Village hosts public session on proposed police, fire and administration facilities; bowling‑alley site moves forward for study

Village of Hartland officials and their consultants presented preliminary plans, cost estimates and site options Monday as they continue a multi‑year study on replacing and relocating police, fire and administrative facilities.

The meeting centered on space shortfalls in the current buildings and possible locations for new facilities, including a privately owned bowling‑alley parcel that officials said now appears to be a viable option. "The building we are in — the most recent addition was in the 1980s," said Devin, a project representative with Keller, the design firm working with the village. "Remodeling costs, within this building, looking at a total ... you're talking 6 to 9,000,000." Devin said the firms began formal work on site evaluations and needs assessments in 2024 after an earlier firm completed initial studies in 2022–23.

Why it matters: The village's police and fire departments both operate from aging facilities that officials said are too small for present and projected needs. Moving or replacing them could require village borrowing, affect local taxes and trigger environmental and planning reviews. Officials repeatedly stressed that no final decision had been made and that environmental studies and appraisals would follow before construction.

Key facts and figures

- Current and projected space: Keller gave the fire department's existing building at about 8,900 square feet with future needs near 19,800 square feet; the police facility is about 8,500 square feet with future needs near 22,000 square feet. Devin said combined police and administration planning has a program figure near 36,000 square feet.

- Cost estimates and taxpayer impact: Officials discussed an illustrative borrowing figure of $28 million for a combined project. Ryan, a village finance staff member, said that amount would translate roughly to "$1.10 per thousand dollars of assessed value" over 20 years — "so $350,000 would be about $385 a year." The village said the $28 million figure did not yet include debt service and that final tax impacts would be set when financing details are determined.

- Maintenance versus replacement: Chief of Police Torrance Nisco said the older municipal building faces about $4 million in near‑term maintenance — roofing, HVAC and utilities — and questioned sinking more money into a structure officials called inefficient for modern public‑safety operations. "Do we wanna stick all this good money into a building that doesn't really serve the community's needs?" Nisco asked.

Site options and process

Design staff described a long list of properties reviewed during the study, including village‑owned parcels (Centennial Park, Hartbrook Park, Cottonwood parcels), Zion Church and school properties, the existing fire station site, and the private bowling‑alley parcel that was recently put on the market. Devin said the bowling‑alley parcel "does fit" program requirements and would allow planners to leave Hartbrook Park out of the immediate site search.

Village President Jeff Fannerstil and other board members said they prefer evaluating village‑owned sites first but acknowledged tradeoffs: parks lost or reconfigured, floodplain and parking constraints, and community concerns. Chief Jamper (Hartland fire chief) said Hartbrook Park and some other park sites have floodplain and access issues that make building there challenging.

Public input and safety considerations

Residents raised response‑time concerns tied to railroad tracks that bisect the village; several asked whether services should be split north and south of the tracks or whether a bridge or other crossing improvements were needed. Chief Jamper and other emergency officials said they already use tactics such as sending chase vehicles and coordinating routing with dispatch when trains block crossings; Jamper reported routine village response times generally under four minutes.

Officials also described operational needs driving the program: secure, larger evidence storage for police (in part to meet state retention rules), additional apparatus and drive‑through bays for fire vehicles, more dormitory and gear‑cleaning capacity for firefighters, and expanded internal evidence and processing lab space. Devin told residents that many police and fire departments face similar constraints: "Evidence rooms get tight fast."

Timeline and next steps

Officials said the village board will consider a resolution of necessity related to the bowling‑alley parcel at the next village board meeting (the administration said that item would appear on the upcoming agenda). If the board approves the resolution, an appraisal and negotiations or eminent‑domain steps would follow as allowed by state law; officials said any land purchase or condemnation discussions could involve closed‑session negotiations where legally appropriate. The village emphasized environmental reviews and other studies will be performed once a site advances beyond the initial screening stage.

No formal votes were taken at the public session. Village staff and the consultants said additional outreach, tours of the existing police and fire facilities and a possible special meeting to dive into site deficiencies were likely before any final selection or financing action.

Ending

Officials asked residents to monitor village board and plan commission agendas for updates and noted they will publish meeting materials on the village website and by notification lists. The design team invited residents to tours of the police and fire facilities and to submit questions and suggestions while the village continues the study.