Delayed Substation, Unisex Lockers Weighed for King St. Public Safety Project
Key Points
- Architects presented plans to delay the fire substation build while preserving the site for future use.
- A proposal was made to incorporate unisex locker rooms with floor-to-ceiling private cubicles.
- Reducing site excavation behind 135 King Street was discussed as a cost-saving measure.
- The reduction in excavation would create a significant parking shortage for patrol cars and emergency personnel.
- Moving the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to Elm Street was floated as a potential solution to the parking issue.
The Capital Budget Committee convened on the evening of Dec. 8, 2025, to address key financial decisions for the town's future. With members including Chris Peisch, Robert Kasameyer, and Susan Franklin present, the meeting’s primary focus turned to a detailed update on the proposed public safety facilities, delivered by Member Cathy Forest. Forest recounted a recent meeting between the Public Safety Facilities Working Group and project architects where significant cost-saving measures were discussed.
Two major potential revisions to the public safety building plans were presented. The first involves delaying construction of a new fire substation. "If we were to not build the fire substation, but maintain the fire substation area for a potential future build," Forest explained, the architects would need to reconfigure utility layouts on the site.
A second proposal aims to modernize staff facilities. "They changed the locker rooms to unisex locker rooms, which I think is something that's been happening lately in new builds," Forest said. She clarified the design would ensure privacy, noting that "all of the changing areas and all of the showers would be cubicles from floor to ceiling."
While these changes could yield savings, another cost-cutting idea—reducing the amount of excavation behind 135 King Street—has created a significant logistical challenge. Forest reported that this change would trigger a major parking deficit. "Without excavating behind King Street, you run into the issue of not having much parking because of the patrol cars," she stated.
The problem would be compounded during an emergency, as "if the EOC was to have a big event... there wouldn't be enough parking." To solve the issue, the working group is exploring creative solutions. "There were suggestions from some of us that maybe they should put the EOC in Elm Street," Forest noted, "and perhaps think about moving IT or Safe Harbor up to King Street because they would require less parking." The committee took the detailed report under advisement as it continues to weigh the project's scope and budget.