Peterborough will break ground on the new fire and rescue station on Elm Street in early May, according to Assistant Town Administrator Seth MacLean.

“We have a few things we are wrapping up in April, so we are looking at very early May to break ground on this,” MacLean said at Tuesday night’s meeting of the Peterborough Select Board.

Peterborough voters approved $11.7 million to fund a new fire and rescue station campus adjacent to the Peterborough Community Center, at the corner of Elm Street and Route 101, at Town Meeting 2024. The Peterborough Fire Department has been housed in a converted 1940s-era garage since 1972.

The updated plans for the fire station campus also include a walkway to the Shaw’s and CVS shopping area, and the campus plan includes installation of a new crosswalk between the community center/fire station campus and the east side of Elm Street, in front of the bowling alley.

Jason LaCombe, principal of SMP Architecture, presented a final digital walk-through/flyover presentation of the stationat Tuesday night’s meeting. LaCombe said he and his team have had a “great experience” in Peterborough.

“The community you have here in Peterborough is phenomenal. The high level of engagement with the public made this project more successful,” he said.

LaCombe narrated the digital walk-through of the 23,000-square-foot building. In addition to the equipment bay, living space, a kitchen and dining area, training rooms and storage, the building has a state-of-the-art IT room in the basement, which will house all of Peterborough’s servers. The building also includes a museum and memorial space designed to house the Aquarius, Peterborough’s 1914 American LaChance fire truck, and other memorabilia from the history of the Peterborough fire department.

“Memorial items from the museum, including the outdoor pieces, will be brought over from the old site to the new space,” LaCombe said.

Voting location will change in May

Due to the upcoming construction at the fire and rescue campus and planned simultaneous repairs to the adjacent community center, Peterborough’s ballot session on May 13 will be held at the Town House, not at the community center.

“The community center will not have a roof at the time the election is happening,” Town Administrator Nicole MacStay said.

MacStay said the town had looked into other locations for voting but that “there were not many other good options.”

Since the second floor of the Peterborough Town House is not accessible by elevator, voters with mobility issues are encouraged to request an absentee ballot.

“We will be sure to get all the appropriate signage and communicate the change of location with the public,” MacStay said.

Bass Road petition warrant article approved for ballot

The board approved a petition warrant article proposing Bass Road be reclassified as a Class VI road, restricting access from Route 101 at the eastern end of the road.

Fire Chief Ed Walker said he and Police Chief Scott Guinard would support the proposal as long as the road could still be accessed in emergencies.

“We have often used Bass Road road as an alternate way to access 101 when there is flooding or when there is a bad accident in the area,” Walker said. “We just ask that we still be able to use the road in an emergency. We ask that the town not put a permanent barrier at the end of the road.”

MacLean said the town could put a gate up, but that the gate would have to remain unlocked. MacLean added that if the end of the road closest to 101 is reclassified as a Class VI road, the town would no longer regularly maintain the road.

Clover Fiandaca, a resident of the road and mother of four, said people routinely speed on the road, which can be used as a cut through from Route 123 to Route 101, putting residents at risk.

Kitty Cloud, also a resident of Bass Road, said she “has had to jump in the ditch many times” to avoid speeding cars and trucks on the road.

The turn onto Bass Road from Route 101 is considered to be a dangerous intersection and has been the site of many accidents.

Residents of the road may also pursue trying to lower the speed limit on the road from 35 mph to 25 mph.

Voters will decide on the article at the town’s ballot session on May 13.