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Tectonic presenter outlines interior design, timeline for Middletown 911 center
Summary
The design team presented completed design-development drawings and finishes for the new Middletown Public Safety 911 Center, said cost estimates will arrive before the July holiday, and staff confirmed plans to submit to planning and zoning in August and hold a public forum after the July 23 meeting.
The project designer identified in the meeting as Tectonic presented completed design-development drawings and finish selections for Middletown’s new Public Safety 911 Center and said updated cost estimates should be ready before the Independence Day holiday to inform a budget update next month.
The presenter said the team prioritized durable, low-life-cycle materials — porcelain tile in high-traffic areas, low-pile modular carpet in quieter zones, rubber flooring in fitness and dirty spaces, and quartz countertops — paired with a calming blue-and-green palette intended to reduce dispatcher stress. “We really wanted to offer a calming work environment for the dispatchers,” the presenter said, explaining choices of acoustical wall panels and static-dissipative carpeting to control noise and electrostatic risk in the call center.
The designer described dispatch consoles with multiple monitors to support 911, radio, the CAD system and situational-awareness displays, plus a raised access floor and “tech towers” so technicians can service computer boxes without crawling under desks. On equipment protection, the presenter said the server room will use a clean-agent suppression system or a dry/preaction arrangement rather than an ordinary wet-pipe sprinkler system to reduce the risk of water damage to critical electronics.
Director reported that staff met with the land use department and plan to submit materials to the planning and zoning commission for the August hearing. To give neighbors advance notice, Director said the project team will send a drafted letter to abutters and host a public open forum immediately following the committee’s regularly scheduled meeting on July 23. “We are in the process of designing and we’re going to start construction soon for this building,” Director said, adding the goal is to brief nearby residents before they receive formal abutter notices.
Committee members asked about accessibility, windows and habitability of spaces. The presenter confirmed training-room layouts will accommodate wheelchair access to tables, specified ADA transfer showers (not roll-in showers) with at least one transfer shower provided, and agreed to add north-side windows to bring natural light to the dispatch area at modest added cost (presenter estimated roughly $2,000–$3,000 for a ~16-square-foot opening, to be reflected in the next cost estimate).
On schedule and procurement, the presenter said documents will be coordinated with the purchasing department and issued for bid in about two months, and a separate follow-up with the building commissioner is planned to confirm permitting and life-safety coordination.
The meeting closed the design discussion with staff committed to distributing updated estimates and organizing neighborhood outreach ahead of the August planning-and-zoning submittal.
