Hartland board reviews conceptual designs for new municipal complex as contract and schedule snags slow blueprints

At its final meeting of the year, the Village of Hartland board reviewed conceptual drawings from Keller for a combined municipal complex that would house a police department, village hall/community center and a fire station, and discussed legal and scheduling hurdles that have delayed the start of architectural blueprints.

The architect, Devin of Keller, told trustees the site is workable and that the design team is balancing cost with a “classic municipal” look by using precast panels with inset masonry. He said the team had hoped to be further along: “We are not drawing construction documents, And we're not drawing them tomorrow and we're not drawing them next week,” Devin said, adding that work on contracts has taken more time than expected and pushed the schedule back.

Police leadership and the architect outlined operational needs that helped shape the design. The police chief said a larger evidence-processing area and improved garage space are priorities and emphasized training and qualification needs. On the question of an on-site firearms range — a four-lane, 25-yard facility the department could use for state qualifications — the chief described preliminary cost estimates as “roughly about that half $1,000,000 mark,” and cautioned that ventilation, berms and sound mitigation add both cost and complexity. Trustees discussed alternatives, including partnerships with nearby facilities, mobile containerized ranges and potential lease arrangements for outside agencies.

Trustees asked about building form, future expansion and the trade-offs of building additional office capacity now versus adding space later. Devin and several trustees noted the village is largely landlocked, which limits future annexation and large expansions; he said the design includes modest growth capacity where feasible. For the fire station, the board reviewed architectural features such as overhead doors, a combined hose tower that doubles as a training tower and mezzanine storage.

A procedural sticking point remains procurement structure. Board members and staff said Kelly (the design/GC firm) expressed an interest in performing both design and general-contractor roles, but village counsel raised concerns about combining those roles under state law. President Fanner said the village’s attorney, Hector, “is stating that his opinion is state law doesn't allow it,” and trustees discussed whether to sign separate contracts for architecture and construction or to authorize an architecture-only contract so blueprints can proceed while procurement issues are resolved.

Devin gave a condensed timeline: if contracts and direction are clarified in coming months, construction documents could be started after February, bidding could occur in early summer and groundwork might begin in late summer; moving police functions into the new facility was projected in early 2028 under an optimistic schedule. The board set as a near-term objective further contract discussion at the January 12 meeting and signaled willingness to consider a split-contract approach to avoid further delays.

Trustees asked for follow-up materials and clarifications — including a clearer list of what is included in construction documents and options for signage and lighting that limit residential light pollution — and directed staff to continue working with Keller and counsel. The board did not take a formal construction-authorizing vote at the meeting; next procedural steps include resolving procurement questions with legal counsel and potentially approving an architecture contract to start drawing plans.

The presentation drew broad support for the concepts but left procurement and final scope subject to further review. The board expects to revisit contracts and next steps at its Jan. 12 meeting.