$16.3 million bond sought for new Exeter police HQ, fire substation. What you need to know

Melanie Matts
Updated ·5 min read

EXETER — Voters will be asked to approve a $16.3 million bond at the March 14 Town Meeting to build a new police headquarters and fire substation.

The proposed two-story complex at 6 Continental Drive would be 23,165 square feet and would feature an outdoor deck, a fitness room, a large community room and designated spaces for each department.

The project would be paid over 20 years with an estimated 4% interest rate. The tax rate impact, if approved, would be 65 cents per $1,000 of property value, or an additional $195 a year for the owner of a $300,000 home. The project requires a three-fifths majority vote to pass because it involves a bond.

Exeter Fire Chief Eric Wilking and Police Chief Stephan Poulin pose for a photo at the Public Safety Complex on Court Street.
Exeter Fire Chief Eric Wilking and Police Chief Stephan Poulin pose for a photo at the Public Safety Complex on Court Street.

Officials say the project is needed because the current location at 20 Court St. was built 40 years ago and is too small to meet the current needs of the departments. The Fire Staffing and Deployment Analysis conducted in 2020 deemed the public safety complex as “undersized” with the lack of space for administrative personnel, training rooms, shower amenities and storage.

More: Exeter home heavily damaged by fire, homeowner escapes; Hampton blaze knocked down quickly

Why a new police headquarters?

Police Chief Stephan Poulin addressed the town at the 2023 deliberative session, stating they have used up all available space in the current facility.

Poulin explained the overcrowded workplace makes it hard to use discretion during informal interviews, detective investigative phone calls and inter-office meetings. Along with crammed lobbies, and a lack of privacy to discuss sensitive matters, the Police Department's storage has been maxed out.

“We are now utilizing some prisoner cells to store our records,” said Poulin.

There is also not enough space to conduct training. The Police Department currently uses off-site locations such as the Department of Public Works and gyms at local schools.

Exeter's big dig: Sewer project under Squamscott River hits roadblock, cost spikes

What would the new police headquarters include?

The proposed station would feature a 778-square-foot community conference room that Poulin said, “will allow for a safe and secure meeting venue, and will be available for serving the public.”

He also stated that the Police Department envisions a number of community groups using the room including scouts, seniors as well as substance misuse and help meetings.

The proposed two-story complex at 6 Continental Drive would be 23,165 square feet and would feature an outdoor deck, a fitness room, a large community room and designated spaces for each department.
The proposed two-story complex at 6 Continental Drive would be 23,165 square feet and would feature an outdoor deck, a fitness room, a large community room and designated spaces for each department.

The current community room located at the Court Street location fits 20-24 people and is located on the second floor without accessibility for people with disabilities.

The new station will have a 407-square-foot fitness room, with a 392-square-foot agility room adjacent. Poulin said this will be used for “de-escalation and lethal tactics training, and physical development of staff, along with fire personnel.”

Police Chief Stephan Poulin said that the deck is a “no cost item,” and will be used for officer wellness. “That deck is going to give the opportunity for an officer to go out and decompress, and have a quiet space that's you know, out in the open and can take in some fresh air,” he said.
Police Chief Stephan Poulin said that the deck is a “no cost item,” and will be used for officer wellness. “That deck is going to give the opportunity for an officer to go out and decompress, and have a quiet space that's you know, out in the open and can take in some fresh air,” he said.

Why a new fire substation?

“The fire station is too… cramped for space,” Fire Eric Chief Wilking said at the deliberative session.

Wilking explained that over the last 43 years, the Fire Department has grown to meet the demands of the increasing emergency call volume. Currently, the department has 32 full-time firefighters, working in shifts of seven, along with four staff officers at a time. Back in 1979, when the station was first built, firefighters were volunteers, and worked in shifts of three, with two chief officers at a time.

Side view of the 40-year-old Exeter Public Safety Complex on Court Street.
Side view of the 40-year-old Exeter Public Safety Complex on Court Street.

A new substation has been on their radar since 2001, according to both Town Planner David Sharples and Wilking.

“The 6 Continental Drive station will allow the firefighters to better serve the residents and businesses on the north and west portions of town,” Wilking said.

Currently, it takes the Fire Department 10 minutes to reach Epping Road, while the benchmark response time is four minutes. Wilkins said the slow response time is due to congestion from the school zones, and the railroad tracks.

“The Continental Drive substation will allow us to have equipment and personnel on both sides of the tracks, thus minimizing delays,” Wilking said.

Lawsuit: Stratham takes legal action against owner of ex-technical college site. This is why.

What’s planned for the new fire substation?

The proposed station will house one large fire truck and one EMS ambulance, along with equipment such as utility pickup trucks that are currently being stored outside at the Court Street location. Being able to store the equipment indoors will help prevent premature deterioration, and decrease annual maintenance costs for the town, according to Wilking.

Wilking said the new substation will not result in a need for new apparatus, equipment, or additional personnel.

Personnel, he said, will be split from crews of seven to groups of three or four, to staff both stations. Continental Drive will be staffed by a lieutenant, as well as two firefighters/EMTs. The Court Street location will have a captain along with three firefighters/EMTs.

The proposed two-story complex at 6 Continental Drive would be 23,165 square feet and would feature an outdoor deck, a fitness room, a large community room and designated spaces for each department.
The proposed two-story complex at 6 Continental Drive would be 23,165 square feet and would feature an outdoor deck, a fitness room, a large community room and designated spaces for each department.

Wilkins said the new station will improve response times.

“Our goal is to be at your house, at your residence, at your business within four minutes or less of your call so we can have a meaningful approach to fire attack and suppression, and save a life,” he said.

Online petition: Exeter students want to honor classmates who died in yearbook but school says no

Voters to decide the fate of the project on March 14

If the new police headquarters and fire substation are passed by voters on March 14, there are several steps in the process before the actual construction of the complex can start.

Wilking, Poulin and Sharples all said that the tentative plan is to use 2023 as a planning and designing year, 2024 to be a build year, and early 2025 as the goal to get all apparatus and personnel moved into the new building.

Officials said after that they will begin to look at what will become of the Fire Department’s headquarters at 20 Court Street.

One decision that will have to be made is whether to renovate it or raze it and build a new main fire station.

Wilking stated that it would be “premature” to come up with a price estimate on the second phase of the project when they haven’t completed the first project yet.

Sharples said they are working with the Facilities Advisory Committee to determine the best option for phase two.

This article was produced as part of The Community Journalism Project and is being shared with partners in The Granite State News Collaborative. For more information on the project visit www.collaborativenh.org/community-journalism-project.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Exeter NH to vote on $16.3M bond for new police station, fire substation