Avon committee selects Option 4 as preferred plan for multi‑station fire facility work, will present two alternatives to Town Council

The Avon Volunteer Fire Department Building Committee on June 24 reviewed architect proposals for renovation, expansion and new construction at three stations and agreed to present two alternatives to the Town Council in September, identifying the more comprehensive “Option 4” as the committee’s preferred approach.

Chairperson James Speich opened the special meeting at AVFD Company No. 1. The project architect summarized outcomes of three prioritization workshops (March 20, April 21 and April 25–May 15) and a survey that drew 61 responses. Committee members repeatedly emphasized shared priorities: health and safety, operational safety, response time and training, the architect said.

The presentation laid out three tiers of scopes for each station — commonly labeled 'Bare Bones,' 'Middle Ground' and 'All In' — and included preliminary estimated costs and projected operational lifespans. Examples from the slides showed Company 1 estimates in the roughly $7.9 million to $9.8 million range for smaller upgrades and higher ranges for larger builds; Company 3 options spanned roughly $16.7 million up to the mid‑$30 million range depending on new construction; department‑wide aggregated scenarios on the slides ranged from about $28 million for a limited approach to more than $66 million for the most extensive 'All In' scenario. The architect noted those figures are preliminary averages based on historical data and assumptions and recommended a third‑party estimate once an option is selected.

Committee member Brian McDermott moved, and committee member Raz Alexe seconded, that the Building Committee present Option 2 ('Middle Ground') and Option 4 (the more comprehensive plan the committee prefers) to the Town Council at its September meeting. The motion carried; the committee asked the architect to prepare a short draft presentation summarizing the prioritization workshops, survey results and the two alternative scopes for review at the committee’s next meeting.

The committee also discussed scheduling, agreeing to consider cancelling its regular July 9 meeting and instead hold a special meeting on Tuesday, July 29 to review the draft materials before the council presentation.

The meeting record shows an earlier procedural vote to approve minutes from the May 15, 2025 special meeting; the record notes the minutes were approved on a motion by Brian McDermott and second by Brian Marizzi, with Raz Alexe recorded as abstaining. Later in the meeting Brian McDermott moved to adjourn at 8:51 p.m.; Gina Kline seconded and the meeting ended.

What happens next: the architect will prepare a draft presentation for the Building Committee to review before staff brings the two alternatives to the Town Council for consideration in September. The slides in the meeting packet advise obtaining a third‑party cost estimate once the committee narrows its preferred option.