Printer Friendly Version - North Branford Council to Vote on New Police Facility Location

This view of the front of the new police facility was shared with the Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) in January, 2021, when the PZC approved the application to build at 305 Forest Road.Image from www.silverpetrucelli.com

Following a Nov. 30 special meeting workshop with much discussion, the Town Council is expecting to finalize a decision on the location for the new police facility with a vote at its regular meeting on Dec. 7, according to minutes of the meeting.

The vote would finally clear up whether North Branford will select 1599 Foxon Road, 289 Forest Road (Augur Property) or stick with the original location, 305 Forest Road, for the new police facility. The decision lies with the Town Council as all three sites are on town-owned property.

The Nov. 30 workshop followed up a briefer discussion at the Nov. 16 Town Council meeting, where the Permanent Project Building Committee (PPBC) shared its consensus that the new police facility should be constructed at 1599 Foxon Road due to infrastructure in place at the site. However, as more deeply discussed during the workshop, there is somewhat less consensus among council members about the Foxon Road site as a first choice. Minutes of the Nov. 30 special workshop meeting can be viewed here.

Discussion at the Nov. 30 special meeting workshop was also joined by members of the police commission as well as representatives of project architect Silver, Petrucelli & Associates, Inc. (Hamden) and project engineer Criscuolo Engineering, LLC (Branford).

As previously reported here, at its Sept. 21 meeting, the Town Council unanimously approved a request from the PPBC appropriating $16,700 from funds allocated for the new police facility project so the project engineer and project architect could research and develop documents, reports and renderings summarizing siting the new police facility at the Foxon Road and Augur property locations.

Speaking to the council at the Sept. 21 meeting, police Chief Kevin Halloran showed support for the potential of the Foxon Road site. Additionally, Halloran also noted that locating the facility at 1599 Foxon Road instead of Forest Road would not cause an impact to responses or cost of services, as police officers are deployed out in the field rather than waiting at a station house.

The Dec. 7 Town Council meeting is scheduled to be held in the Town Council chambers at Town Hall, 909 Foxon Road, at 7 p.m. Agendas and meeting minutes, when available, are posted at https://www.townofnorthbranfordct.com

1599 Foxon Road, the former site of North Branford's Community Center, is considered the best site by the Permanent Project Building Committee as it has infrastructure already in place.File Photo Pam Johnson/The Sound

Another site under consideration is at 289 Forest Road (Augur Property), foreground. The original site for the police facility, 305 Forest Road, is on the cleared land across the road, seen at back.File Photo Pam Johnson/The Sound