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Dover chiefs ask committee to fund $150,000 feasibility study for aging Protective Services Building
Summary
At a Feb. 10 Capital Budget Committee meeting, Dover’s police and fire chiefs said the Protective Services Building is outdated and unsafe for current needs and asked the committee to consider a $150,000 feasibility study to evaluate replacement or major renovation; the committee requested more details before any funding decision.
Chief of Police J. Vinci and Fire Chief G. Smith told the Town of Dover Capital Budget Committee on Feb. 10 that the town’s Protective Services Building, constructed in 1978 and renovated between 1990 and 2000, no longer meets operational needs and should be evaluated for replacement or major renovation. They asked the committee to consider allocating $150,000 for a feasibility study to assess options.
The chiefs outlined multiple deficiencies at the building, including inadequate office space (some staff working from storage closets), insufficient and unsecured evidence storage (an evidence room described as an old cell), an out-of-service elevator, recurring HVAC breakdowns, pest infestations and a lack of dedicated training and locker-room facilities. The fire chief noted that the female locker room can only be reached through the fire station, and the fire station itself lacks permanent sleeping quarters and sufficient equipment storage.
The presentation described the facility’s constrained capacity for growth in personnel and file/archive space, and said existing design and plan issues make operations inefficient and raise public-safety storage concerns. The committee asked the chiefs for additional documentation, cost estimates and possible timelines and did not take any funding votes during the meeting.
The Capital Budget Committee unanimously approved prior meeting minutes by roll call at the start of the session; later, committee members said they would schedule follow-up meetings with department leadership to review the feasibility-study proposal, alternatives and potential funding sources before recommending any appropriation to town meeting or the capital plan.
