the college pays no taxes. While Williams has it's own security police department it does not have its own fire department.

It is true that they support Fire Department volunteers, which is good. Thus, the college should contribute $10 million up front toward the new fire station and voters should be asked to vote to approve $15 million toward a new fire station. How about it Williams? Pony up! Common sense!

Ken Swiatek
Williamstown, mass.

Williamstown Fire Committee Talks Station Project Cuts, Truck Replacement

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
05:17AM / Friday, April 26, 2024

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Prudential Committee on Wednesday signed off on more than $1 million in cost cutting measures for the planned Main Street fire station.

 

Some of the "value engineering" changes are cosmetic, while at least one pushes off a planned expense into the future.

 

The committee, which oversees the Fire District, also made plans to hold meetings over the next two Wednesdays to finalize its fiscal year 2025 budget request and other warrant articles for the May 28 annual district meeting. One of those warrant articles could include a request for a new mini rescue truck.

 

The value engineering changes to the building project originated with the district's Building Committee, which asked the Prudential Committee to review and sign off.

 

In all, the cuts approved on Wednesday are estimated to trim $1.135 million off the project's price tag.

 

The biggest ticket items included $250,000 to simplify the exterior masonry, $200,000 to eliminate a side yard shed, $150,000 to switch from a metal roof to asphalt shingles and $75,000 to "white box" certain areas on the second floor of the planned building.

 

The white boxing means the interior spaces will be built but not finished. So instead of dividing a large space into six bunk rooms and installing two restrooms on the second floor, that space will be left empty and unframed for now.