The Public Safety Building Committee presented concept drawings and a proposed project framework to the New Shoreham Town Council on Oct. 20, laying out a phased approach to replace and expand fire, rescue and communications facilities on the existing municipal lot.

The proposal foresees a two-story, roughly 19,000-square-foot structure. The ground floor would provide bays for seven fire apparatus (single deep), approximately 2,500 square feet of training, storage and turnout gear rooms, and vehicle access oriented toward Ocean Avenue. The upper floor would include five ambulance/smaller-vehicle bays, roughly 4,800 square feet of office/kitchen/bunk/alternate dispatch space, and potential future overnight capacity.

Committee members said the plan is shaped by the site’s constrained footprint, regulatory setback buffers (DEM and CRMC), and the lot’s grade changes: the design places much of the driving surfaces to maximize turning radii and to avoid encroaching into sensitive buffers. The committee recommended building the new structure first so the existing rescue facility could remain in service during construction; after occupancy, the old rescue building would be rotated and repurposed to accommodate a sally port, new dispatch center and related police functions.

Chief Paul Dean (identified in the discussion as the fire chief) described how the reuse would address a current lack of a secure sally port for prisoner processing and provide an upgraded dispatch facility. Consultant Scott Catell and committee members stressed the operational need to keep apparatus “single deep” where possible to preserve response flexibility, and they noted a grade differential that requires raising the new building floor above current sidewalk grade to accommodate vehicle movement and turning.

The committee said it is ready to release a request for qualifications (RFQ) for architectural and engineering services to refine designs, produce 60% and 100% design sets and develop permitting and budget estimates. Funding for preliminary design work is expected to come from a federal appropriation the town has secured; committee members said they can scale the facility footprint down if budget constraints require.

Councilors asked about traffic sightlines when engines exit onto Ocean Avenue and suggested including flashing beacons or other warning measures as part of design work. Committee members said the building’s 40-foot setback and apron should allow visibility and safe turning radii; staff and the committee agreed to consider additional traffic-safety measures.

No formal council vote was required; the committee asked the council for guidance to proceed with the RFQ and to prioritize design work. Councilors generally expressed support for moving to design while acknowledging remaining cost and siting constraints.

Clarifying details: the concept includes a temporary dispatch/communications location during construction, phased demolition of the old apparatus building, and an estimated footprint of 19,000 square feet for the preferred option. Committee and staff will return with RFQ documents and preliminary cost estimates.