Dalton in Stalemate Over Proposed Public Safety Facility
DALTON, Mass. — As conditions worsen at the police station, it seems public officials are going in circles, Police Chief Deanna Strout said.
The condition of the station, located in Town Hall, has been deteriorating for the last 28 years. There have been multiple building committees and this is what happens and the project goes nowhere, Strout said during last week's Select Board meeting.
People butt heads about the cost and where it should go and nothing happens, she said
"We are in desperate mode now," she stressed.
Earlier in the meeting she outlined the several issues with the station that have been reiterated at several meetings, including poor ventilation, carbon dioxide, mold, unreliable heating and hot water, leaks, rodents, "inhumane cells," noncompliance with Americans with Disabilities Act standards, and more.
"It's disgusting, it's embarrassing. It's awful for us to even be in those conditions. I know you've all heard it, and I appreciate the time and the work that everyone, especially our building committee, has done, but it is time the town has a legal and fiscal obligation to deal with this."
For over a year, the town has been navigating options to address the station's needs, establishing the Public Safety Advisory Committee in July 2024.
Early on it became evident that the current facility is not a viable option for the long term and both the Police Department and dispatch need a new facility.
The station, in the basement of Town Hall, holds both the Police Department and the dispatch and 911 center, which is responsible for Dalton, Windsor, and Hinsdale.
The current facility houses 23 employees in just 4,000 square feet.
"These are unacceptable conditions in any public building, let alone housing emergency personnel who work around the clock. The holding cells consistently fail inspection. They do not meet state or federal standards and could easily be deemed inhumane, exposing the town to both legal and ethical liability," Strout said.
"I know people think we don't see a lot of crime in Dalton — we have arrests. We have to utilize those cells. Every detainee held within those walls represents a risk not to just their health, but to the town's reputation and legal standing.
"I beg those of you who have not been in for a tour to please come in and tour our Police Department."
The sticking points have been cost and location, which has had the advisory committee in gridlock for months. Several public officials have expressed their desire to have a new station constructed on town-owned land for the cost savings.
However, the only land sizable to fit the facility is next to the Senior Center, but some neighbors have conveyed their disapproval for that space, which had been earmarked for affordable housing.
The town's consultant, Brian Humes of Jacunski Humes Architects LLC based in Berlin, Conn., ranked the old Dalton High lot, located in front of the Senior Center, as the most viable option.
Following feedback from residents, they considered the property behind the Senior Center, bordering High Street, which was said to be less conspicuous.
During an Oct. 16 meeting, it was announced that Humes believes the irregularity in size, and the setbacks and right-of-way makes that location unsuitable for any construction that would meet the department's needs.
Last week, advisory committee member Craig Wilbur presented a new option: a two-story building with a one-story sally port on the east side of the Senior Center.
During the last committee meeting, the members said they wanted direction from the Select Board, given the the uncertainty around what the committee believe the board wants.
Although the board did not vote on Monday, Wilbur said if the committee goes to the Zoning Board to see if it could get a special permit for the Senior Center lot, it would be movement on a project that some feel has stagnated.
Committee member Dave Martindale expressed concern about ignoring neighborhood sentiment and stressed transparency around project costs and tax impacts.
"I believe it is disrespectful to continue to make an effort to use that parcel for a police station. If you want to use it for a police station, get a new consensus vote. If we're going to push forward with the new police station, the taxpayers need to know and understand what that project will cost," he said.
Martindale demonstrated how a new facility would cost in the neighborhood of $1,000 a square foot to build; the proposal is for a 12,000-square-foot building.
Adding the soft costs plus the funds needed for Walker Brook remediation, the facility could cost about $15 million, he said.
He argued that if taxpayers do not support such an expensive project, the time and money spent on location, zoning, and planning would be wasted.
As an alternative, Martindale suggested considering a renovation of the existing Town Hall to better serve all municipal departments, pointing out unused space on the third floor that could be more affordably brought up to standards, such as the need for accessibility compliance.
Resident Mary Tierney said she feels like she nor the general public clearly understand the full cost of all the options.
"As a townsperson wanting to understand the cost of the whole scope of the project, I still don't feel like I've understood or heard the cost of any other option associated with it, just what the cost of the land is," she said
The charge of the committee was to develop a comprehensive report of all the options to address the needs of the police station and the costs associated with it, Wilbur explained.
This report is projected to be presented to the board in December, however, the report will likely not include the rendering of the one-story and a two-story station on a "fictitious" parcel that resembles the lot next to the Senior Center.
Tags: police station,
