The Fire Station Advisory Committee presented a redesigned proposal for a new Fire Station No. 2 in West Swanzey, saying the 2025 estimate is $3,960,119 and that the select board has decided the project can be completed for $3,500,000, funded in part by a proposed $2,500,000 bond and existing town capital reserve funds.

The presentation compared the current proposal to last year’s plan, stating the earlier estimate was $5,280,000 and that the 2025 proposal reduces costs primarily through a smaller, more efficient design. "The proposed fire station represents a significant savings over previous proposals," the Fire Station Advisory Committee said.

Why it matters: the committee said lower construction and site-preparation costs reduced the total, and that using a wood-frame building rather than a metal-fabricated structure produced the largest single saving. The committee also noted a $50,000 allowance in the estimate to cover possible winter-related construction costs.

The committee described funding options and the select board’s decision. According to the presentation, because there is money in the fire station capital reserve account and other available funding sources, the bond needed for the 2025 proposal would be $2,500,000, compared with the 2024 warrant article’s proposed $4,000,000 bond. The presentation said the overall project cost "is estimated to be over $1,000,000 less than last year's estimated cost, and we can go even lower." The committee urged residents to vote on the proposal at the deliberative session on Feb. 4 and at the town election on March 11, 2025.

Discussion versus decision: the committee framed the numbers as its recommendation and reported that the select board "has decided that we can complete the new fire station number 2 for $3,500,000." The presentation did not include a recorded motion or vote tally in the transcript provided. The proposal will require voter approval at the upcoming deliberative session and town election before construction can proceed.

Public outreach and next steps: the committee listed open houses for residents to review the design and provided an email for questions (jwardswanzey@gmail.com). The committee credited volunteers for time spent on the project and encouraged attendance at the deliberative session on Feb. 4 and the town election on March 11, 2025.

Details that were stated but not recorded in formal votes: the presentation supplied two cost-estimate figures (an initial 2025 estimate of $3,960,119 and the select board’s target of $3,500,000), a $50,000 winter-construction allowance, and comparisons to last year’s $5,280,000 estimate and the 2024 proposed $4,000,000 bond. The transcript did not provide a roll-call vote, a mover/second, or a formal warrant-article text in the meeting record.