DALTON, Mass. — For over a year, the town has been evaluating solutions to address the deteriorating condition of its police station. Recently, a request for land acquisition proposals has introduced a new option for consideration.

 

The town sent out a request for proposals for land acquisition on April 29, following the completion of the Public Safety Advisory Committee's final report. 

 

The board hoped that the cost estimates would help better inform voters about the expenses involved in securing a private location for the station. 

 

During a Select Board meeting last week, Town Manager Eric Anderson announced that the town had received three proposals: two properties that were previously evaluated and a new one from Crane & Co. on West Housatonic Street, parcel 115-3.

 

The company is proposing $69,700 for the 3.9 acre lot, substantially less than the other two bids: 726, 730 Main St. and 70 Myrtle St. for $975,000, and 197 Main St. for $900,000.

 

According to the town's Geographic Information System, the assessed value of Crane's vacant lot is $72,600. 

 

Chair Robert Bishop expressed his favor for the Crane site because of its comparably lower cost. 

 

Before it can be sent to the town's consultant Jacunski Humes Architects LLC, the amount of buildable land on the site must be determined. 

 

The Select Board authorized Anderson to hire Foresight Land Services to flag the wetland areas on the property and come back with a buildable map area. 

 

Anderson said the estimated cost is $3,000, which the town can "well" cover within the engineering budget, either this fiscal year or next.

 

The board also established a committee to review the land acquisition proposals to determine the best fit for a public safety facility, possibly including the fire station. 

 

The committee is composed of one Select Board member, the police chief, a Fire District representative, and two members of the old Public Safety Facility Advisory Committee, which developed the report. 

 

The report delineated four options — build on town-owned land, build on private land, renovate or repurpose the existing buildings, and do nothing. The full report can be found here. 

 

In June 2024, Police Chief Deanna Strout informed the board of the station's dire condition — including issues with plumbing, mold, ventilation, mice, water damage, heating, and damaged cells — prompting the board to take action on two fronts. 

 

Very early on it was determined that the current facility is not adequate enough to meet the needs of a 21st-century Police Facility. This determination was backed up following a space needs assessment by Humes. 

 

The assessment found that, to meet state requirements, the station would need 12,500 square feet and 1.5 to 2 acres of buildable land for a single-story facility with a sally port. The current facility can not be renovated to meet these needs because it has 4,860 square feet.

 

Of the four options outlined in the report, town officials have previously favored building on town-owned land. 

 

However, the only suitable town-owned property is adjacent to the senior center — a location that has drawn criticism from some neighbors.

 

Once the new committee returns with their land acquisition recommendations, the town plans to present all the options for the proposed facility through listening sessions and eventually have a town meeting to make a decision.