Ad-hoc committee chairman prefers new police station on Silvermine Road

By Scott Benjamin

BROOKFIELD – The Miracle Mile is not about Brookfield High School graduate Tommy Consalvo posting insane splits as he strides along Long Meadow Hill Road and rewrites his course record while lapping the field in the in the WeCare Mother’s Day Run.

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No, The Miracle Mile has marquee commercial titles: McDonald’s, Costco, B.J.’s, Chick fil-A, Shop Rite.

Former Brookfield Police Chief Jay Purcell says, “ People almost consider Stew Leonard’s to be part of Brookfield” – a reference to the World’s Largest Dairy Store, located in northern Danbury, just a short jog from the town border.

Brookfield has considerably more traffic than your typical suburban town with 18,500 people. The Miracle Mile along the southern corridor of Federal Road has an estimated 70,000 vehicle trips daily through the Candlewood Lake intersection.

Purcell explained, “We’re in proximity to the four-lane section of Route Seven. We are in proximity to the four-lane section of I-84. Route 202 is the main connector between New Milford and Danbury. We get a lot of traffic along that corridor.”

“You get crashes down there,” he commented. “With the number of people coming into town, you’re going to get medical issues. You need to get down there in police vehicles, and sometimes you are fighting traffic to do it.”

In 1986 there were 25 full-time officers. Now there are 39.

There were more than 12,000 police calls in 2025.

The department has been studying expanding its facilities since 2017. The headquarters at 63 Silvermine Road was built about 40 years ago.

Purcell now chairs the seven-member ad-hoc Police Building Committee that for more than a year has been studying options to expand the current headquarters or build a new one.

Speaking at one of the three scheduled public input sessions, Purcell said the current facility, which measures just under 13,000 square feet, has limited office space, not enough room to store evidence and inadequate locker rooms.

First Selectman Steve Dunn has said that it is no longer in compliance with federal regulations.

The ad-hoc committee’s options are to expand the current headquarters, build a new facility at the former Center Elementary School (CES) on Obtuse Hill Road/Route 133 or build a new headquarters on the Municipal Campus – either along the Silvermine Road portion or the Pocono Road sector.

Purcell remarked, “My preference is to build new because you get exactly what you want. You don’t have to compromise. Any time you add on you’re going to end up making compromises. The existing structure just doesn’t yield to exactly what you want.”

“The one-story design we’re looking at now would be best on that Silvermine border,” he added.

Residents approved buying that corner parcel six years ago.

Purcell said the facilities study recommends that a new headquarters should be about 25,000 square feet and include more parking than at the current headquarters.

He said that prospective officers are more inclined to accept offers in neighboring Newtown and Bethel, which have more modern headquarters.

Ad-hoc committee member Mario Narcionovich said, “A new-build facility would encompass everything that is needed. The build-new facility gives you more flexibility.”

Resident Andy Corea commented that either the former CES or the Municipal Campus “would be appropriate. I think it would just come down to the logistics and the cost.”

First Selectman Seve Dunn has said that he would be against CES because of the five intersections near that site, which would present traffic congestion as police try to respond promptly to calls.

Wouldn’t an expansion of the current headquarters be less expensive?

Said Purcell, “It may be a lower price, but in the long run, you find it costs more in terms of operational efficiencies.”

He declined to guess on what the cost of a new headquarters would be.

During his PowerPoint slide show, Purcell noted that Wilton just completed a new headquarters that went from 10,000 to 18,500 square feet for $18.7 million.

He commented that if the current headquarters is vacated, “there are a whole host of opportunities. It has been well-maintained by the Police Department. There are many entities in the town who are crying for more space.”

Purcell added that among the options might be to house the ambulance services in the current police headquarters.

Dunn and selectmen Karl Hinger and Bob Belden have agreed that the police headquarters project is Brookfield’s top capital priority.

Another ad-hoc committee is studying the future use of CES. Dunn said recently that they should be reporting on a structural review of the building later this year.

Purcell said that he will confer with the architect for the project to develop revised plans and costs by early June. Then the ad-hoc committee will hold meetings to recommend an option.

He said he plans to present that recommendation to the Board of Selectmen at its July 6 meeting.

Dunn said he believes the town can now embark upon the project since bonding for the expansion of Brookfield High School, which was approved at referendum in April 2003, has all been paid for.

He has said that he wants to have voters consider the expanded police facilities at referendum on November 3, the day of the gubernatorial election.

However, Dunn recently commented that due to provisions to make it possible for voting by property owners who are not Brookfield residents, the referendum may have to be held later in November.

Said Purcell, “The police need more space. Right now what we have is tremendously constrained.”