Salem Joint Safety Complex
FAQs
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Why do we need a new public safety building?
Addressing the deficiencies at the current Fire and Police stations is long overdue. Both the Police and
Central Fire Stations have reached the end of their useful life, are deteriorating, and no longer adequately
accommodate both the operational and space needs of our safety personnel. The buildings do not meet
multiple State and Federal Regulations, they are not ADA compliant, and they have significant structural
issues, as well as antiquated heating, ventilation and electrical systems.
What are the advantages of a combined public safety facility?
Creation of a Joint Safety Complex has many advantages. The combined facility will leverage space that
will be used by both Police and Fire personnel. This combined space includes a Unified Dispatch Center,
Joint Training Room, Community Civic Meeting Room as well as integrated mechanical, electrical,
plumbing, and Fire protection systems, significantly reducing the long-term maintenance costs.
How large of a Safety Complex does the town plan to build?
The plan is to construct a Joint Safety Complex housing both Fire and Police in 53,915 sq. ft. located on
property where the current Police station exists. The space allocation includes 33% for Police, 51% for
Fire, and 16% for joint unified space (dispatch, community meeting room, joint training room).
Where will the new Joint Safety Complex be located?
The new Joint Safety Complex will be constructed on town owned land currently housing the existing
Police Station.
Why was the site of the current Police Station selected?
An extensive evaluation of numerous sites within the Town Center District was completed over the past 14
months. There were a minimal number of parcels that were suitable including several privately owned
properties. The cost to acquire any of these properties would be at least $2.0 Million or more and are cost
prohibitive. The only town owned property meeting the size and location requirements for a Joint Safety
Complex is the property currently housing the Police Station. The selected site is the most appropriate for
access for the Fire apparatus, most compatible with the existing site use, and the site that has the least
impact on surrounding properties.
Has the town considered rehabilitating the current buildings?
Yes. An existing conditions review had been previously completed for both the Central Fire Station and
Police Station. Based on the findings, the renovation of either building is not due to site, cost and
operational constraints. Central Fire Station resides on 1.2 acres of land and cannot house any expansion
of the physical facility. The Police Station is in a very similar state. Currently the Police Station and its 7
‘out buildings’ have maximized the physical footprint available. In addition, the Police Station operations
and personnel would have to be relocated if rehabilitation were undertaken. Maintenance costs continue
to rise, and serious repairs are needed to bring the building up to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA),
health and safety standards. The town has preliminarily identified approximately $3 million in projects
that would need to be completed in order to address bare minimum maintenance issues, and the facilities
would still be far too small and not fully ADA compliant.
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Have State and Federal regulatory authorities reviewed and approved the plan?
Great care was taken during the preliminary planning phases to work with NH Department of
Environmental Services, US Environmental Protection Agency, Army Corps of Engineers and NH Fish &
Game to ensure that their input was received, acknowledged and addressed. The town has been given
assurances that the plan, as presented, is agreeable to all parties.
Is the Town protecting the wetlands of the surrounding area?
Yes. The Joint Safety Complex plan includes the creation of 32 acres of Deed Restricted land around the
entire complex. The 32 acres will be restricted such that no future development can occur, the water flow
will continue uninhibited, and wildlife will be protected.
What is the cost of the new Joint Safety Complex?
The total cost proposed for the new Joint Safety Complex is $23.48 Million. However, the Town plans to
use $1.65 Million of funds already collected. So, the final cost to the taxpayers will be $21.83 Million. The
building and associated construction is $18.3 Million; $3.4 Million for non-construction costs including
furniture, fixtures and equipment, site and building engineering, building architecture and permits; and
$1.6 Million as a project contingency. Operations of the Police and Fire departments will continue
uninterrupted during the construction and relocation process.
Can we use any existing equipment from the existing facilities?
Yes. The plan calls for the Police Department to transfer $137,000 of equipment and the Fire Department
transferring $280,000 of equipment.
Why is this the appropriate time to build a new Joint Safety Complex?
There are a number of factors that have come together to make this the ideal time to invest in a new Public
Safety Facility. The Salem Police and Fire Stations are both approximately 50 years old, significantly
deteriorating and in need of major repairs. Two years of preparation have resulted in the plan as prepared
for the voters. Interest rates are at a historical low, but the window for low rates is closing. A delay may
result in the borrowing costs increasing significantly. As an example, for each ½% increase in interest
rates the cost of the Safety Complex increases by over $1.0 Million. Additionally, many months of meetings
and collaboration have resulted in an agreement with State and Federal environmental officials that the
plan as formulated is appropriate, agreeable, and expected to move forward in 2015. The Town has also
worked very hard and reached an agreement to purchase the property directly behind the current Police
Station. This purchase is time sensitive and provides critical wetland mitigation required by the State of
New Hampshire and Army Corps of Engineers. This mitigation also allows the Town to avoid paying the
State of NH ARM fund impact fee. Some additional factors influencing timing include increasing
construction costs, the continued deteriorations of both buildings, and the avoidance of significant and
costly repairs that the current facilities require very soon.
What will happen to the existing Fire stations?
The current Central Fire Station and Police Station will continue to operate as they currently are. Upon
completion of the project, the Central Fire and the Old North Fire Stations will be sold. The proceeds from
the sale of these properties will be placed into Salem’s Unreserved Fund Balance. The Board of Selectmen
will be the authority to make the decision on the sale of the facilities.
What will happen to the Police Department during construction?
The Police will continue to operate out of their current facility until the Police admin/operations part of the
facility is built and they will move into the new building. The “old” Police station will then be torn down
and the Fire operations part of the building will be constructed.
