Bourne Town Meeting to Decide on New Police Station; Peebles School

BOURNE –  Bourne residents have some major financial decisions to make Monday night at their Fall Special Town Meeting.

Two debt exclusion questions are on the warrant, including a $17.6 million article to build a new police station, and $39.9 million to replace the Peebles School.

If both items pass, the average real estate tax bill in Bourne would increase by about $283 a year.

Final approval would still be needed at the ballot box later this fall.

Bourne police say a new station is needed to replace their aging facility in Buzzards Bay that includes several hazards, including chronic leaks and asbestos.

The new station would be built near the old armory in Buzzards Bay.

The cost for a new Peebles school could be partially offset by state reimbursement of around $15 million.

Click here to view the Bourne Town Meeting Warrant

School Superintendent Steven Lamarche previously said the school presents staff and students with daily challenges.

“It was built very quickly in 1963, and six years later they had to put an annex on the building just because of the overcrowding at that point,” Lamarche said. “It wasn’t built to be an architectural gem.”

Lamarche cites a list of issues, including cracks, leaks and an “overwhelming” amount of asbestos-containing materials.

Bourne Police Chief Dennis Woodside said they worked to reduce costs as much as possible.

“But this is the only building open 24 hours a day, we handle all emergency calls, and so this isn’t for me, it’s for the town of Bourne,” said Woodside

He listed faults with the building like it being in a flood zone has brought about trouble in the past for the department, like when their basement flooded.

Woodside also said the current station is riddled with cracks on the exterior brick and leaks in the roof.

Other articles on the Bourne Town Meeting warrant include money to repair landfill equipment and $260,000 for Department of Public Works equipment.

Bourne Town Meeting begins at 7 p.m. at Bourne High School.

By MATT PITTA, CapeCod.com News Director