DALTON, Mass. — The Fire District is considering re-engaging the prospect of purchasing the former Dalton Garage, located at 385 Main St.

 

The district considered purchasing the building in 2022 because the fire station, located at 20 Flansburg Ave., is too small for its needs, especially with the addition of the ambulance service. However, the prospect was not fully explored and was pushed aside. 

 

The idea was brought up again during the Fire District community meeting last week, and Thomas Irwin, a member of the town's Finance Committee, presented it to the Board of Water Commissioners during its Tuesday meeting. 

 

The board voted to start exploring its options for a new fire station and write a letter of interest to the owner of the Dalton Garage. 

 

Irwin has been coordinating with Fire Chief Christian Tobin for about eight weeks but has prior knowledge of the space from working with the owner, Peter Horth, since October 2022 in an effort to prevent the property becoming the site of a chain store like Dollar General. 

 

According to the town's geographic information system, the former Dalton Garage is made up of three parcels totaling 1.1427 acres with an estimated value of about $704,000 and is owned by Essco Inc.

 

Multiple residents have expressed the need for a new fire station during community meetings because of the cramped conditions of both the fire station and the Water Department.

 

Irwin, who is also an engineer, said the board could add onto to the current fire station, or purchase and modify the Dalton Garage or, third, renovate and build an addition to the Dalton Garage.

 

When developing his cost estimates, Irwin considered several factors while collaborating with the fire chief, including the size of the equipment and vehicles, the number of personnel, the fire station's needs, and the projected costs.

 

He also spoke with UniBank to determine what the district's current municipal interest rate would be. 

 

It was determined it would be 4.5 percent, taking into consideration a number of fees and "extraneous stuff" by the recommendation of the UniBank contact, Irwin told the board. 

 

Purchasing the Dalton Garage is estimated to cost about $950,000; modifying the building is projected at $12,830,000, of which $11,880,000 would be for the interior. This would meet most of the department's needs except for vehicle storage.

 

Option three would include the addition of five drive-through bays at an additional cost estimate of $5,470,000, for a total project cost of about $18,000,000. The current station only has four bays. 

 

The least expensive option would be to add to the existing fire station, at approximately $4.3 million, including constructing a second-floor living area over the northmost bay, and renovate the existing administrative space.

 

However, this option still does not meet all the needs of the station because it does not address training space, storage, and making the building Americans with Disabilities Act compliant. 

 

Community members have suggested the Water Department could move into the fire station if the Fire Department moves to the Dalton Garage. 

 

Irwin also included that the district would only need to renovate 9,000 square feet of the Dalton Garage, which could decrease cost by about $3 million. 

 

The costs per square footage were confirmed by the Boston Engineering Firm, Context Architecture, which specializes in making safety buildings, Irwin said. 

 

They are also willing to come to Dalton, look at the Dalton Garage, look at these options, and provide feedback at no cost, he said. 

 

The board agreed to engage with Context Architecture and Unibank to get more information on the financial options and feasibility of the proposed project. 

 

They will schedule a walkthrough of the Dalton Garage building with the engineering firm to assess its condition and suitability. 

 

The district would also seek ways to mitigate the cost to taxpayers through a number of methods. 

 

One of these methods is to focus on becoming a regional fire station, which would make the department more enticing for the state to invest in and would allow towns to share costs and resources. 

The district would inquire with state and federal officials about potential grant funding or other financial support. 

 

Rather than relying solely on taxpayer money, the district will be investigating using revenue from ambulance services and inter-facility transports.  

 

They are also working to ensure that the design and construction of the new station are cost-effective while meeting its needs. 

 

One option proposed was carefully planning the project in phases over 3 to 5 years to spread out the costs. 

 

Irwin also showed the district how delaying this project would increase the cost by roughly $100 per square foot per year, which would create unwanted financial risk. 

 

In other news: 

 

The board approved the installation of cameras in the main lobby and along the outside parameters of the building for $5,218.