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Swanzey advisory committee to recommend replacement for Fire Station No. 2 ahead of March 2025 vote
Summary
A Select Board-appointed Fire Station Advisory Committee says it will present a recommendation for replacing Fire Station No. 2 at the March 2025 election after reviewing a failed 2024 bond, touring local stations and focusing on lowering project cost.
The Town of Swanzey Select Board-appointed Fire Station Advisory Committee said it will present a recommendation for replacing Fire Station No. 2 for consideration on the March 2025 ballot, after reviewing a failed March 2024 bond proposal and focusing on ways to reduce project cost.
The committee said Fire Station No. 2 is currently housed beneath the town hall and that an earlier bond proposal failed in March 2024. The committee’s stated work this summer and fall has included reviewing the prior proposal, visiting Swanzey’s three fire stations and touring a recently built station in Westmoreland to study cost and design options.
The advisory committee — made up of town board and committee members, current and past firefighters, and other local residents and business people — told the public it has held frequent meetings open to residents since July. Committee members said keeping three stations best serves the town because it keeps properties within a reasonable distance of a station; the committee also identified cost as the primary obstacle that contributed to the earlier bond’s failure.
As part of its outreach, the committee said it will hold open houses at Fire Station No. 2 where firefighters and committee members will be available to answer questions. The committee signaled that subsequent posts and public sessions will explain the committee’s steps in selecting locations and designing a station intended to meet basic needs at lower cost, and will outline the committee’s final recommendation ahead of the March 2025 vote.
The Select Board formally appointed the Fire Station Advisory Committee to explore options, investigate reasons the prior ballot measure failed and recommend cost-reduction measures; the posting did not provide details about the board’s appointment vote or any motion text. The committee’s written summary did not specify projected cost estimates, exact dates for open houses or whether a specific design or site has been chosen.
