http://www.greenwichtime.com/news/local/scn-gt-publicsaftey01-may09,0,7148338.story?coll=green-news-local-headlines
By Martin B. Cassidy
Staff Writer
May 9, 2005
After the estimate for building a new public safety complex increased by almost $20 million, town legislators are considering ways to curb capital projects' cost in the coming years.
Randall Huffman, chairman of the Representative Town Meet-ing's budget overview committee, has asked for more frequent updates as plans are developed and costs analyzed. Huffman also invited RTM members to contribute to a report outlining ways for them to provide more and earlier input in the development of the town's capital improvement plan, a 10-year proposal that now includes more than $300 million in projects.
"The CIP process has shown itself to be in need of further light," said Huffman, a District 7/North Center delegate. "We want to try to develop some steps that will add to public awareness, public participation and cost control."
The new public safety complex is the most expensive item in the capital improvement plan. A 2001 study that looked at space needed for police work and a garage led town officials to estimate the cost at $42 million for 57,000 square feet of space.
But last month, First Select-man Jim Lash announced the total cost would be about $60 million, and the five-year project would include a 68,000-square-foot police station, garage and renovations to the 39,000-square-foot police-fire building that will be occupied by the Greenwich Fire Department and Greenwich Emergency Medical Service Inc.
The 2001 study performed by Rebanks, Pepper, & Littlewood Architects was supposed to calculate the amount of space the police department would need in the future and made only a rough estimate of the amount of space needed for utilities, Town Building Superintendent Alan Monelli said, explaining the change in estimates. The actual design includes additions such as a glass and steel lobby joining the police and fire departments, more work space for police, and expanded heating, cooling, and plumbing systems to serve the larger building, Monelli said.
Town officials now estimate it will cost about $36 million to finish and open just the police station, up from the $25 million estimated in 2001, according to a town document Monelli provided.
And the $60 million cost for all three phases of work - police station, garage and police-fire building - will probably continue to increase. Right now, it includes $24 million to convert the police-fire building into a new home for the central fire station and Greenwich Emergency Medical Service Inc., but that will probably grow significantly by the time ground is broken in 2009, Monelli said.
"By next year they will have the fire station design, so we can start estimating it, but it's going to be four years before you start to appropriate at that point," Monelli said.
That portion of the project causes her the most worry, said Joan Caldwell, a member of the town's Police Facility Advisory Committee.
"I'm not a construction person or an architect, but I am a homeowner and I can tell you a 5-year-old estimate to fix your roof is worthless today," Caldwell said. Pointing to the town's imminent renovation of the Western Greenwich Civic Center, where the $5.8 million bid was less than the town's $7.2 million cost estimate, Monelli said there is a chance the public safety complex project could be finished for less than $60 million.
"You can never guess how hungry contractors will be at any given time," he said. "It depends on the market conditions at the time of the bid."
Some economies might be made, but any cost cuts must be suggested by the Police Facility Advisory Committee, which includes members of the Planning & Zoning Commission and Board of Estimate and Taxation, Huffman said.
"As far as the size and the design, to get the most cost efficient facility will be left to the advisory board," Huffman said. "That's not to say that process isn't ongoing and there aren't other ways to save money to consider."
The full RTM will vote on the town's 2005-06 budget tonight. In subcommittee hearings last week, town legislators discussed the rising cost of several projects, but approved $4 million to start the public safety complex by setting up utilities for the three-story building and cleaning any environmental hazards in the soil. The allocation includes $290,000 to relocate the central fire department and $600,000 for construction administration.
Monelli said he and other town officials overseeing the project are trying to reduce the costs. As an example, he said the town has already reduced the cost of finishing the police station by opting to use split-face block for hallways and other non-work areas. Split-face block is cheaper than wallboard and doesn't need to be repainted, he said.
RTM Public Works Commit-tee Chairman Robert Kavee said he didn't feel qualified to question the costs of the individual features. "The building superintendent argued the price was not outrageous, and I'm not able to counter him about details of building construction," Kavee said. Peter Pellerzi, a local construction engineer, said town legislators should at least ask whether any facets of the project could be whittled away to save money.
"It's a big number and people should drill into it," said Pellerzi, who expressed concern about the town's handling of the project. "Could we do it for $45 million, $50 million without losing anything essential? We have to make sure we're not underpaying or overpaying for a component of the project."
Huffman said he was not sure what type of involvement RTM members might seek in the town's capital improvement process.
"We are continuing to look at questions with that (public safety) project and the CIP process and will continue our discussions and make a report on them," he said.
Copyright © 2005, Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc.