Board directs staff to further study DPW site for new police station after feasibility review
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Summary
Following a consultant briefing comparing three candidate sites, the Village of Germantown board directed staff to pursue additional study of the old DPW site for a new police facility, adopting staff and police leadership’s operational preference despite questions about utility extension costs and response‑time implications.
The Village of Germantown board voted to direct staff to complete additional study of the old Department of Public Works (DPW) site as the preferred location for a new police station.
Consultants presented a three‑site feasibility comparison (existing police site at Mequon Road, a former Kwik Trip/Mequon Road parcel, and the former DPW site). Estimated total project costs across the options were broadly similar in the consultant’s analysis, with conceptual totals in the roughly $28.9M–$30.7M range and a reported spread of about $1.9M between the least and most expensive options. Staff noted risks at each site: floodplain and wetland delineation concerns at the Kwik Trip site and shallow bedrock and a water/sewer extension (estimated at roughly $2.3M) at the DPW site.
Police Chief Martin, citing operational layout and room for future growth, said the DPW site would better support the department’s needs, including space for evidence storage, impound areas and improved staff/citizen traffic flow. “I don’t like squad cars coming in off of Western Avenue,” Chief Martin said, arguing for a layout that keeps patrol operations less exposed and provides outside storage and future expansion capacity.
Some trustees questioned response‑time implications and the cost to reconstruct Commerce Circle to village standards; others stressed the value of future expandability and the potential to extend utilities to spur development. After a roundtable of trustees, Trustee Jesse Baum moved to approve completing the detailed study on the DPW site; the motion carried with three trustees opposed. Trustees asked that the village’s new financial advisers (Baird) review the financial implications before the board makes any final selection.
The directive tasks staff and consultants with refining site‑specific estimates, detailing the water/sewer extension costs and utility phasing, and returning cost and schedule information for the DPW site for subsequent board consideration.
