Public Safety Feasibility Study Committee in Process of Finding Architect

A new committee in Sharon was formed last week to choose an architect who would do a feasibility study on the town's aging police and fire stations.

The Public Safety Feasibility Study Committee comprises Town Administrator Ben Puritz, Department of Public Works Superintendent Eric Hooper, Town Engineer Peter O'Cain, Police Chief Joseph Bernstein, Fire Chief Jim Wright, Selectman Joe Roach and two citizens, Rick Rice and Bill Croteau, who are both architects.

The town has set aside $200,000 for the study.

“It’s actually to look at the current facilities and then suggest proposals for solutions to bring them up to current standards," said Wright. "So that could be anything from a new combination public safety building somewhere or renovation, addition, whatever of existing facilities or a new police station somewhere or any variety thereof.”

He added, “Both police and fire are significantly substandard based on current standards. In particular the fire station, it became a fire station only back in the early 1980s, when the police station was built over by the DPW, and hasn’t had any significant upgrade other than an addition because when we bought our new ladder truck in the mid-1990s we had to add onto the garage space because it wouldn’t fit.”

The committee recently drew up a request for design services, which will be advertised publicly. Architectural firms will submit proposals to the committee to do the study by a deadline of June 24.

The committee will then take all the proposals, evaluate them and make a recommendation to the Sharon Board of Selectmen.

The initial cost of the study will be capped at $150,000, according to Wright.

"As we go through the study there’s extra expenses or services that come up," he said. "So we’ve reserved $50,000 for any of those, maybe it’s a special environmental test or anything like that.

“We certainly encourage any citizens of the town that have any questions in regards to our current facilities to stop by our police or fire [stations]. We’ll be glad to show them around and see what we’re currently working in and give them some ideas of where we’re looking to go,” Wright said.