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Seabrook council asks for public workshop after reviewing alternate police-station sites including a high-ground corner
Summary
Council reviewed alternate sites for a proposed police station, including a high-ground corner near Meyer and SH 146 with an asking price staff reported around $2.7 million, and directed staff to organize a public workshop so residents can weigh site trade-offs before final selection or a bond vote.
Council members reviewed multiple alternative locations for a proposed new police station Dec. 3 and directed staff to hold a public workshop/open house so residents can view options and provide input before the city finalizes a site recommendation.
Staff and the architect reported five potential parcels, noting a site at Meyer and State Highway 146 as the most optimal from a flood-elevation perspective. The broker-listed price for that corner was cited at roughly $2.7 million during the discussion. Council members raised concerns about the fiscal trade-offs of buying a high-value corner that could otherwise be used for retail (ad valorem tax implications), potential traffic and school adjacency concerns, and the cost of conducting multiple preliminary designs.
Several councilmembers said voters should be informed of site trade-offs before a bond election and favored a public workshop format (a more interactive open-house style) to educate residents about cost, traffic and tax implications. Staff said a short December timeline may be necessary to inform bond scheduling and that a contingency contract approach could be explored to hold a site while proceeding through public vetting.
Outcome: Council asked staff to arrange a public workshop as soon as practical and to return with additional cost estimates, contingency-purchase options and a proposed public-engagement schedule in advance of any bond election.
