Costs likely to rise beyond initial $5 million estimate

By Joe Kelly

After months of sometimes contentious public hearings, plans for a new Norfolk firehouse are nearing the end of the wetlands/zoning part of the approval process and heading into a decisive new phase: finding the money to pay for it all.

The Planning & Zoning Commission (P&Z) gave partial approval to the firehouse at its Feb. 20 meeting and promised a complete decision at its next session on March 13. During the P&Z hearings, no issues arose that appeared to be deal breakers so an outright rejection, while possible, seems unlikely. The Inland Wetlands Agency gave its assent in October.

A Modern Victorian-era Building
Plans for the new firehouse call for a 10,000 square foot, single-story, custom-designed building to be constructed in an area adjacent to the existing firehouse on Shepard Road. More than twice the size of the current firehouse, the new structure would meet current and anticipated building codes with space to house the six primary firefighting vehicles while supporting other ancillary uses including administration, dispatch, decontamination, training, better ventilation and a proper kitchen—all of which are missing from the existing facility. Constructed nearly 50 years ago, the current firehouse will be torn down once the new structure is operational. 

Because of its location in the heart of the village, the architectural firm chosen to work on the project— Silver/Petrucelli & Associates of Hamden—has proposed a building with a scale and design intended to help it fit in with other nearby structures. For example, the firehouse will be positioned so its smallest side faces Shepard Road. A peaked roof, board-and-batten siding and a two-story tower for firehose drying will provide a modern take on features that might have been included had the firehouse been built in the Victorian era.

Preliminary Cost Estimate Seen as Low
A preliminary estimate of $5 million was mentioned when the plans were first introduced last year, but now both the town and the architect expect the actual estimated cost to go higher.

“Before Covid you would see costs in the $450-$500 a square foot range,” said David Stein, the principal architect on the project. “Now you are seeing $600 to $800 a square foot.” 

First Selectman Matt Riiska agreed that costs have risen and said he is hoping the building comes in around $600 a square foot for a price tag “closer to $6 million.” Assuming the P&Z approval goes through, Riiska said the town will engage a professional estimator to prepare a precise estimate.

Inflation, lingering supply chain issues and labor shortages have all pushed costs up. There’s also more investment in things like insulation and alternative energy sources (e.g., heat pumps and solar panels) that drive up the initial outlay, even though those investments may be recouped over time through lower operating costs.

According to Stein, as much as 40 percent of the total cost of a new firehouse is in the mechanical systems—plumbing, electrical and ventilation—all of which have become more complex and invariably more expensive. 

Other Firehouses Show Rise in Costs
Mitchell Associates Architects, a firm outside of Albany, N.Y. that works exclusively on public safety buildings, compiled data on nearly 50 current firehouse projects planned or completed in the Northeast and came up with an average, inflation-adjusted cost for 2024 of $705 per square ft.

The projects looked at included a 17,000 square foot fire station in West Natick (20 miles northwest of Boston) that was completed in 2020 at just over $14 million ($828 per square foot) and today would go for well over $1000 a square foot and cost upwards of $19 million.

At the other end of the scale, the town of Putnam Valley off the Taconic Parkway in New York built a 29,000 square foot firehouse in 2021 for $13.6 million ($472) per square foot. It would now cost just over $17 million ($595 per square foot.)  

A firehouse close in size to Norfolk’s is a 12,200 square foot firehouse in Acton, Mass. (about 30 miles west of Boston) that was completed in 2021 for $7.6 million ($624 per square foot). Adjusted for inflation, it would cost $9.6 million ($786 per square foot) today. That building made a big investment in energy efficiency and includes a 12-shaft, geothermal ground source heat pump and a rooftop solar array.

Norfolk Firehouse Compared to Canton
For a highly budget-conscious approach, Norfolk can look 20 miles east to Canton where a 15,300 square foot combined fire and ambulance facility is now nearing completion. That project has a budget of $5.4 million—roughly $352 per square foot. A comparison of the Canton and Norfolk firehouses shows various factors that can impact costs:

• Canton’s facility combines fire and ambulance and includes sleeping quarters. Norfolk’s building is for fire only and no one stays overnight.
• The location in Canton is relatively flat (it was formerly a softball field.) By contrast, Norfolk’s site is uneven and will require weeks of excavation, regrading and a system for groundwater management.
• The building site in Canton is quite large. The Shepard Road lot in Norfolk is much smaller and all work will need to be carefully coordinated so as to not interfere with the operation of the current firehouse. 
• In what is perhaps the biggest difference, the Canton firehouse is based on a pre-engineered building that is assembled onsite, while Norfolk’s firehouse, as currently proposed, will require custom, onsite construction. The architect David Stein said he did not believe a pre-engineered building, such as the one used in Canton, would pass the Village District review that evaluates the aesthetics of new buildings that are within what is officially designated as Norfolk’s “Village District.”

Where The Money Will Come From
Various funding sources will be tapped for the firehouse. The state of Connecticut has promised Norfolk a $2.5 million grant through the Connecticut State Bond Commission. The town is also reaching out to the federal government through U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy and U.S. Representative Jahana Hayes. A capital campaign focused on the firehouse is expected to get underway later this year. Ultimately, Norfolk residents will foot some of the bill through local property taxes. A vote at a town meeting will take place before anything happens.

After closing the public hearing at its February meeting, the P&Z approved one aspect of the project—a special permit for earth moving and excavation—but postponed until March 13 final decisions on the other major issues: a lot line adjustment with the nearby City Meadow and the actual plan for the firehouse.

There was relatively little public comment at P&Z’s February meeting. Past sessions became heated at times with firefighters and other supporters of the project advocating faster approval. This prompted Tom Fahsbender, chair of the P&Z, to write a letter to Norfolk Now in the February 2024 issue,  restating the responsibilities of the P&Z and the processes it follows in making decisions.