$35 Million Public Safety/DPW Complex to Get Town Meeting Vote

Voters in Mansfield will have a chance to approve a new proposed $34.9 million public safety and DPW complex this May.

Presented to the selectmen by by Fire Chief Neil Boldrighini, the East Street complex at the site of the current public works site would feature a 40,238-square-foot public safety building and a new 36,560-square-foot DPW building in the back of the lot.

During construction, the DPW would move across the street before converting the temporary headquarters into a salt farm.

During his presentation, Boldrighini said the current fire department can’t expand due to the size of the lot, the age of the building and building code deficiencies.

An East Street building would also make it easier for the fire department to respond to calls in more areas of town according to the fire chief.

In the police department, Boldrighini said the police station does not meet the department’s current needs. There are not enough cells to house prisoners and the booking area is too small, noting that Mansfield’s booking area is busier than Braintree and Quincy combined.

In the DPW building, there is not enough space to house equiptment and vehicles, leaving garages very crowded with little space for maintenance.

To pay for the project, the town would use debt exclusion for a 25-year period. The temporary property tax increase would be removed once the project is paid for.

If approved, East Street would be widened with a new turn lane and lights synced with nearby intersections.

The proposal will go up for a vote at the Annual Town Meeting on May 19. Click here to watch the town’s presentation on the complex.