FARMINGTON — Selectmen unanimously approved hiring Bunker and Savage Architects to help prepare a plan for the proposed new police station and to consider having an environmental assessment of the building done.

During their meeting Tuesday, Town Manager Richard Davis told the board the architects have worked on the previous plans for the department when a new building was considered.

“They’re not reinventing the wheel. They have a basic floor plan and can shoehorn it into the existing structure,” he said. 

The board agreed to spend the estimated amount of $5,000 to $6,000 requested by the Augusta architects.

Although final acceptance of the Franklin Avenue medical building gift is needed by voters, some things need to be worked into the budget and started. Earlier this month, Franklin County Health Network offered the building to the town for use as a police station at no charge instead of a financial donation for services provided by the town. They plan to move their medical practice to the new Medical Arts building in March.

Admitting that at first he couldn’t agree with spending more money on architects, Selectman Drew Hufnagel reconsidered when he saw the amount and wanted to hire the firm “to get the ball rolling.”

Now designed as office space, Selectman Jon Bubier questioned what needed to be done before the Police Department could move in.

The heating system needs an upgrade and some restructuring of the office setup which now contains small medical exam rooms.

“We’re not looking at tearing down a lot of walls or changing it dramatically,” police Chief Jack Peck said.

Included on the police want and needs list is work on the heating and air conditioning systems, a generator, garage and security system. The building itself could use vinyl siding and some new windows, he said.

The architects will allot space for an evidence room, booking area and storage but not a full gutting of the building.

Davis suggested that the town look into a Voluntary Response Action Program, which is under the Maine Department of  Environmental Protection and provides environmental assessments for about $500. 

He also endorsed pulling the Building Space Committee back together to seek its input and suggestions. They had looked at a variety of options to deal with the Police Department’s lack/need of space prior to the 2009 vote that stopped the new building plan.

Davis will also look for cost estimates for bonding to fund renovation of the building. A contractor himself, Hufnagel suggested that cost would probably run about $100 per square foot for the 6,000-square-foot building.

The board considered the fact that borrowing $500,000 to renovate sounded better than the $2 million to $3 million needed to build.

[email protected]