SANDWICH – Sandwich’s Town Manager and Board of Selectmen are discussing a public safety facilities plan at a price that will make voters happy.
Selectmen favored a plan earlier this year that called for a fire and police headquarters to be built in South Sandwich, the addition of a manned fire substation in East Sandwich and the closing of the manned fire station in Forestdale for a cost of $30 million.
Town Manager George “Bud” Dunham has suggested to selectmen to put together a $10 million, $15 million and a $20 million plan, with the town able to build two new substations for between $9 and $10 million.
Dunham said they have to make their decision soon.
“We have some serious liability on the living conditions for the firefighters at headquarters in Forestdale, that if they stay there, is going to have to be addressed in the very near future, we can’t continue to have it that way,” said Dunham.
Other options include renovating the existing police and fire headquarters or folding a new substation inside a new fire headquarters in South Sandwich.
Dunham says that they are still going to have to spend money if they’re looking at cheaper options.
“Even if we did the two substations only to address response times, for the total capital cost of about $10 million, we have to put some money into both headquarters if we’re going to stay there,” said Dunham.
Police Chief Peter Wack and Fire Chief William Carrico plan to meet with the board in July to discuss improvements they could make at the various price points.
