Project History

By Chief Eric M. Shears A little history… The Merrimac Police Facility is in need of replacement. The Merrimac Police Department is housed in the failing Richard J. Powers Public Safety Building, which was originally built in the late 1800s or early 1900s and housed the Massachusetts Northeast Trolley and Bus Company for many years. The building was purchased by Brox Industries in the 1960s and used as a storage facility for construction equipment. After Brox, a casket making company used the building until the town purchased the building around 1973. After some renovations, the Merrimac Police Department, Merrimac Fire Department and Merrimac Highway moved into the building in 1976. The renovations at the time were adequate but not ideal. In 1986, a dispatch center was established for the Town of Merrimac, which was later renovated in 2009 using grant funds. On June 17, 2011, I received a phone call from Eileen Hurley. At that time, she was the chairperson of the Merrimac Board of Health. I was a sergeant with the Police Department and was preparing to be appointed as Merrimac’s new police chief, effective July 1, 2011. Eileen told me the Board of Health had met and were issuing an Inspection Report and Emergency Orders to Correct Violations at the Merrimac Police Department to the BOS and the Chief of Police for health code violations. The ruling read: “Based upon the results of an inspection, the BOH finds that the area is unfit for human habitation and that the conditions are such that the danger to the life and or health of any occupants of the subject area is so immediate that no delay may be permitted in complying with our orders in correcting the violations.” The violations included the following:

Standing water in the basement, remove it.
Cannot see personnel when entering the foyer, no signage or direction.
Remove carpeting; it is filthy, fraying and harbors a mold scent.
Remove and clean the air conditioners, they harbor mold.
Abate the bee infestation in second-floor.
Install smoke detectors and batteries.
Exposed wiring and missing fixtures on the side of the building.
Exposed wiring at front door sign
Repair plumbing in ladies room
Cracked cinderblocks above doorway in garage
Repair/replace stairway to second floor.
Replace stairway from basement.

At the time, there were discussions about us leaving the police department and moving into trailers. However, that would have been very expensive and a major interruption to public safety operations in Merrimac. In 2011, we fixed most of the health and safety issues by spending about $45,000. The money was well spent, repaired some of the issues brought to our attention by the Board of Health and has allowed police operations to continue out of the Public Safety Building. We essentially “bought” a few years while we planned for a new facility. In 2017, we spent an additional $12,841 to continue to address the water and the mold situation in the basement. Two sump pumps were installed into the floor. A dehumidifier was installed in the basement. The basement was sprayed with a cleaning product to eliminate mold. In addition, walls and floor were covered with a Clean Space wall and floor system in an attempt to prevent future mold growth. Plan History… In April of 2014, voters at Town Meeting approved an article to fund a feasibility study to determine the needs of police, fire, ambulance, emergency management and DPW, as these departments are all housed in the Public Safety Building. We hired HKT Architects in September of 2015, after a competitive bid process, to complete the feasibility study. In July of 2016, the study was completed and we were going to move forward with an article to fund the projects (police, fire and highway) in the fall. At the October (fall) Town Meeting, the Committee withdrew the request. After further review and after receiving feedback from the community, we felt that it was excessively expensive for our community. ($25,428,140) In the spring of 2017, we pared down the project scope and cost considerably by thinking outside the box . We brought a recommended article for $15,000,000 to voters. This article did not garner the required 2/3 support needed to pass at Town Meeting and it was soundly defeated at Town Election. Community Feedback… Throughout this process, the Public Safety Building Committee has listened to the residents of this community. We have listened and learned from both the 2016 Fall and 2017 Spring Town Meetings. Collectively, we have spoken to numerous residents and heard there concerns about the scope and cost of the project. In late July of 2017, the PSBC sent out a brief survey with residents’ light bills. In looking at the survey results:

79 percent of those who answered indicated that the fire, police and DPW need to be repaired. In the comments, it was clear that people recognized the need and wanted the project scaled down.
54 percent of those who answered would support a new police station located on West Main Street. In a review of the comments, many would like to see the police project cost scaled down. Further, many expressed that the police should be a priority.

In addition to the survey, the committee also extensively researched existing projects that are being built in Massachusetts. In the fall of 2017, we believed, based on looking at some existing projects, that we could build a police station in Merrimac for approximately $5.5 million. This figure was based upon a 7,000 (+-) square foot building and a small outdoor building for storage. At the 2017 fall Town Meeting, we asked our community to support the borrowing of $500,000 to fund the design, engineering and the hiring of an Owners Project Manager for the police department project. These are steps that are required by Massachusetts Law. At the 2017 fall Town Meeting, we received strong support to move forward with this project. So here we are today… We believe that building a new police facility is an absolute “NEED” for this community. The current facility is outdated, unsafe and an impediment to efficient police operations, investigations and administration. A new facility would allow our department to provide better service to our community and a safe working environment for our staff. Below is a list of some of our current deficiencies.

