Winter weather causes delay in police station timeline

Mar 20, 2018

Nor’easters have thrown the timeline of the new Dartmouth police headquarters a month off track.

The March 13 nor’easter forced the cancellation of a Zoning Board of Appeals meeting scheduled for that night. The meeting included several critical items relating to the construction of the Dartmouth Police Department's new headquarters building at the former site of the Gidley School on Tucker Road, interim Town Administrator Greg Barnes explained at the March 19 Select Board meeting.

The town was seeking zoning variances for the project related to the building’s height, a gas tank for a police gas dispensing system, and parking lot adjustments. Because of laws requiring the meeting to be re-advertised, the meeting may not be able to proceed until April, and the bids may not be awarded until May.

“Due to the storm we did lose a month, but there’s really not much we can do about that, and obviously we don’t want to award a bid should the variance not be approved,” Barnes said.

Sub-bids for work like masonry, painting, plumbing, and HVAC, and bids for general contractors are due by March 22 and April 5, respectively.

Once built, the $13.4 million, 21,800-square foot facility will allow the department to move out of its current home in a modular unit behind its old police station. The old building at 249 Russells Mills Road was vacated after an officer became sick due to an issue with the building's water supply.

Barnes also updated the board on other major projects around town. Barnes said contracts for a new maritime center on Bridge Street in Padanaram are expected to be awarded by April 27 as bids are due in mid-April.

The project will include the construction of a public maritime center with a public deck, boat ramp, bathrooms and showers, and a multi-purpose room to be used as a welcome center and seasonal harbormaster's office.

Once contractors are named, construction is expected to begin in September and wrap up in December.

Bids for the new North Dartmouth Library are expected to be in by May 16. The 15,800 square-foot library building on Cross Road near Potter Elementary is planned for a 10-acre town-owned parcel of land to replace the existing North Dartmouth Library on Tucker Road. It is set to be demolished to make room for a relocation of the roadway.

The building includes a 100-person capacity multi-purpose room, a smaller conference room, and an adult, children’s, and young adult wings.