Exeter residents push for net zero public safety complex: $17.5M project up for vote

EXETER — Town officials said they are “committed” to constructing a police headquarters and fire substation designed to achieve net zero energy consumption, if voters approve the $17.5 million project on March 12.

Town Manager Russ Dean said it has always been the town’s intent to make the new public safety complex at 6 Continental Drive “as sustainable as possible.”

“The article says ‘net zero’ so that's what we’re going to design and that’s the plan,” he said.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, net zero means the building will produce as much energy as it consumes.

The net zero component of the project was underscored at the town’s Feb. 3 deliberative session. Mary Tegel made a successful amendment to the proposed warrant article that the $17.5 million project has “net zero design, engineering and construction.”

Initially, the article had already included the wording “net zero construction.” However, the sustainability factor did not encompass the project’s design and engineering.

“I hope this amendment matches the intent of the people who drafted this,” added Tegel.

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Prior to the amendment, there was some confusion on whether the project would be fully net zero.

According to the town information sheet about the project handed out at the deliberative session, the proposed building will meet and or exceed the current New Hampshire energy code and “will be designed with all electrical equipment which will be net zero ready in the future for solar panels.”

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, net zero ready buildings “are designed and wired so that solar panels can be easily installed in the future.”

Tegel said her amendment intended to ensure the building is net zero upon completion, not net zero ready.

“My expectation and hope is that ‘net zero’ be incorporated starting at the very beginning of the design phase,” she said. “Net zero is very dependent on building massing and orientation.”

Chris Zigmont, a member of the town’s Sustainability Advisory Committee, said he expects the project to be “net zero operationally from completion.”

“I am confident the project will meet the promise of the warrant article being presented to voters,” he said. “It doesn't say they (the town) will ‘try their best,’ though I am sure everyone will. It offers a ‘net zero’ build, which I believe will be met, and believe the projected budget is sufficient if properly prioritized to meet the warrant article.”

According to Dean, the amendment approved at the deliberative session “doesn't materially change the article” as final plans have not been designed for the project.

“Net zero was always a consideration for construction, and we'll move forward with that in the design, engineering, and construction phases toward a net zero result,” he said.

Dean said the town’s goal is to incorporate as many net zero components as possible in the building within the approved budget.

“We’ve got a budget of $17,522,500 for the project, we’ve baked in a certain amount of money for the net zero preparation … that is the project budget so that’s the number we’ll work within,” said Dean.

Select Board Chair Niko Papakonstantis said the board is “committed” to making the project net zero. The board unanimously approved recommending the revised article after the deliberative session.

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The majority of the discussion at the deliberative session regarding the $17.5 million project regarded net zero and an unsuccessful amendment to make the project “passive house” certified, which aims to reduce energy use as much as possible.

No one argued against the need for the project, which was defeated last year after it failed to get 60% majority vote.

The then-$16.3 million project received 891 votes in favor and 669 against, bringing it to 57.1%, just shy of the 60% needed. Town officials said the price has increased this year due to construction inflation.

Papakonstantis said a new public safety complex is needed to support the town’s growth. He said the number of public safety staff has also doubled since 1979.

Police Chief Stephan Poulin and Fire Chief Eric Wilking said the current 45-year-old space at 20 Court Street is “bursting at the seams.”

“It’s just too small,” said Wilking.

Poulin said a 2021 feasibility study stated that “every space is overcrowded.” The study also noted that “victim-witness privacy, juvenile operations, evidence and property storage, record maintenance and prisoner handling are not assured” due to the limited spaces, he added.

“The town of Exeter has a professional police force of dedicated men and women and is consistently rated one of the safest towns in New Hampshire,” said Poulin. “The town also deserves a professional Police Department and all the services and further assurances that arise from having this.”

Having a fire substation on the other side of town will also improve response time, Wilking said.

Wilking said the national benchmark used for fire and EMS is a four-minute travel time from station to scene. It currently takes four minutes or greater to reach the Brentwood Road intersection. It takes 11 minutes to reach Exeter High School.

With a substation, Wilking said the Fire Department would be able to meet the four-minute standard 95% of the time.

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

The plan for the new public safety complex calls for a two-story, 23,165-square-foot building, which will serve as the police headquarters and fire substation. The current complex on Court Street will be renovated and serve as the fire headquarters.

Both chiefs said staffing would not increase due to the new building.

If approved, the 20-year tax impact would be $270 on a $400,000 home per year, according to an informational page on the town's website.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Exeter voters to decide $17.5 million net-zero public safety complex