A proposal for a new police station for the town of New Ipswich may be pushed off until 2022, though the town is considering laying some of the groundwork this year by demolishing Building No. 2, on the site where the town hopes to build its new facility.
During a meeting Tuesday, the Select Board spoke with an appointed committee assigned to educate the public on the town’s plans for a new police station, a warrant article that the board initially intended to present to the public this spring. However, due to the coronavirus derailing many public meetings, Select Board chair David Lage said Police Chief Tim Carpenter has recommended holding the warrant article until 2022.
However, the board is considering requesting funds for one portion of the project – the demolition of Building No. 2, located behind the town offices. The building, now rented as storage space, once housed the police station, until an infestation of black mold forced the town to find new lodgings. Despite several attempts at removing the mold, none were totally successful, and the building is no longer suitable for a working environment.
A new police station has been on the town’s agenda since, though despite several different warrant articles, including one to purchase and renovate the space the department currently rents, as well as building a new facility behind the town offices, haven’t garnered enough support at the polls to pass.
Selectman Shawn Talbot pointed out that demolishing the building next year would allow the project – which missed being on the ballot in 2020 due to a noticing error during the public hearing process – to keep “forward momentum” and show some progress on the long-discussed construction.
The 2020 plan called for a new stand-alone police facility to be built behind the town offices, including the construction of a separate entrance. The plan was to bond $1.98 million for the project, which included the demolition of Building No. 2. The proposal leaves sufficient room on the property for a new fire station or safety complex to eventually be constructed on the same lot.
Lage said he would prefer to see the project put forth as a single project with a single source of funding, rather than be funded piecemeal. The board did not take any definitive votes on either delaying the police station warrant until 2022, or drafting a warrant solely for the demolition of Building No. 2 during its meeting Tuesday, but decided to continue the conversation as warrants for next year’s Town Meeting are drafted.