HomeMy WebLinkAbout1987-11-16 Adjourned Subsequent Town Meeting MinutesADJOURNED SUBSEQUENT TOWN MEETING
W. S. Parker Middle School November 16, 1987
The meeting was called to order by the Moderator, Paul C.
Dustin at 8:34 P.M., there being a quorum present.
ARTICLE 13. John W. Price moved to reconsider the motion
of Richard Coco under Article 13 made at the Subsequent Town
Meeting held on November 9, 1987 in accordance with Article 11
Section 4 of the By -laws of the Town of Reading. This motion was
voted in the negative.
49 voted in the affirmative
74 voted in the negative
2/3 vote required
ARTICLE 18. On motion of Paul E. Landers, it was voted
that the Town appropriate from certified "Free Cash" the sum of
$50,000 for the purpose of performing studies and related work
regarding the need for and feasibility of constructing a new fire
house for the Town of Reading including expenses for architec-
tural fees, engineering fees, boring, surveys, appraisals for
land acquisitions and all other matter in connection with the ac-
quisition of land for and the design and construction of a new
fire house.
ARTICLE 19. On motion of Paul E. Landers, it was voted
that the Town appropriate from certified "Free Cash" the sum of
$5000 for the purpose of extraordinary repairs, reconstruction,
modification, or improvement to the Central Fire Station at
Pleasant and Parker Streets.
On motion of John H. Russell, it was voted that this meeting
stand adjourned to meet at 7:30 P.M. on Thursday, November 19,
1987, in the W. S. Parker Middle School.
Meeting adjourned at 10:50 P.M.
97 Town Meeting members were present.
A true copy. Attest:
Doris M. Fantasia
Town Clerk
REPORT - FIRE FACILITY STUDY COMMITTEE
The Fire Facility Study Committee was established by vote of the Annual
Town Meeting, 1987. Article 20 provided an appropriation of $15,000 to en-
gage a consultant to review the operations of the Fire Department and conduct
a study of the need for a new Central Fire Station. The committee consisted
of -
Selectman, Paul Landers Chairman
Town Manager, Peter Hechenbleikner
Fire Chief, Leonard J. Redfern
Fire Lieutenant William F. Campbell
Finance Committee Member, Elizabeth Greene
C.P.D.C. Member, Thomas Stohlman
Town Meeting Member, William Brown
Requests for consulting proposals were sent to four consultants. After
reviews of proposals and interviews, George Paul Fire Safety Consultants Inc.
was engaged to conduct a study including the following:
1. A needs assessment to e,
and available space and
diate and future needs.
2. A review of the current
ing and operations, run
making observations and
jaluate current equipment, personnel
a determination of recommended imme-
Fire Department organization, staff -
statistics, Fire and E.M.S. experience,
recommendations.
3. A study of the Town regarding, geography, street patterns,
population, target hazards, traffic, etc. and related fire
risk analysis based on current development and future
growth projections.
4. A site survey to evaluate current Fire Station sites and
available sites for future locations with consideration
to public safety.
5. An assessment of the merits of continuing with the current
two station concept or the alternative of a different con-
figuration.
6. An analysis of dispatch facilities and procedures and a
study of the merits of combined Fire and Police Dispatch.
The committee began meeting in June and have continued with eight
meetings to date. The consultant has completed his study and made his re-
port. During this time input and comments were solicited from all inter-
ested citizens, commissions, and employees. Previous study committee
reports were also studied and reviewed. All possible sites for a new
Central Fire Station were considered and were toured by the committee.
Three sites came to be taken into consideration, all of which were
town owned and in close proximity to the desirable location of the cen-
tral business area. These sites were: The present Central Fire Station
location on Pleasant Street, the Union Street parking lot site and the
North Main Street site adjoining Memorial Park. The consultant in his
recommendation to the committee suggested upwards of an acre of land to
accomplish our needs. The committee has agreed with this assessment.
The Pleasant Street site was unacceptable for a great number of reasons.
1. The available space is not nearly adequate and would involve
major land acquisition to work with and around the existing
Police Station.
