'Put Aside Your Tribe': Ridgefield Reviews Lower-Cost Police, Fire Facility Proposals

Ridgefield committee reviewed competing public safety facility concepts ranging from about $50M to $67M and delayed recommendations.

By Rich Kirby, Patch Staff

Jul 31, 2026 10:09 AM EDT

RIDGEFIELD, CT — Members of the Ridgefield Public Safety Facilities Committee spent more than two hours July 30 reviewing competing proposals aimed at reducing the cost of replacing the town's aging police and fire facilities, with committee members presenting several concepts ranging from approximately $50 million to $67 million.

No votes were taken on any of the proposals. Instead, the committee agreed to continue refining the concepts before forwarding multiple recommendations to the Board of Selectpersons. Committee members said additional work is needed, including architectural test fits, cost estimates and a presentation from a fourth team member who was absent from the meeting.

Committee member Pamela Dunaway presented a proposal for a combined police and fire headquarters at the town-owned Quarry Ridge property based on current operational needs identified by Police Chief Jeffrey Kreitz and Fire Chief Rommie Duckworth. Using revised space requirements developed with the chiefs and architectural consultants Kaestle Boos Associates, Dunaway estimated the project could cost about $67 million, substantially below the cost of the town's two defeated public safety referendums. She said additional reductions could be possible if building footprints can be further reduced without affecting operations.

In February 2025, an initial $85.6 million proposal for a new police and fire facility was narrowly defeated by just 71 votes, 1,625 to 1,553. Town officials shaved $8.2 million off the projected price tag and 3,500 square feet off the area for a November 2025 referendum, but voters shot that down again by an even wider margin, 4,978 to 3,137

No Future Shock?

Dunaway said her proposal removes much of the "future proofing" included in previous plans while preserving enough land for future expansion if needed. She also recommended that whichever proposals advance include estimated tax impacts for the average homeowner to help residents compare options.

Committee members questioned Dunaway about site preparation costs at Quarry Ridge, including rock blasting. Dunaway said previous estimates for blasting were approximately $6.5 million rather than the higher figures she said had recently been discussed publicly. Committee member David Brickley added that flatter sites could reduce preparation costs further.

Committee members Denis Graves and Ed Tyrell presented a separate recommendation focused primarily on affordability. Graves said the committee's community survey identified project cost as the leading reason the previous referendum failed and argued that proposals with price tags beginning with "$60 million" would likely face significant voter resistance. Their recommendation would place a police headquarters at Quarry Ridge but does not identify a town-owned location for a new fire headquarters. Graves said the group concluded that suitable town-owned sites for both facilities are limited.

Dunaway challenged some of Graves' interpretation of the survey, noting that while cost was the leading concern, many respondents indicated they were undecided and wanted to evaluate new proposals before deciding how they would vote. She also cited survey findings showing stronger public support for a combined public safety facility than for separate buildings.

Committee Chair Wally Martinez then presented a third series of options developed with committee member Steve Scalzo. The proposals examine using a privately owned site that the town is exploring acquiring, although Martinez said the location could not be publicly identified because of Connecticut's Freedom of Information Act exemptions for pending real estate negotiations.

Martinez's team outlined four concepts, including separate police and fire headquarters and a combined public safety facility. The concepts generally range from the mid-$50 million range to the upper-$50 million range after accounting for potential revenue from selling or otherwise monetizing existing municipal properties. Martinez said the team's approach emphasizes designing facilities for current needs while allowing room for future expansion rather than constructing significantly larger buildings immediately.

"This is going to take all of Ridgefield," Martinez concluded his presentation. "It's putting aside whatever tribe we feel most comfortable with, because no department, no committee, no citizens' groups are going to be able to solve this on their own. So I hope our public leaders can convince the town that it's going to take all of us."

The presentation prompted an extended discussion between Martinez and Dunaway over building size assumptions. Dunaway said operational requirements should continue to be determined by police and fire leadership and noted that emergency calls have increased in recent years despite relatively stable population growth. Martinez responded that the committee should evaluate whether comparable facilities in similar communities demonstrate opportunities to reduce square footage while still meeting operational needs.

Brickley told the committee he has begun working with KBA to produce architectural test fits and further refine square footage estimates. He said the next phase of work will examine how much building space can be reduced while maintaining required functions and code compliance.

Before adjourning, committee members agreed they were not yet ready to vote on recommendations for the Board of Selectpersons. Members said they want to review Brickley's updated cost analysis and hear an additional presentation from committee member Adam Safir before determining which proposals to forward.