The town has received the requisite approvals from the Jaffrey planning and zoning boards for a proposed addition to the existing fire station and parking lot, although there are no immediate plans to move forward with the expansion at this time.
Town Manager Jon Frederick said there is no set timeline for when the expansion might be built, nor is there a firm cost. He said the town moved forward with securing the needed variance and site plan approval this month, as they know it will be a needed component when the town is ready to move forward.
“They knew they would need those variances in the future, and wanted to get it out of the way now,” Frederick said.
Frederick said there is no plan to have a warrant article asking for funds for the renovation in the coming year, and that the Fire Department will look to raise the funds for the addition though grants and donations before seeking public funds.
“The accumulation of those funds could take some time, so there is no timeline set up for the expansion at this point,” Frederick said.
The proposal is to build a 4,800-square-foot, two-story addition to the east side of the existing fire station. To increase the lot size for the addition, a lot-line adjustment was previously approved, which increased the size of the lot the station sits on from about one acre to about 1.9 acres.
The station sits at the corner of Route 124 and Fitzgerald Drive, which is in the Rural District. It uses town water.
During a public hearing for a site plan review with the Planning Board on Dec. 12, Fire Chief David Chamberlain explained that among the problems with the current configuration of the site, the slope of the existing driveway causes the fire trucks to drag as they enter the parking lot. The site currently drains water toward the rear of the property, where a wetland is located.
The building, which was constructed in 1981, lacks certain amenities. The addition would include administration and office areas, an emergency operations room, a day room and a conference room, as well as an equipment bay. The second floor would include locker rooms and showers, which the station does not currently have to allow firefighters to shower on-site after a dire event; dorm rooms; a fitness area; and room for future expansion.
Frederick said the need for a decontamination area was one of the driving forces behind the addition.
“That’s a key thing we’re looking to provide,” Frederick said.
While Jaffrey does not have a full-time department, Chamberlain said the addition would make the department suitable for full coverage if the department goes that direction in the future.
On Dec. 5, the department also appeared before the Zoning Board of Adjustment, with the same plan, seeking two variances and a special exception. The variances included allowing the expansion of the existing building into the front setback, and allowing the impervious cover, a stormwater basin and grading to happen within the Wetlands Conservation District. The special exception was to allow the relocation of an access way within the Wetlands Conservation District, with the intent to have the main entrance in the back of the property.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on X @AshleySaariMLT.