Special Selectboard Meeting Summary (FD proposal initial report and discussion)

 This is probably available on the town website but I was provided a copy by Seth Webb, Town Manager. So FYI
 Vito

Town of Killington
prepared by Seth Webb
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
10:00 a.m.
The Selectboard met to hear the initial report from Architects, Dore and Whittier, who were hired by the Town to review the Fire Department facilities (two stations) and provide recommendations for renovating the aging facilities. The final report will be issued later this summer.
The Architects recently conducted a comprehensive existing conditions assessment, site analysis, programming and conceptual design for the Fire facilities.
They reported that the current stations are in disrepair and no longer meets state criteria or the needs of the volunteer fire department. Their assessment noted the following:
 The 1974 building on Killington Road has uneven floors, inefficient insulation, plumbing and electricity, no cross ventilation and not enough storage for equipment, and other problems
 With a lack of proper storage for the turnout gear, the gear is exposed to soot and sunlight, both factors that play a part in deterioration of the expensive equipment.
 The station is also missing a sprinkler system, a criteria for new stations being built or old ones undergoing serious renovations
 The station is very close to Killington Road, creating safety hazards for the Department and disrupting traffic. Fire stations are typically set back 50-60 feet from the road, not 5 or 6 feet.
 The building lacks two means of egress are which are required for exiting
 Building does not meet handicap accessibility or ADA Code
 The number of toilets need to be increased to meet plumbing code
 An Elevator is required for all public funded buildings, which the current building does not have
 The lack of room in the vehicle bays, causes firefighters to be exposed to unsafe exhaust
 The second station on River Road will require a significant investment to effectively accommodate the current equipment in the years to come
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The Architects presented options to consider including: a renovation of the building, additions to the building, or demolishing it to build a new one. Some options included combining the River Road Station into the Killington Road Station. All options required purchasing more of the surrounding property to establish a parking lot (parking for the current facility is located on an adjacent property)
Other possibilities included adding a police department onto the fire station to give the Killington police a more stable home base and clump the emergency services together for convenience. Both departments would be able to share a wide variety of resources, including radio towers and conference rooms.
In reviewing all the options, the Board concurred with the Architects, that the size of the existing lot was a major limitation.
 The Killington Road lot is less than one acre and currently much of the parking for the facility is located on another parcel (private property)
 The building is close to an existing stream, and while there is currently no FEMA flood plain designation, flood waters have come close to the station
 There is currently no storm water management but this would be required if any redevelopment occurs
 A 35,000 gallon water storage tank and pumps from Roaring Brook and would have to be replaced if there was an extensive remodel
 To accommodate a renovation, additional land would need to be purchased
As the options need to be refined to include enough detail to provide accurate cost estimates, costs were not discussed. Estimated costs will be presented in subsequent meetings.
Based on the feedback from the Board, the Architects and Fire Department were able to narrow their search and eliminate what was expected to be the largest and likely most expensive option. The team will now work to flesh out two options for the Town to consider, which will include comprehensive cost estimates:
1. Tear down the existing building and construct a new building on the current site
2. Construct a new building on new site
In addition the architects will provide an estimate for bringing the current building up to code in the short term, while the future of the Fire Department Facilities is determined. The architects will provide phasing options for next steps on both options.
The Board will take the issue up again when the study is completed later this summer