Bel Air Police Station: 3 Options For Building Proposed

BEL AIR, MD — The Bel Air Police Department has been below the Town Hall on Hickory Avenue for decades and has approached a critical time in its history. There is nowhere for the public to have community meetings, for evidence to be adequately stored or for prisoners to be detained in a secure area with separate entry.

Officers are using space heaters to stay warm, and there is a mold problem, according to Bel Air Director of Planning Kevin Small.

The town of Bel Air commissioned Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates Architects earlier this year to evaluate options for the police department. The Pennsylvania firm presented its three concepts for the department's future at a public meeting in the Bel Air Town Hall on Tuesday, Nov. 27.

"We're in the conceptual phase at this point," Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates Program Manager Todd Vukmanic said during the presentation, which featured a general idea of what the future could hold. Floor plans and outlines of the footprint for each option were shown.

Two options are located in the current space on North Hickory Avenue with differing degrees of renovations, while a third option would move the police department to a new location on the other side of the Bel Air library.

"Do I personally think that we need a new building?" Bel Air Police Chief Charles Moore said at the Nov. 27 meeting. "Looking at some of the things downstairs, I think it's inadequate," he said.

Moore noted he had been in law enforcement buildings in every county around the state throughout his career. Before becoming the police chief for Bel Air in 2015, he was a Maryland State Police captain who worked in barracks from Centreville to Waterloo to Westminster from 1998 to 2014, when he was appointed the warden of the Harford County Detention Center.

This is the third study commissioned in the past 12 years for the Bel Air Police Department space. Other studies were conducted in 2006 and 2009.

"We're hoping the third time's a charm," Small said. Each year that there is a delay incurs about a 3 to 4 percent cost increase, officials said, based on market conditions.

Here are details of the proposals presented in the 2018 feasability study:

Option 1:

• 15,400-square-foot police department
• Least impact on the site
• 5,190 square feet of minor renovations
• 7,128 square feet of major renovations
• Exit improved between alleyway and Bel Air library
• Maintains existing park and trees
• $8.5 million estimated cost

Option 2:

• 19,080-square-foot police department
• Moderate impact on site
  • Trees on Lee Way moved to make more room for parking
• Incorporates Bel Air economic development and IT offices into first-floor footprint
• 5,190 square feet of minor renovations
• 7,128 square feet of major renovations
• Exit improved between alleyway and Bel Air library
• Separate staff entrance for police
• $10 million estimated cost

Option 3:

• 21,514-square-foot police department on south Hickory site
• New police department to be built on opposite side of library
• Significant site work will be required
• 5,190 square feet of minor renovations
• 7,128 square feet of major renovations
  • Still incorporates downstairs renovations to Town Hall lower level. "Given the conditions," Small said, a total renovation would be required to use the space for anything.
    • Lower level could house IT, planning or storage
    • "One of our biggest needs right now is storage," Small said.
• $11.485 million estimated cost
  • Town leadership concerned about cost and security due to parking garage nearby

Factors important to town and police leadership included access to the public, security/safety and proximity to other town offices as well as cost.

One member of the audience at the Nov. 27 presentation said she wanted to ensure the park space was preserved as much as possible, rather than putting more concrete in that part of town.

Next steps are for the town to determine which option should be further developed.

"We anticipate taking all the comments people provided [and] trying to review some of our existing options, seeing whether we create another option or we adjust one of the existing options, or go with one as you see it," Small said.

"Obviously, the big thing there will be cost," Small added. "That's something that we'll be wrestling with probably over the next month into 2019. I expect we'll see some activity from the town come the new year."

Those who would like to submit comments on the plans can email planning@belairmd.org. People can also come into the office Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m at the Planning Department, 705 E. Churchville Rd, Bel Air, MD 21013.

• Future Of Bel Air Police Station Up For Discussion
• Expansion For Bel Air Police Department Ahead

Photos by Elizabeth Janney.

This article has been updated.