Most residents agree that the town's police officers deserve a better facility than the temporary one they occupy in the former Millstone exhibit building on Main Street. So, too, does the fire marshal. The question is, how big a building does the town need?

The Day believes the proposed public-safety complex may be somewhat large for the town's current needs, but with East Lyme growing, it seems sound to provide a small amount of extra space. This newspaper believes voters should vote yes to approve the project, but First Selectman Beth Hogan and other town officials should then work to trim expenses where possible so that the project comes in at less than the $13.7 million now estimated.

The site — The question of where to put a public-safety complex has yet to be answered, despite several proposed solutions. After a plan for a shared facility at Camp Rowland was defeated by the Board of Finance several years ago, East Lyme now wants to build off Route 156. The town plans to swap about 9 acres of town-owned wetlands across the road from the York Correctional Center in order to get a 5.5-acre parcel of dry land on which to construct the public-safety building.

In terms of accessibility, the site is close enough to Interstate 95 and Roxbury Road to allow police vehicles adequate access to the Flanders and Niantic sections of town.

The proposed plan would open up a 110-acre tract of open space the town would use for walking trails. The state is inclined to approve the deal, but has not formally done so. In a recent letter to First Selectman Hogan, the chief of the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation, Thomas M. Morrisey, said the state “should be prepared to make its final decision on this matter by the end of April and transfer the deed in May.”

The mission— Reasonable people also can fairly ask whether this building, at about 30,000 square feet, is being designed to meet the current needs of the police department, fire marshal, emergency dispatch center and other activities, or does it contemplate a change sometime soon to a full police department separate from the resident trooper function? The answer seems to be that the building is notdesigned to accommodate a future, larger town department.

By comparison, Waterford's police station has about 31,000 square feet, but the department also has 46 officers, including the chief and deputy, far larger than East Lyme's projected 25 officers and two civilians. Stonington's new police station, built in 2000, has about 27,000 square feet. Stonington has 36 police officers and nine other personnel, also larger than the East Lyme police contingent. But the Stonington and Waterford police stations, unlike East Lyme's plans, do not house the fire marshal's office. That's a big difference.

East Lyme, at any one time, has as many as a fire marshal, three deputies and four other employees — for a total of eight — in the fire marshal's office. The emergency management office has four people in it most of the time, but during an emergency drill has as many as 40 people.

The answer to the size question perhaps lies in the projected growth of East Lyme, which could increase by 4,000 residents — about 20 percent or more — in the next several years. There's also a large retail and housing complex called the Gateway proposal on the drawing board for Flanders Road on the site of the Shack restaurant and a golf driving range near I-95. This, too, could influence the manpower needed by the police.

Emergency operations— The building calls for an emergency dispatch center of nearly 2,000 square feet. East Lyme should be cooperating in a regional dispatch system with other towns, but that will probably not take place for several years at the least. East Lyme should be pushing for a regional center with Waterford and/or New London that might make this aspect of the facility unnecessary in the future.

Effect on town finances— Proponents claim that the cost to an average taxpayer from bonded debt — about $124 a year — would be offset entirely by the town's elimination of other debt now carried on its books. But with projects such as a Town Hall expansion, a new Niantic fire station and an expansion of the East Lyme library possibly costing $15 million in new debt, the public safety complex does not have the minimal effect its supporters contend. None of these projects has been raised for a formal vote, so there are no accurate costs developed for them. But the projects could happen over the next five years. They are listed on the Long Term Capital Planning Committee.

Comparison to an earlier plan— During former First Selectman Wayne Fraser's tenure, Mr. Fraser proposed a public-safety complex shared with the National Guard at Camp Rowland. That plan, defeated by the Board of Finance, called for just 23,000 square feet of space. Mr. Fraser, who opposes this latest plan, says it is too big and offers a comparison with Stonington. The Stonington complex does not contain the fire marshal's office, though, something that is provided in the East Lyme plan.

In the end, voters should understand that East Lyme public-safety personnel have been living with inadequate offices and accommodations for a long time. This is an opportunity to change from substandard, cramped and unsightly surroundings to a high-quality building. East Lyme residents should seize the moment.

The Day recommends a yesvote in Monday's referendum followed by some hard looks at where costs could be reduced.