Fire-Rescue Article News

A bit of good news for our wallets. . .

At its meeting last night, the Select Board voted to amend Article 17 from an authorization to borrow "up to $60 million" for a new Fire-Rescue Station to an authorization to borrow "up to $55 million," based on revised estimates from our Owners Project Manager, Pomroy Associates, and The Galante Architecture Studio.

What changed?

The biggest factor was the purchase — pending Town Meeting approval of Article 16 — of .48 more acres at 48 Eldredge Park Way. 

Why?

More frontage on Eldredge Park Way means that an access road near Orleans Elementary School and supplemental parking do not need to be built — two big cost savings. It also means no giant — and expensive — retaining wall on the east side of the site. 

In addition, the site plan and floor plan have been refined since the original estimate, allowing a clearer picture of what the new station will need. (For example: the size of the station shrank by about 2000 square feet.) Also, the geotechnical testing results for the site came back favorable — more good news for the budget.

And finally, the Select Board voted to accept the Fire-Rescue Station Building Committee's recommendation of a design direction for the station, referred to as the “Transitional” concept (see illustration above.) It is far from a final design. It’s a decision on the direction that the design process will take as it moves forward. A final schematic or preliminary design, and more detailed cost estimates, should be forthcoming in about six weeks, if both Article 16 + 17 pass at Town Meeting, and the Proposition 2-½ override for Article 17 gets approved at the Town Election on May 19.

Got questions? Check out our Town Meeting Preview.

See you Monday night!