A special Fire House Building Committee appointed by the Board of Selectmen has been working on plans for a new firehouse to replace the old one on Shepard Road. Meetings are held as needed, and are open to the public; agendas are posted here. This page contains updates and background resources including documents and plans. Please direct questions or inquiries to the Selectmen’s Office: 860-542-5829.
6/20/24
A special meeting of the Fire House Building Committee will be held Thursday, June 27, at 6:00 p.m. in Town Hall. The meeting is public. Click here to see the agenda, which has a link for those wishing to attend by Zoom.
6/6/24
The Firehouse Building Committee hopes to have a plan for the new facility finalized by the end of July, First Selectman Matt Riiska told his board of selectmen Tuesday afternoon.
“Members of the fire department have been attending the building committee meetings, so a lot of things are being hashed out. They’re doing a very good job of getting a plan that meets the fire department’s requirements but is well within reason of what they really need,” he said.
He said architect David Stein recommended this week that the town employ a project manager. “I’m relying on David to provide names of people who we hope will apply,” Riiska said, adding that a subcommittee would make the selection. The project manager will get solid quotes for different components. The cost is estimated at $75,000 to $85,000.
Also to be hired is an estimator, who will look at the final plan and estimate how much it will cost so the town can pursue funding. That position could command a salary of about $15,000.
The town is in line for $3 million in state funding and Riiska is trying to get another million in a federal grant. He confirmed that even though government money is involved, the town will not be compelled to take the lowest bid.
Since the Planning and Zoning Commission gave approval for the site’s development, committee discussions have centered on what the building will look like. “We’re very aware of what it will look like and how it will fit into the community,” he said.
The building will be constructed next to City Meadow and will be visible from a number of vantage points around the town’s center. Stein designed the building to have a rustic, barn-like quality so it would fit into the rural character of Norfolk and echo the color palette of nearby buildings. The building committee is now juggling how to achieve that appearance while keeping costs down.
5/31/24
The Firehouse Building Committee has started getting deep into details about what the new firehouse might look like when completed.
“We’re in the process of looking at different finishes, interior floor plans and things that will be going into the final cost analysis,” said First Assistant Fire Chief Matt Ludwig. “We haven’t picked things like fixtures, wall coverings or floor coverings. Next month, we will look at the mechanicals. We have to bring all that to a company that will create a cost projection based on the design.”
During Monday’s meeting the committee saw a slide presentation by architect David Stein of preliminary sketches for the interior design. Stein is the principal of the firm Silver Petrucelli and presented the design concept that was taken to the Planning and Zoning Commission.
“It’s all very preliminary,” said Ludwig. “We will have another meeting in June when we’ll get a little more.”
The meetings are open to the public.