News

Selectmen, Manager working on facilities plan
By Elizabeth Prata

New Gloucester-At the December 12 Selectmen meeting, Selectmen took up the Draft Long-range Facilities Plan Selectmen Chair Steve Libby had proposed. The Plan is an outgrowth of two initiatives, the Space Needs Report dated November 2001 and the current long-range Plan dated November, 2005.

The intent of the Long-range Facilities Plan is to map out a step-by-step plan to reach long-term goals that have been established by the Board of Selectmen, Department Heads and Committee Chairmen for our facilities. The plan does not deal with maintenance or service type items because the Facilities Management Plan deals with those items.

The Plan was developed in part using staff reported deficiencies in various facilities, and prioritizes each deficiency low, medium and high. It also sets target dates to address each deficiency. This became the Facility Management plan was used as a springboard to create the Town's Long-Range Facilities Plan. The cost estimates in this draft are derived by various means such as square foot cost, conversations with contractors and in some cases, the Chair's best guess.

Chair Libby recommended the following timeline: The Selectmen review and edit the proposed plan, the Manager, department heads and committee chairs review and comment back to the Selectmen, the Selectmen review feedback and edit the plan as appropriate, the Selectmen adopt a plan, forward plan to all department heads, implement as appropriate.

Mr. Libby urged expediency in working with the Long-range Plan because of upcoming decisions that will need to be made regarding the new Fire Station land, which was approved for purchase at Special Town Meeting on Tuesday.

What follows is the Selectmen's Plan:

1. Purchase Land on route 100, Lewiston Road.
Vote December 20, 2005, $168,000, approved.

Fire / Rescue Station

The intent is to construct a new Fire/Rescue Station on the new land purchased on route 100. The Fire/Rescue Department has outgrown all of its facilities. A Building Committee was formed in 2004 and is nearing completion of its initial studies. The Town needs to continue dialog with our neighboring towns to assess the possibility of future combined facilities.

1. Preliminary Engineering, $25,000, December 2005
2. Design & Site Work, $300,000, May 2006
3. Building Construction, $2,500,000, 2007
4. Construction Complete, 2008

Public Works

The intent is to move the entire Public Works Department to the new land purchased on route 100. This department will outgrow its current facilities and soon outgrow available land. The Zoning Committee has been working with the existing businesses in the upper village on a major redesign of the area. Traffic improvements are required for safety and to improve the desired village concept. The current public works facility and its operation greatly hinder those efforts. After the upper village design is finalized, the Town will need to determine whether to retain the 4+/- acres or consider some other use of the property such as commercial development.

The current complex includes three buildings:

The 8 bay truck garage. It is at a point that major structural work will be required if we are to remain at this location. This building will be demolished after it is vacated.

The sand shed. It is structurally sound although the metal siding/roof is nearing its life expectancy. The building contractor stated the structural beams probably could be dismantled and reused. The concrete short walls would be demolished after it is vacated.

The storage building in the back. It is less than 10 years old and in good shape. Depending on the upper village redesign, this building should be saved. It could be used for town storage such as recreation or could be leased out for revenue.

1. Engineering: $150,000, May 2007
2. Building Construction: $1,500,000, May 2008
3. Move to new facility: May 2009
4. Dismantle Old Highway Garage: Summer 2009

Town Hall Expansion to the second floor.

The second floor is currently vacant except for recreation / Little League storage. Provisions will have to be made for storage either on the second floor or elsewhere in town.

The intent is to move Assessing, Codes and Planning to the second floor. This move will require the installation of an elevator and finish work of the second floor. The first floor needs to be reconfigured to move primary access to be in the rear of the building. This will coincide with parking lot changes.
1. Needs Assessment: $0, Summer 2007
2. Engineering: $20,000, May 2008
3. Building Construction: $200,000 May 2009
4. Finish Construction: May 2010

Town Hall Complex Parking.

The intent is to move the parking to the rear of the entire complex on the undeveloped portion behind the current fire station. This will require closing the front parking area and converting that area into a green space. Remove the "Old Stable" which is about ready to collapse and reconfigure the area between the Town Hall and current fire station for vehicular and pedestrian flow. We would also need to reconfigure the Town Hall first floor (see Town Hall Work). A new parking area would be constructed behind the buildings for all municipal parking. This would create a sort of mall area between the buildings and would be the focal point of the complex. The entrance to all the buildings would come from this mall area.

1. Needs Assessment: $0, Summer 2006
2. Engineering & Construction: $50,000, May 2007
3. Parking and Yard Work Complete: Summer 2008
Current Lower Village Fire Station.

The intent is to move the televised meetings from the Meetinghouse to the current fire station. This would allow the meeting room space to expand substantially in the foreseeable future. This would require renovating the building for this use.

1. Needs Assessment: $0, Summer 2009
2. Engineering: $5,000, May 2010
3. Building Construction: $50,000, May 2011
4. Work Complete: Summer 2012

Meetinghouse and Old Fire Barn
The intent is to retain ownership of the buildings and land but allow the New Gloucester Historical Society to use the two buildings. The Meetinghouse for displays / meetings and the Old Fire Barn for the old town hearse. The Town will maintain the buildings but any interior changes would be paid by the Historical Society.
$0, Summer 2012

Water for Fire protection

The intent is to expand our water for fire protection to meet current and growing needs by installing water holes and cisterns. Land will need to be purchased or leased in key locations based on a prioritized plan determined by the Fire Department. The ability to fight structure and woods fire relies on reliable water. The expansion of our water supply in key locations is important.

1. This is an item that will require appropriate yearly funding until needs are met.

Library

The intent is to upgrade and expand the Library building as the town grows. It is important that future library expansion be taken into account when calculating future parking requirements at the Town Hall Complex.

1. The next major addition still needs to be determined

Transfer Station
The intent is to continue to upgrade and expand the Transfer Station facility to meet current and future needs. Our recycling program will need to be reviewed routinely for other ways to provide and increase this service.

1. This will be filled in later
Recreation Facilities
The intent is to upgrade and expand our Recreation facilities as the town grows. We also need to continue to look for other land, as our two facilities will not meet future needs.

Town owned facilities / land.

Rowe Station Road Facility. We need to continue to look at the security issue. This may require purchasing the entire road frontage in front of the facility.

Fairgrounds. We have a Fairgrounds Committee that is working on short and long-term uses for this facility. This is a long process, which will require continued public input and the Recreation Committee and Fairgrounds Committee working together.

There is 60+/- acres in the North corner of town sometimes called "The Town Forest"

It should be noted that the Pineland Campus has a trail system and a YMCA.