On Friday, Jan. 27, Affordable Housing Subcommittee members met at Town Hall to discuss the town’s future plans to build a new fire station in a more centralized location and the possibility of tearing down the current fire station on Summer Street to build affordable housing for the community.
The discussion focused on finding a local developer to tear down the fire station and building affordable or workforce housing. However, according to town laws, the lot can not be used for residential use without a variance, which Town Planner Danica Melone said complicates the process.
“Our zoning is already so patchy and poorly designed,” said Melone.
Since the project to build affordable housing on Summer Street is still in the preliminary stages and no budget has been approved, Planning Board Chairwoman Stephanie Hurley said the town is unlikely to see any major results in 2023.
“It’s not going to happen in the next year, no way,” said Hurley.
Officials have identified a town-owned 5-acre property on Elm Street, known as Evans Flats, as a possible location for a new fire station. According to Fire Chief Ed Walker, the proposed plans to build on Evans Flats were initiated due to the station’s major structural issues, spacing limitations and downtown traffic complications during emergency calls.
Due to the major limitations of the current building, Walker said it’s best to start from scratch at a new location.
“That building is going to have to torn down; it’s not structurally sound,” said Walker.
The Municipal Campus Task Force had been planning the project to build a fire station on Elm Street, but Budget Committee members balked at the proposed $23 million price tag, and town officials later discovered that the bond for the cost would put the town over its state-mandated debt limit. In May 2022, Town Meeting approved a $1.3 million bond for design and engineering of a new municipal campus and fire station on Elm Street. In October, the Select Board provided 70 percent of total bond capacity target for the project, and in December, the board approved the creation of an request-for-quote (RFQ) selection team to determine construction and architectural services.
According to Walker, the town has not decided on a proposed budget for a new fire station. Walker said he’s in the process of finding a construction manager, and Peterborough residents can expect to hear about the proposed budget by next year.
“May of 2024 is when we will ask voters to approve the budget,” said Walker.