Finance Committee hears update: town owns fire station property; single-floor design moves forward

Committee members reported that the town has closed on the Bridal Road parcel intended for a new fire station and that design work has advanced. The building committee has moved toward a single-floor layout and engineers are preparing preliminary site plans for Planning Board review in September.

Neil said the land purchase is complete: “We now own the property,” and noted the design team has updated surveys that will allow realistic site placement and reduce uncertainty about tree removals and abutter concerns. The committee discussed alternatives and concluded the preferred approach is to strengthen and extend Sarah’s Way rather than pursue a larger cut through ledge. Members noted design choices aim to meet high-efficiency standards; engineers reported the building will largely meet the stricter stretch-code objectives without needing the proposed stretch-code warrant article.