What happens if this project does not pass?
There are numerous and far reaching consequences. The proposed Joint Safety Complex proposal has
been derived as a result of 2 years of work with local organizations as well as State and Federal officials.
It is highly doubtful that we can achieve full agreement and concurrence with a similar plan in the future.
There are very specific and costly implications if the plan is not adopted this year. They are:
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The cost of a Joint Safety Complex in the future will increase. An increase of ½% in interest will
add over $1.0 Million to the cost of the project. In addition, the cost of construction rises
approximately 2%-3% annually.
We have concurrence from State and Federal authorities that they are agreeable to the plan as
proposed. There is no guarantee that this unanimous agreement can or will occur in the future.
NH Department of Environmental Services, US Environmental Protection Agency and the Army
Corps of Engineers have agreed to conceptual plan. The Army Corps of Engineers has stated that
they will be increasing the wetland mitigation ratio from the current 15:1 to 20:1 next year. The
proposed plan is being allowed to use the 15:1 ratio. However, should this proposal fail to pass,
Salem would have to provide nearly 40 acres of wetland mitigation land to accommodate this plan
in the future. Town owned land surrounding area cannot provide the required mitigation.
Salem would have to pay the State of NH AQUATIC RESOURCE MITIGATION FUND (ARM)
impact fee, which cannot be avoided, based upon the plan as proposed. We estimate that the ARM
fund payment would exceed $100,000 of incremental cost.
The current Purchase & Sales agreement with the landowner owning the property immediately to
the rear of the current Police Station may not wish to sell their property in the future. This would
severely restrict the type, size and operation of a new facility in the future.
The town would have to begin spending money on costly repairs and maintenance items in each
facility (currently estimated to be ~ $3.0 Million.
They existing Police and Fire Equipment that is planned to be moved into the new facility (total
replacement cost of $417,000) may become obsolete and require new purchases in the future.
Will the new facility meet Fire, safety and other regulatory Codes?
Yes. The new public safety facility will meet local, State and Federal Codes and building requirements.
This includes ADA accessibility, Seismic Code, Energy Code, and State and local Health and Building
Codes.
Will the new location affect response times?
The proposed location of the safety complex will enable the Fire Department to move closer to its stated
goal of arriving at 90% of responses within 4 or fewer minutes. This is a national standard (National Fire
Protection Association Standard 1710) that all career Fire departments strive to achieve.
What is the timeline for building the Public Safety Building?
The overall project will take approximately 2 1/2 years to complete. Construction is tentatively scheduled
to begin in early 2016 and be completed by the end of 2017.
What criteria were used in formulating the plan?
Very specific guidelines were used as the core principals guiding the plan creation. They include:
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Facility MUST balance cost with function
Facility should meet the needs of Fire & Police for several decades
Facility should be constructed with “maintenance free” materials
Facility MUST support and allocate space for “Unified Dispatch”
Facility MUST contain space for a “Joint Training Room & Emergency Operations Center”
Facility should provide community (civic) meeting and gathering space for public use
Sensitive areas surrounding the facility MUST be secured via gates/fencing, etc.
Facility MUST house all key Fire apparatus and allow for redistribution of the equipment
currently housed in Old North Fire Station
Facility should provide sufficient staff and public parking
Plan MUST meet Salem building code
Staff space allocation should meet national Fire & Police standards (but not be excessive)
We MUST maximize the use of existing Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment
Plan MUST be agreeable to State & Federal environmental agencies
Plan should minimize impacts to wetlands
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Plan should assist with conservation, protect natural resources and assist with water flow
Plan MUST be agreeable by the Police and Fire Departments
What is the cost to taxpayers?
The estimated impact on property taxes for residential property owners (assuming a 20 year bond @
3.25% interest for a home with an assessed value of $250,000) is:
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Year 1 - $9.57 per month ($114.88 Total Year)
Year 20 - $6.00 per month ($71.89 Total Year)
*Exact interest rates & tax increases will not be determined until the bond is actually issued.
Do both the Fire and Police departments support the plan?
Yes. The leadership of both departments has been intimately involved in the creation of the plan and is
unanimous in their support of the proposed Joint Safety Complex.
Will a joint public safety complex positively impact my property value?
Many residents, realtors, and contractors believe that having a new Joint Safety Complex actually
increases the value of homes.
How will traffic be handled and will there be a traffic signal?
A full traffic signal will be installed in order to stop all necessary traffic to allow Fire apparatus to exit the
facility quickly and safely. The signal will be green under normal circumstances and switched to red only
when emergency personnel need to exit or enter the facility to respond or return from an incident. Also, a
dedicated turn lane will be provided for visitors to ensure safe entrance into the location. Normal everyday
traffic impacts are not anticipated once the facility is operational.
Will there be any additional meeting space for civic groups?
Yes. Salem lacks public meeting space to accommodate civic groups. The proposed Joint Safety Complex
provides for a 100 person meeting room that can be used by civic organizations.
Can we tour the existing facilities?
Yes. You can tour the central Fire station at almost any time and the Police station by appointment. If you
wish to visit either station please call 890-2200 for Fire and 893-1911 for Police. We will also be holding
various public open house sessions at each facility as well. Please check this website for details.
Who do I contact if I have questions?
You can contact the Town in several ways. You can email at salemsafetycomplex@ci.salem.nh.us. You can
also directly email Selectman Jim Keller at jkeller@ci.salem.nh.us or Everett McBride
emcbride@ci.salem.nh.us.
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