Politics & Government
Ridgefield Public Safety Committee Authorizes Soil Testing For Potential Sites
Ridgefield committee approved soil testing and reviewed police facility needs as site evaluations continue.
RIDGEFIELD, CT — The Public Safety Facilities Committee voted June 18 to spend up to $15,000 on soil testing for properties under consideration as part of the town's ongoing effort to identify locations for future public safety facilities.
Following an executive session to discuss privately owned real property, the committee voted 5-0 to authorize the testing. Denis Graves made the motion, seconded by Steve Scalzo.
Earlier in the meeting, members received a detailed presentation on police department operational needs from Ridgefield Police Chief Jeff Kreitz and the committee's Needs and Site Assessment Due Diligence Working Group. The discussion focused on how site selection and facility design could affect police operations, staffing, training, evidence management and public access.
Kreitz described the current police headquarters as inefficient for modern law enforcement operations, citing workflow challenges caused by the building's layout. Officers regularly move between floors to access locker rooms, equipment, briefing rooms and patrol vehicles before beginning a shift, he said. He told committee members that newer police facilities are designed to streamline those functions and improve deployment efficiency.
Related: Ridgefield Public Safety Panel Reviews Fire Station Needs And Facility Options
The chief also outlined space needs for front-office public services, patrol operations, communications, evidence storage, booking and detention functions, training facilities and specialized units. He said the department's current locker rooms, evidence storage areas and detention facilities are undersized and outdated. Kreitz noted that officers often must seek outside locations for community programs and training sessions because the headquarters lacks adequate meeting space.
Committee members questioned Kreitz about staffing levels, dispatch operations, parking requirements and future growth needs. Kreitz said the department currently has 56 parking spaces and estimated a future facility would ideally accommodate about 80 spaces to handle shift changes, special events and emergency operations.
Police Commission members also addressed the committee. Commissioner Sharon Wicks Dornfeld said the town has reached a point where continued repairs to the existing police and fire facilities provide diminishing returns. She cited recent expenditures on building maintenance and argued that the town needs facilities better suited to current public safety operations.
Commissioner Ralph Money urged the committee to evaluate future facilities using four priorities: physical security, community-oriented design, operational efficiency and the ability to accommodate future expansion.
See Also: Ridgefield Finance Board Raises Concerns About BOE Surplus Policy, Reviews Capital Planning
Representatives from architecture and engineering firm Kaestle Boos Associates, which is advising the committee, discussed how police facility designs can be adapted to different sites while maintaining operational requirements. Committee members and consultants discussed factors that could affect site selection, including traffic circulation, parking, emergency vehicle access, future expansion opportunities and the separation of public and secure areas.
No public comments were offered. The committee adjourned at 9:55 p.m. after returning from executive session.
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