2. Historical considerations would necessitate the retention of
the existing building with major renovations that would not
be feasable or cost effective.
3. It would involve major long term disruption and dislocation
of the present Fire Department operation which is not prac-
tical. and probably not possible.
The Union Street site was also judged as unacceptable for several
reasons.
The North Main Street site is the preferred choice and is the recommend-
ation of the committee and the consultant. It must also be noted that this
site was the choice of the Fire Station Building Committee established by the
1979 Town Meeting. Their findings and report is included in the 1980 Annual
Report. Their conclusions and rationale parallel present committee's reason-
ing with the only exception being that the 1979 committee recommended main-
taining two stations and the present committee is recommending one station.
The committee is convinced and the consultant strongly recommends that
one Fire Station is adequate to serve the fire protection needs of the Town.
This would also lead to administrative cost savings, improvement in operations,
greater efficiency and productivity and a greater degree of needed flexibility.
The consultant also necessarily reviewed current and past operations of
the Fire Department, made observations and recommendations relative to opera-
tions, equipment, and organization. It should be noted that much of what he
recommends would be reviewed and planned around a single station concept.
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1. The space is inadequate, 15,940
the acquisition of at least two
sq. ft. This would require
adjacent land parcels.
2. The location is
not choice for
the movement of apparatus into
a difficult and
usually crowded
intersection with the hazards
associated with
it.
The North Main Street site is the preferred choice and is the recommend-
ation of the committee and the consultant. It must also be noted that this
site was the choice of the Fire Station Building Committee established by the
1979 Town Meeting. Their findings and report is included in the 1980 Annual
Report. Their conclusions and rationale parallel present committee's reason-
ing with the only exception being that the 1979 committee recommended main-
taining two stations and the present committee is recommending one station.
The committee is convinced and the consultant strongly recommends that
one Fire Station is adequate to serve the fire protection needs of the Town.
This would also lead to administrative cost savings, improvement in operations,
greater efficiency and productivity and a greater degree of needed flexibility.
The consultant also necessarily reviewed current and past operations of
the Fire Department, made observations and recommendations relative to opera-
tions, equipment, and organization. It should be noted that much of what he
recommends would be reviewed and planned around a single station concept.
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The committee believes that the present Central Fire Station no longer
serves the needs of the Reading Fire Department and in most instances it is
a detriment to the operations and a disadvantage to the personnel; that the
Woburn Street Station serves primarily as a poorly located annex to house
equipment, personnel and administrative offices that presently cannot be
located elsewhere; that the Fire Department emergency communications sys-
tem is obsolete, unreliable and not at all conducive to a safe operation.
It is in need of serious upgrading involving replacement of components and
overall improvement. As it is presently located, this is not possible.
As an aside to the primary business of the committee, the disposition of
the two present Fire Stations was discussed. Among the possibilities are:
Pleasant Street Station -
1. Maintain town ownership for other municipal purposes.
2. Offer for sale.
Woburn Street Station -
1. Offer to Housing Authority for congregate housing.
2. Maintain for municipal offices.
3. Offer for sale
The committee feels strongly that this project is important to the safety
of the community and the good operations of the Fire Department. The project
has been recommended by Fire Chiefs for the past forty years. It has been the
subject of and has been recommended by at least two Town Meeting Committees
in the past, the Public Safety Review Committee in 1978 and the Fire Station
Building Committee in 1980. All of the options and alternatives have been dis-
cussed and now is the time for action.
The committee now makes the following recommendations:
1. That a new Central Fire Station be constructed in close
proximity to the intersection of Rte 28 and Rte 129, speci-
fically on parcels 24 and 25, assessors map 87 on Main Street.
2. That the new facility be of adequate size and space to serve
the entire needs of the Fire Department and its present com-
plement of personnel and equipment and what may be the needs
in the foreseeable future.
3. That the present two station concept be abandoned and the two
existing Fire Stations be put to other uses or disposed of.
4. That funds be appropriated to conduct a feasability study
and prepare a schematic design to accomplish this purpose.
The committee recognizes that it may be necessary to acquire other land
space adjacent to the preferred location to satisfy this need, A feasability
study would determine this.
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