Ridgefield Public Safety Committee Reviews 4 Building Plans, Targets November Cost Estimates

RIDGEFIELD, CT — Ridgefield's Public Safety Facilities Committee reviewed four preliminary proposals for new or renovated police and fire facilities Wednesday, Oct. 14, as architects worked toward producing construction cost estimates by mid-November.

The committee also unanimously authorized a contract of less than $3,800 with Nasco Construction Services for cost-estimating services, although no final project costs or building configurations have been determined.

Architects from Kaestle Boos Associates presented preliminary plans for a combined police and fire headquarters on Danbury Road, separate police and fire buildings, and a renovation and expansion of the existing police station.

The combined facility remains a priority for the committee, but its design requires further work, particularly to accommodate police equipment storage, secure parking and other operational needs.

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Sean Schmigle, associate principal at Kaestle Boos, said the firm expects to have more detailed plans and preliminary construction estimates by mid-November.

Ridgefield Public Works and Facilities Director Jacob Muller said the Board of Selectpersons would prefer to receive the committee's recommendation before Thanksgiving, although additional time could be allowed if necessary.

Selectperson Geoffrey Morris clarified that the board's November meetings are scheduled for Nov. 4 and Nov. 18.

Four Building Options Under Review

The architects presented the following preliminary configurations:

• Combined police and fire headquarters: A shared facility on Danbury Road with seven fire apparatus bays, separate police and fire operations, shared training areas and administrative offices. The proposal still needs a more detailed site plan and confirmation that an additional police equipment storage building can fit on the property.
• Standalone fire headquarters: A new two-story station at 217 Danbury Road, with seven apparatus bays, living quarters for career and volunteer firefighters, administrative offices and training facilities. The preliminary plan provides approximately 54 parking spaces.
• Standalone police headquarters: A new building at the Old Quarry Road property, with detention facilities, dispatch operations, administrative offices, training areas, secure parking and an equipment storage building.
• Existing police headquarters renovation: An expansion and extensive renovation of the current building, approximately doubling its size while retaining much of the existing structure. The proposal would require significant building upgrades and potentially relocating police operations during construction.

Schmigle emphasized that the designs remain preliminary and that final square footage figures are not yet available.

The architects are also examining ways to reduce building sizes and improve efficiency before submitting the plans for cost estimates.

Police Chief Identifies Critical Storage Requirement

Police Chief Jeff Kreitz said the standalone police headquarters proposal appears promising but that the combined facility requires more study.

He identified a separate equipment storage building as a critical requirement for police operations.

The department needs enclosed space for equipment, trailers and boats, as well as a secure, environmentally controlled evidence and impound area, he said.

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The standalone police building includes such a structure, while the existing police station renovation would retain the current garage.

However, the combined facility proposal has not yet demonstrated that the required outbuilding can be accommodated.

Kreitz said the department expects to have a clearer assessment of the combined proposal after additional design work.

Fire Chief Rommie Duckworth said the proposed fire facilities are moving in the right direction and that he has not identified any fundamental obstacle that would prevent the plans from proceeding.

He emphasized that a new station must eliminate the need to park fire apparatus in configurations that require vehicles to be moved to access other equipment.

Duckworth said the department's existing facilities were designed for much smaller equipment and do not adequately accommodate modern fire apparatus.

Renovating Police Headquarters Raises Cost And Operational Questions

Committee members questioned whether renovating the existing police headquarters would be more expensive than constructing a new building.

Todd Costa, principal at Kaestle Boos, said extensive structural, mechanical, electrical and other upgrades would be necessary to bring the older building up to current standards.

The project would also require coordination with historic preservation authorities.

Committee Chairman Steve Scalzo said the town needs further discussions with the Historic District Commission to determine how much of the existing building must be preserved.

Costa said the renovation could require relocating police operations for a substantial portion of construction, potentially involving temporary office space, trailers or another facility.

He estimated that construction of a new building of comparable size could take approximately 18 to 20 months.

Kreitz said temporary relocation would present challenges involving prisoner processing, detention, secure communications and other police operations.

The department might need to arrange temporary detention services with another police agency, he said, although no such arrangements have been made.

Wetlands, Property Acquisition Remain Unresolved

The architects also identified potential site constraints affecting the proposed Danbury Road facilities.

Parts of the preliminary fire station design fall within an upland review area associated with wetlands. Costa said the firm would continue examining whether the building could be repositioned outside that area.

The combined facility proposal also depends in part on property the town does not currently own.

Muller said the Board of Selectpersons would continue handling property negotiations and inform the committee when decisions are available.

He recommended preliminary discussions with the Architectural Advisory Committee, Historic District Commission, Inland Wetlands Board and Planning and Zoning Commission to identify permitting and design concerns.

Fire Station Response Times To Be Studied

The committee also discussed a response-time study comparing possible fire station locations.

Muller said JB Consulting had submitted a study and that he requested a revision to clarify its scope.

Committee Secretary Edward Tyrrell said the analysis would compare response times from the proposed Danbury Road location with existing information from the current fire headquarters and the Old Quarry Road property.

Prospect Ridge resident Kirk Carr urged the committee to consider retaining the Catoonah Street fire station as part of a three-station system.

Carr expressed concern that consolidating operations could reduce fire coverage in southern Ridgefield and urged the committee to evaluate the effects before making a recommendation.

Scalzo said the committee previously considered the Catoonah Street property too constrained for substantial expansion, but members agreed that the reasons for excluding it should be documented.

Costa said he would review previous work on the property and available information about potential renovation costs.

Public Feedback Session Could Affect Schedule

Committee member Pamela Dunaway said the town needs to schedule a public feedback session before the committee submits its final recommendation.

She said residents should have sufficient notice and an opportunity to review the options, with time for the committee to consider their comments.

Because the architectural work is still underway, Dunaway said the feedback session could push the committee's final recommendation into early December.

The committee agreed to allow approximately two more weeks for the architects to refine the plans and provide more reliable square footage figures before its next meeting.

During public comment, Tanglewood Court resident Joe Rabideau raised concerns about traffic congestion on Danbury Road and its potential effect on police operations.

Kreitz said officers generally respond to calls from their assigned patrol areas rather than returning to headquarters before each call.

Committee members agreed that traffic conditions, particularly during shift changes, should remain part of the site evaluation.