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Select Board hears two test-fit designs for new police station at 100 Brick Hill Road
Summary
Architects and the Police Facility Advisory Committee showed two site schemes for the approved 100 Brick Hill Road location, recommending a plan that preserves interior space for future recreation and shared parking. The board set community forums and design milestones, and asked for targeted abutter outreach and refined cost estimates ahead of a possible warrant request for Fall 2026.
Architects and the Police Facility Advisory Committee presented two competing site test-fit plans on Jan. 28 for the town-approved 100 Brick Hill Road parcel, a key step toward a proposed new Falmouth police facility and related recreational space.
One scheme orients the building to Brick Hill Road and places the public entry and main parking at that frontage; the alternative shifts the public drive through to Route 28, locating parking and recreation access within the interior of the site and tucking vehicle storage and impound functions away from sightlines near play fields. The committee voted to recommend the second option, citing reduced site work, more preserved open space and cleaner separation between public recreation and police operational uses.
Town staff and the design team from Tecton Architects said both schemes would share a single primary access with the town's planned sewer lift-station work and stressed the need to coordinate phasing and contractor schedules. Proposed facilities in the schematic include a public community room and front entry, secured staff parking and sally-port for detainee processing, an impound area and an out-building that could be designed to pay homage to the parcel's agricultural history. The plans show staff and cruiser parking, an impound yard and a possible future covered training/firing range adjacent to the operational zone.
The board and designers discussed operational questions staff had raised: emergency egress onto Route 28, parking capacity and staffing shifts, and the visual treatment of Brick Hill Road frontage. Police-operations staff told the board the current station's parking is regularly full and that the new facility needs space for cruisers, civilian staff parking, trailers and specialty vehicles.
Schedule and next steps: the project team will hold two community forums (one targeted to abutters) and return to the Select Board in late February or March with further schematic-design estimates. Design milestones presented to the board anticipate schematic-design estimates and 100% schematic plans around March 20, 2026, and construction-document estimates by August 2026; the team said a construction-warrant budget could be ready for a Fall Town Meeting candidacy, with a possible construction start in March 2027 if voter approval and permitting proceed as planned.
Why it matters: the site decision shapes construction cost, environmental mitigation and long-term public use of the parcel. Board members pressed for clear abutter outreach, a realistic timeline for independent cost estimates and clarity about operating cost impacts and tax implications the project would carry for residents.
Speakers quoted: "We're trying to create more of a community-focused site development," said Matt Salad of Tecton Architects, describing the recommended scheme. "We're preserving significantly more recreation and open space with this option." Police Facility Advisory Committee members and the town's project manager said the recommendation followed operational reviews and public feedback.
What's next: the town will hold community forums in early February and March and return to the Select Board with cost-estimate updates and a recommended financing plan before seeking inclusion on a warrant for a borrowing vote later this year.
