Sharon Weighs Cost, Location of a New Public Safety Complex

As Sharon looks into feasibility of constructing a new public safety complex for the Police and Fire Departments respectively, the town is currently in a waiting pattern as they obtain the information they need.

“We have set up a committee for the feasibility study and have put out an RFP [request for proposal],” said Sharon selectman Walter Roach. ”When those all come back in proposals, we’ll be rating them and interviewing the people.”

Roach said there could be two problems with the facility: cost and location.

“If we can’t find a spot that’s big enough in the town, then it could just be rehabilitation for the existing buildings,” he said.

While town officials say both buildings are in disrepair, the cost could be prohibitive.

“If it’s too much and we know the town can’t afford, it we will go back and look at rehabbing what we have,” Roach said. “Whoever gets the award to do this will go through and estimate the costs.”

Roach said the advantages to having a public safety complex would help reduce costs in the long run in both departments.

“We can cut down costs through combining dispatching services and sharing training rooms, things like that,” he said. “We don’t have the proper training rooms right now because the buildings are so antiquated. We can combine a lot of those needs in one building.”

Some Sharon residents say taxes are already too high and the costs would be prohibitive.

“I am one taxpayer that cannot support this initiative,” said John in a comment on a previous story.  “I fail to see how we cant for the next several years; while we pay down other school related debt operate out of the existing spaces. Since they are claiming the space doesn’t meet standards then the whole department space and EVERYTHING needs to meet standards. If we cant commit to that, then it is very easy for me to campaign against a new public safety facility. I for one, cannot afford it.”

Some residents are in favor of the new facility, like Keevin Geller, who said the town needs the complex, but is also wary of the cost.

“Of course, we need a new police/fire station complex!” Geller said in a comment. “Our library is also woefully inadequate. Unfortunately, we live in a town where every last desire of the school department, as orchestrated by the NEA and its affiliates, is fulfilled. Others have referred to "paying down school related debt," but such action will only result in demands for a new high school, (say, $100 million+) or other gigantic school expenditure. As long as taxpaying voters fail to do anything about this, we will live with very high taxes, good schools, and not-so-good everything else. Funny how so many of those who think that scenario is just fine tend to move out of Sharon after their kids leave high school.”

Would you support building a new police and fire station complex in Sharon?