PHOTO COURTESY: Provincetown Police
PROVINCETOWN – Provincetown residents could vote on a proposal to build a new police station this upcoming spring as town officials work to bring the project up for consideration after years of discussion.
Selectmen are focusing on a parcel of land on Jerome Smith Road for the new facility after hearing from residents at a series of public forums. The estimated cost is $8.5 million, but it’s believed the cost may rise slightly before heading to a vote at town meeting.
Residents will have to weigh whether to raise taxes for the new station. According to the Provincetown Banner, the tax increase would be 3.66 percent.
“The community response was very positive,” Selectman Tom Donegan said of the forums. “The challenge is that it’s very expensive and how to reconcile the idea that we do need to upgrade our police facilities and how we digest that into our budget.”
“That’s $8.5 million on an operating budget of $23 million, so it’s a big chunk of change for us,” Donegan said.
The Provincetown Police Department moved in to their current station on Shankpainter Road the mid-1980s. The building was formerly a funeral home.
Before the move to Shankpainter Road, the department was based out of Town Hall.
Town officials have been exploring options for a new police station since 2009.
By MATT McCARTHY, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
About CapeCod.com NewsCenter
