'Let’s get it passed': Exeter seeks voter support for $17.5M public safety complex

EXETER — The town is urging voters to support the construction of a new public safety complex on Continental Drive at the March Town Meeting.

The Select Board voted unanimously Tuesday, Jan. 16, to recommend the $17.5 million project to construct a new Police Department headquarters and fire substation at 6 Continental Drive.

The vote came following support from the Budget Recommendations Committee.

Town Manager Russ Dean said a new public safety complex is needed to align with the town’s growth.

“It predates a lot of growth and it’s past its prime and needs to be replaced,” said Dean. “The town has had many studies over the years and all of them have indicated that a fire and EMS presence on Epping Road makes perfect sense given the layout and the topography of the town and the way the roads are.”

Select Board Chair Niko Papakonstantis said the police and fire departments have “outgrown” the current two-story, 18,000-square-foot complex at 20 Court Street, which was built in 1978.

“You can actually see the present facility and just how outdated it is and how cramped it is,” said Papakonstantis. “It’s not ADA compliant, there’s just so many needs right now that the building that was built in 1978 cannot accommodate. The town has grown, the needs of our citizens have grown.”

Selectwoman Julie Gilman agreed with Papakonstantis, saying the town’s population has increased since the 1970s. According to the New Hampshire Employment Security, Exeter’s population in 2020 was estimated to be around 16,030 compared to 8,892 in 1970.

“We’ve almost doubled (in town population) but have kept the same building,” said Gilman, of the current complex. “I think that speaks volumes for why we need to spread out a little more and get some elbow room to our officers and their equipment.”

If voters approve the project at the March Town Meeting, the estimated tax impact for the project, assuming a 20-year bond at 3.65% interest, would be $68 per $100,000 of assessed property value. The bond payment would begin approximately one year after issuance.

Prior to the March 12 Town Meeting, voters will get to have their say on the project at the town's deliberative session on Feb. 3 (snow date Feb. 6).

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Majority of voters supported public safety complex in 2023

Last March, Exeter voters narrowly shot down an exact plan to build the same public safety complex – the only difference was that it was for $16.3 million instead of the current $17.5 million price tag.

The bond article, which required a three-fifths majority to pass, received 891 votes in favor and 669 against – bringing it to 57.1%, just shy of the 60% needed for approval.

Dean said the price increase is due to inflation.

“That’s not uncommon with capital projects, they tend to increase in cost as the years go by,” said Dean.

Located at 6 Continental Drive, the proposed two-story complex would house the police headquarters and fire substation. The 23,165-square-foot space would include an outdoor deck, a fitness room, a large community room and designated spaces for each department.

The current complex at 20 Court Street will then be renovated and turned into a headquarters for the Fire Department.

Fire Chief Eric Wilking previously said the plan to have a fire substation dates back to 2001.

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

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Currently, it takes the Fire Department 10 minutes to reach the Exit 9 intersection at 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,” said Wilking.

Selectman Dan Chartrand said Tuesday he’d always had a “go-slow approach” with the public safety complex. However, he said, “This is the right plan.”

“I embrace this wholeheartedly,” said Chartrand. “We are bursting at the seams on Court Street, and we need this space just for the existing staff that we have. I urge the town to vote for this. This is a good plan, and I for many years wanted to put the brakes on the plan, but this is the right one. Let’s get it passed.”

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Exeter seeks voter support for $17.5M public safety complex