A search committee has been established to choose a site for a new police station.
I have a location that will satisfy a number of public safety issues if this location is chosen. My proposal is to take the Clarion Hotel property by eminent domain. The stated purpose for the taking satisfies the requirements needed to use this approach.
The benefits of this location are many.
A large parcel of land, centrally located, with access to Route 5. This allows for better response time to the whole town. It is safer and faster to travel Route 5 than any of the other corridors that pass through residential neighborhoods.
A public safety complex can be constructed. This would allow for the closure of the antiquated station 3 on Morgan Road; as a result there would be better disbursement of fire equipment throughout the town.
An economy of scale by building structures that serve different purposes but share a common goal. The property would be large enough to have priority DPW equipment housed there as well (salt house, plow trucks, maintenance garage that could serve all three services located there).
Far enough away from residential neighborhoods to mitigate the noise associated with these services.
Any site chosen will require either a deal be struck or the property taken by eminent domain (recall the brush hill debate heard recently).
By putting compatible services at one site the savings are multiplied and this location will increase the effectiveness of their response times significantly.
Respectfully,
Daniel O’Brien
West Springfield
