Ridgefield Committee Advances Public Safety Facility Planning, Reviews Needs & Timeline

RIDGEFIELD, CT — The Public Safety Facilities Committee on March 19 reviewed early findings on police and fire facility needs, outlined a fast-moving timeline for site selection, and heard concerns about outdated conditions at the town’s police headquarters.

The meeting marked continued progress in the committee’s charge to recommend options for new or renovated public safety facilities by mid-September.

Needs assessment enters detailed phase

Committee members said the needs assessment and site evaluation process is moving into a more analytical stage, with key data now in hand.

“We’ve received the information we need to really start making the dough,”committee member Pamela Dunaway said said, describing the shift from data gathering to scenario development.

The group is categorizing requirements into “must haves, wants, good to haves” and future needs, while also analyzing call volume “heat maps” and potential site options.

Officials emphasized that facilities must be designed to serve the town for 30 to 50 years, including allowances for future growth.

Scenario planning under consideration

Chair Wally Martinez introduced the concept of “tiger teams” — small groups tasked with developing and comparing potential scenarios, including renovation, separate facilities, and a combined public safety building.

Some options may be ruled out quickly based on cost or feasibility, members said, while others will require more detailed analysis.

Survey results show openness to new proposal

Early results from a townwide survey drew nearly 900 responses, with cost and location cited as the primary concerns among voters.

However, committee members said sentiment may be shifting.

“If we asked today … the ‘no’ vote moved to 22 percent,” Dunaway said, suggesting residents are willing to reconsider the issue with updated information.

A full presentation of survey findings is expected in the coming weeks.

Financial modeling tools available

Board of Finance Chair Mike Richter outlined tools available to help the committee evaluate costs, including a long-range capital model projecting debt levels and tax impacts over 25 to 30 years.

The model can estimate how different project scenarios would affect the town’s debt service and individual taxpayers through potential mill rate changes.

Officials also discussed how to account for lost tax revenue if private land is acquired for a facility.

Police commission details deficiencies

Members of the Board of Police Commissioners described significant shortcomings at the current police headquarters, a converted 19th-century house.

“We are already a liability with OSHA, with the ADA,” Commission Chair Sharon Wicks Dornfeld said, citing lack of accessibility, inadequate holding areas and space constraints.

The building has no elevator, limited accommodations for people with disabilities, and recurring flooding issues in lower-level areas used for lockers and storage, she said.

Officers also lack adequate workspace, with detectives sharing cramped offices and limited space for report writing.

Commissioners said the facility does not meet modern policing standards, including separate holding areas for juveniles and adults, secure interview spaces, and proper evidence storage.

Recruitment, operations impacted

Officials said the condition of the facility has already affected hiring.

A certified dispatcher candidate declined a position after touring the building, according to commissioners.

They also cited a lack of space for officers to "decompress" after high-stress incidents and inadequate infrastructure for modern policing needs, including technology and cybercrime investigations.

Timeline pressures emphasized

Committee leaders stressed that the group is working under a tight schedule set by the Board of Selectpersons.

Key deadlines include:

• March 31: Progress update to selectpersons
• June 30: Identification of 3–5 potential sites with analysis
• Sept. 15: Final recommendation

Members acknowledged that the timeline leaves little room for delays.

“These are channel markers,” Martinez said of the deadlines.

Public engagement to expand

The committee is exploring additional public engagement strategies, including small-group discussions and broader community presentations.

Members said future outreach will aim to improve public understanding of facility needs and costs, following two failed referendums.

Survey data indicates broad agreement that facilities are outdated, though consensus on solutions remains unresolved.

Next steps

The committee plans to:

• Finalize and present survey results
• Begin scenario modeling through working groups
• Coordinate with Planning and Zoning and other boards
• Develop a public engagement plan

Officials said the goal is to produce a recommendation that reflects both operational needs and community input.

Nobody said it would be easy.

"I don't think they would have formed this committee had our elected leaders thought that this was anything but a nightmare, right?" Martinez said.