NORTHFIELD — The Emergency Services Facility Committee tweaked the external design of the proposed public safety complex on Wednesday in an effort to match other buildings along Main Street and make it appear less imposing.

The multi-million-dollar complex, to be located just north of Dickinson Memorial Library, also will bear a sign with the words “Northfield Public Safety,” with police, fire and EMS under the title, the committee decided on Wednesday. The sign in designs presented by architect John MacMillan of Caolo & Bieniek Associates originally read “Emergency Services Facility,” with the types of services listed below.

Although the process of pursuing a new facility has been ongoing for years, the release of a video tour showcasing the inadequacies of the police, fire and emergency medical services buildings in February 2022 reinvigorated efforts. All three facilities have been criticized for being outdated, disorganized and having severe size limitations for personnel and equipment.

Town officials considered many potential locations for a shared facility before honing their focus on the vacant lot on Main Street owned by Ed Snow. Annual Town Meeting attendees gave their approval in May for the town to purchase the roughly 23 acres of land. Fire Chief Floyd “Skip” Dunnell III has said about 10% of the property could be used to house a public safety building, and the rest would be used for town recreation.

The interior design of the 18,200-square-foot building includes three distinct sections of the building — one for police, one for fire and one for EMS — with an area in the middle featuring conference rooms and other multi-purpose rooms to be shared by the three departments.

The internal layout of the 190-foot-long building has not changed since the committee reviewed it in November. However, MacMillan altered the exterior to address concerns about the facility’s length compared to buildings around it.

“We are doing a lot of the manipulation of the building and trying to minimize the apparent size to the building because it is very close to the street,” MacMillan said.

MacMillan also modified the gable roofs to sloped roofs. The gable roof, pitched over the front-facing conference area, became a pitched roof. MacMillan explained that sloped roofs create an illusion that the building is smaller by pulling the complex away from the viewer. This is especially important as the complex sits 50 feet from the street on the left side of the building and 25 feet from the street on the meeting room side.

“From a citizen’s perspective, the two comments that I’ve heard the most are ‘Oh my God, they are cutting down all those trees,’ and ‘Anything you can do to make it less imposing and more fit,’” Northfield resident Sarah Kerns said.

However, Emergency Services Facility Committee members preferred the gable roofs, as well as arched details on the windows and a false dormer, to match the surrounding structures. MacMillan will sketch a new version of the front and share it at a smaller meeting with Dunnell, EMS Chief Mark Fortier, Police Chief Jon Hall and a few committee members.

The facility purposely hides the apparatus bay and police sally port behind a residential barn construction in front. MacMillan suggested a dark color for the back of the building and a cool gray stone base similar to the Dickinson Memorial Library to blend the new complex into the existing architecture and keep the project understated.

The committee members and residents praised aspects of the architecture that mirrored many buildings in Northfield, including the cupola on the roof, the gray stone and the arched doors on the apparatus bay.

“I think wherever you can bring that softness on the side, which is really subtle, bring that up front as much as you can,” Selectboard Chair Barbara “Bee” Jacque said.

Dunnell noted that public comment improved the design, adding arched doors to the police sally port to unify the south side of the building.

“We really do look forward to public input. Everyone is going to contribute to this, so public input is very important,” Dunnell said.

During public comment, residents inquired about installing solar panels and regulating the complex’s light pollution. While the committee does not have a grant to offset the cost of solar panels, the design leaves room along the south-facing apparatus bay for future investment.

The design reduces light pollution using digitally controlled lights, which will be programmed to turn on at dusk and off during the night. The lights will be motion-censored and turn on if a vehicle pulls into the parking lot or if an alarm goes off.

MacMillan also addressed concerns about the flat roof over the facility’s front door, which residents worried would fail under the weight of snow. He explained that, factoring in winter conditions, the roof has a 40-year lifespan. The flat roof also shields people from weather when waiting at the door.

The exterior design is expected to be finalized within the next week. After deciding on the details, the committee members, along with project managers Tony DiLusio and Matthew Sturz, will calculate the cost of construction for the public bid on the building. The date of the bid has not been decided, but the committee predicts the bid will happen in the next three weeks.

]]>