A new phase of the fire house capital campaign is beginning with a goal of raising additional funds to reduce the amount of a municipal bond that will cover costs not met through municipal funds, grants or donations already pledged.
There will be a targeted mailing to a group of potential donors in Norfolk and to persons in neighboring towns with strong connections to the town.
The fire department will also send out a mailing to all town residents to get funds for furniture and equipment for the new structure. The letter is slated to be mailed by the end of October.
Construction of the new building is “cruising along,” according to First Selectman Henry Tirrell, a member of the building committee. The firefighters expect to move into their new quarters before the end of January and once all operations have been transferred to the new headquarters, the old fire house, which sits cheek by jowl with the new, will be demolished. Final landscaping and paving will take place in the spring.
Contractors now are working to seal the building from the elements so interior work can continue as the weather gets colder. The metal roof has been installed, shingling is underway, and windows are being put in. The committee expects exterior siding to be applied over the next few weeks.
Meanwhile, the firefighters are mulling over the cost of building a three-bay garage. Two types of construction are under consideration: A Morton-style building (post-frame structures built with laminated wood columns, thick 26-gauge roll-formed steel panels, and clear-span framing) is currently estimated at $140,000, while a conventional steel building would be about $100,000 more. Additional anticipated costs are $140,000 for the foundation, retaining wall and floor slab; $40,000 for doors; $25,000 for signage, hardware and related items, and $59,000 for electrical work. Heating estimates are still pending.
Residents recently approved $125,000 for preliminary site work on the garage site, which would include installation of conduits for utilities and foundation work, but not the floor slab.