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Avon committee refines draft Town Council presentation on fire station renovation and expansion
Summary
The Avon Volunteer Fire Department Building Committee reviewed a draft Sept. 5 Town Council presentation outlining renovation, expansion, and new-construction options for three Avon fire-company facilities, requested an updated slide deck from the architect, and noted that detailed estimator costs will be provided Aug. 28 before the council packet is posted.
Avon Volunteer Fire Department Building Committee members on Aug. 14 reviewed and edited a draft presentation that will go to the Avon Town Council on Sept. 5 covering options to renovate, expand, or replace three fire-company facilities.
Chairperson James Speich opened the meeting at 7:01 p.m. in the Avon Room at Town Hall. The Project Architect previewed slides outlining the charge, timeline, historical studies (including a CRG report), community engagement, design concepts and probable-cost summaries. Committee members provided edits to the deck and asked staff to circulate an updated draft next week.
Assistant Town Manager Grace Tiezzi told the committee the Project Estimator’s detailed costs were not yet available; the estimator’s numbers are expected on Aug. 28 and will be shared with the committee before the council agenda is posted Aug. 30. The consultant’s slides presented opinions of probable cost using placeholders and listed typical cost components—construction, project development, and contingencies—while several funding and schedule items remained "not specified." The presentation included estimated project durations ranging from about 12 to 16 months for various options.
The slide deck summarized existing conditions and programming needs for Avon Fire Co. 1 (25 Darling Drive), Avon Fire Co. 3 (490 West Avon Road) and Company No. 4 (365 Huckleberry Hill Road), noting accessibility and egress concerns, bay congestion, moisture and potential asbestos-containing materials at some sites. Consultant teams differed: two recommended renovation/addition at their evaluated locations, one recommended new construction on an alternate site, and one recommended no work at a particular location at this time. Conceptual site plans, lower- and upper-level floor plans and massing were shown for each option.
The consultants presented a three-phase phasing scenario: build the new Co. 3 first to provide swing space, then renovate Co. 1 and finally renovate Co. 4; slides listed pros and cons for each phase, including escalation risk and temporary relocations. The committee also reviewed community-engagement methods used so far, including neighborhood meetings and open-house walkthroughs.
Fire Marshal and Volunteer Fire Chief Bruce Appell gave a brief update on a recent visit to a Norwalk firehouse. No public comments were recorded; three audience members attended but left before offering remarks.
Procedurally, the committee voted to table the minutes of July 10, 2024, on a motion by James Speich, seconded by Brian McDermott, and later adjourned at 8:34 p.m. on a motion by Brian McDermott, seconded by Brian Marizzi; both motions were approved unanimously by the members present. The committee indicated it has completed its study tasks and will seek direction from the Town Council at the Sept. 5 presentation.
The Town Council packet is expected to include the architect slides and the Project Estimator’s cost report; the committee flagged funding sources, professional fee assumptions and construction-start timing as items that still need specification.