The building continues to sink differentially as evidenced by numerous cracks in the walls and floors.
The building’s exterior needs to be repointed and sealed as water continues to make its way into the building.
The lobby is small, has limited seating (one chair) and is not welcoming or efficient to the community.
Dispatch is undersized and inadequate for our community.
The administrative assistant’s office is a small shared space with no privacy. People entering the police station walk through this space. When my administrator is working she deals with constant interruption. Additionally, if speaking to residents about concerns, they can be heard in the lobby and dispatch. There is no privacy for sensitive conversations.
The bathrooms on the first floor are in dire need of a complete renovation. I am concerned about a future plumbing failure.
The open space between dispatch and the Chief’s office functions as our squad room. The space is inadequate and crowded.
The Chief’s office is shared between all police officers and functions as a report writing area, an interview room, interrogation room, evidence processing area and juvenile booking area. This space offers no privacy for confidential or sensitive conversations.
The booking room is unsafe and undersized. It includes the building’s electrical service and electrical panels. The booking room also serves as a report writing area and evidence processing area. If you would like a firearms permit, these transactions are completed in the booking room.
The cells fail Department of Public Health inspections every year and need continual maintenance. Plumbing maintenance is difficult as the access is behind a heavy steel plate that is bolted to the wall. The plumbing fixtures and beds in every cell (four) need replacement and/or repair. Cost estimates to repair or replace the cells is approximately $12,000.
There is no sally port for safe and secure prisoner transport from the cruiser to the station.
The stairs leading to the second floor office area are out of code as the rise is taller that what is allowed. The upstairs functions as desk space for full-time officers and a shared locker room.
The stairs leading to the basement are rotted. I fell down the stairs in February 2018 as I was checking on an audible pump alarm in the basement. The stair treads gave way because the hardware had rotted over the years.
The mechanical room is small, the heating and hot water system are difficult to maintain because there is not a lot of room to work. Mechanical systems are at the end of their life.
The janitor’s closet is small. In addition to cleaning supplies, the closet contains required prisoner supplies because there is no room for these items in the booking room.
The garage is used as our records room, locker room, storage space and armory.
The 911 equipment room is off the garage and houses the 911 equipment, radio and department computer server.
The evidence room is off the garage and is undersized and inadequate.
We lease a shipping container for storage of training equipment and police bicycles.
We do not have an interview room, proper locker or shower facilities for our employees.

In late November of 2017, the Public Safety Building Committee and the Merrimac Board of Selectmen put out a Request for Qualifications for an Owners Project Manager. After review and interviews, we hired NV5 as our Owner’s Project Manager. Mr. William Cunniff is our designated OPM and we have been working with him on this project. In late March of 2018, with NV5 was on board, we drafted and sent out Request for Designer Services. After review and interviews, we hired and contracted with Mr. Gregory Carell of The Carell Group, Inc. We have been working with Mr. Carell on re-programming and design of the new police station since May of 2018. After several revisions, and a tremendous amount of work, the Public Safety Building Committee has a new plan. What we are proposing… Building a new Merrimac Police Station on West Main Street in Merrimac. This nine-acre parcel was donated to the town. With a donated piece, we are saving money because we don’t have to purchase a piece of land to build a station. The proposed police station is approximately 8,375 square feet. (building 7,375 / sally port 1,000). The construction cost estimate per square foot is $538. It is reasonable, addresses all of our needs now and into the future. In addition, there will be an outdoor building for storage of ATV, police bicycles, speed trailer, firearms training equipment, and cruiser equipment. The building could also be utilized as an impound bay and bulk evidence storage. The outdoor building is more cost efficient then including this storage space within the police station itself. The cost per square foot is less than half that of the police building. A new facility will help our staff provide better police service to our community. It will be safe, secure and efficient. There will be space to discuss confidential and sensitive matters with the members of our department. Residents seeking or renewing firearms permits will be able to complete these transactions in an area away from the prisoner booking area. We have included a meeting room that will double as an Emergency Operations Center. This area will also be available to the community for meetings and educational opportunities. The bottom line is that staff safety, security and efficiency will be enhanced with a modern and code complaint facility. Tax Impact… Approximate Tax Impact: If we borrow a total of $6.5 million to build the police station and pay it back in 25 years…

It will cost approximately $50 dollars for every $100,000 dollars of assessed home value.
So, if your home is assessed at $250,000 then you can expect a tax increase of approximately $125. per year to cover the cost of a new police station. (2.5 x $50 = $125.00).
Or, $31.25 per quarter.
Or, $10.42 per month.
Or, $2.39 per week.

Actual tax impact on the Average Home in Merrimac:

The average home in Merrimac is assessed at $390,200.
The increase in taxes for the average home in Merrimac per year is $209.84
Or, $52.46 per quarter.
Or, $17.49 per month.
Or, $4.02 per week.

The PSBC has worked hard with the BOS and the Community to come up with a solid plan for moving forward with building a new police station. The design is perfect for this community now and at least 50 years into the future. We need to invest in our infrastructure to assure our continued safety and security in our community. The members of the Merrimac Police Department are dedicated to provide quality police service to this community; they work hard for this community and they truly deserve a safe, secure and professional working environment. We would appreciate your support to move forward with this project. Sincerely, Chief Eric Chears and the Public Safety Building Committee