MONSON – At the spring 2023 Annual Town Meeting, Monson residents will vote on whether a two-story addition will be made to the existing fire station on Main Street.

During the Nov. 22 Select Board meeting, members voted 2-1 to add the fire station building option as a warrant article.

Fire Chief Brian Harris explained that his department presented a variety of fire station building options through a second assessment, during an Oct. 20 meeting with the Select Board and Finance Committee.

“We presented three to the [Select] Board, with a preferred option with members of the Fire Department and the Building Committee, which was Option E. Option E is a two-story addition onto the existing fire station along with a medium apparatus bay design,” said Harris. “The estimated cost was $5 million. Start time wouldn’t be until spring of [20]24. Escalation would bring us somewhere between $5.5 to $6 billion unless anything has changed.”

He noted that Option E has a 20-year life span, maybe longer, if well maintained.

Based on the Oct. 20 meeting, Select Board member John Morrell said he was “totally in favor” of Option E and would still go along with it now. He added that he is hopeful to obtain grants in the meantime to assist with the project.

“We may pull this off if the voters go along with it to build this facility and [if it does] not cost anybody any more taxes – an increase in taxes – we may be able to pull this off. It will be a win-win if we can do that,” said Morrell.

Select Board Vice Chair Mary Hull asked if the board had to decide on this immediately. Chairman Pat Oney said the Assessment Committee would like a decision as soon as possible.

Harris shared, “The sooner we have a decision, the sooner we can do community outreach. We’re going to need as much time as possible for community outreach if it’s going to be on the spring Town Meeting ballot.”

Oney noted that the board is discussing the recommendation made to decide what goes on the warrant for Annual Town Meeting. “It’s not anything that necessarily binds us moving forward [with] Option E. That can always change at the Town Meeting,” she added.

Hull said, “I just feel like [Option] E is we’re putting a Band-Aid on it.” She shared that she spoke with several people in town who would like to have something “higher end” to keep up with the times.

Oney noted that she is going in the opposite direction and was in favor of Option C, a one-story addition, as she believes it would be “sufficient” for the department. After viewing the schematic drawings for both options, Oney said the biggest difference is a dedicated training room in the two-story building. Based on the entire plan, she shared that she hasn’t “been convinced” that the one multi-purpose room wouldn’t be sufficient.

Harris replied, “That’s what we have now, it’s really not efficient.” He noted that the staff uses the room as a kitchen, training room and community room – creating a lot of problems due to overlapping functions.

“I truly think Option E is the best option. It gives us - I think - the most bang for our buck,” said Harris. With a longer lifespan than the other options, he added, “I just think it provides the town with 30 years to plan for what to do in the future as well.”

Hull asked if a town survey was conducted to see if there is a preference on the options. Harris said there was not.

“I think this is just such a big deal that I feel uncomfortable being one of three people to choose one of these options,” said Hull. She asked the other board members if they could wait a couple of weeks to vote on this and send out a survey in the meantime.

With a nearly 168-page proposed plan, Morrell said this is “so complicated” and residents would have to read through it before making a vote. “I think it should go down to where it is right now – the three right here – deciding what to put forward to the voters and taxpayers and see what they say,” he shared. He added that a decision should be made as soon as possible, to get the ball rolling.

Assessment Committee member Fran Nothe said they have worked on this plan for hundreds of hours over the past year and a half, all while keeping the best interest of the town in mind. “The committee felt strongly that the option we’re bringing forward is the best option for the community, the taxpayers and the Fire Department going forward in the future,” said Nothe.

Morrell made a motion to move forward with Option E, to put it as a warrant article at Annual Town Meeting. Morrell and Oney voted yes, Hull voted no. The motion passed.