The Facilities 2000 Committee received an extensive update at a meeting last week on the Gull Crest property improvements and on planning for the fire and police station improvements.

The public works building and the ballfield planning are coming along very well. The committee saw a painted architectural drawing of the proposed building and all appeared pleased. A desire was expressed to place markers in the field where the building will be located to give a sense of how it might be seen from the school grounds/town center area. No cost estimate was discussed at the meeting.

The architects from Oest Associates will be meeting with the Planning Board at a preapplication conference on June 1 at 7 p.m. to receive some initial reaction from the Planning Board. Discussions are continuing with the Department of Environmental Protection.

Town Manager Michael McGovern has also asked Oest Associates for an estimate to undertake a feasibility study of placing a communication tower on the Gull Crest or transfer station site. The radio frequency consultants will be issuing a report indicating that this site would provide full radio, cellular coverage etc. for all of the southern end of Cape Elizabeth except for a small portion of the Sprague property. This would negate the need for a zoning amendment to permit an antenna on the hill on Shore Acres. However,  the town needs to know if the geotechnical and setback issues are all met on the transfer station or Gull Crest site.

Fire Station not discussed

There was almost no discussion at the meeting regarding the conversion of the Public Works garage to a fire/rescue station. The cost estimate is just under $900,000.

Two alternatives for Police Station

The architect provided two alternatives for the police department. One is to renovate the existing fire station, tear down the oddly shaped building in the back and build a new addition to the rear of the front. The second alternative is a totally new building on the site. The new building option would cost $150,000-$200,000 less than the renovation option. The estimates are still early but are both less than $1.5 million. The committee was definitely inclined to save money and go with the new building as all the systems and construction would be new and the square footage would be more efficient. They did not make a firm recommendation, instead desiring to have a workshop with the Town Council.

Overall Costs

As things now stand, we are looking at a cost of approximately:

Gull Crest Public Works and Fields	$ 3.5 million
Fire Station	.9 million
Police Department	1.4 million
Total	$5.8 million

The total $5.8 million is exactly the amount that was projected in the capital improvement plan last December. The Gull Crest project has gone up, but the police department estimate has declined.

The recently adopted budget contains $451,300 for the Facilities 2000 initiative. It is projected that the pool and Gull Crest annual principal and interest payment will be $560,000. The $109,000 needed in next year's budget translates to a tax rate equivalency of 16 cents or 8/10ths of 1 percent. Moving forward with the police and fire station work would cost $225,000 additional annually for 20 years. This translates to a 32 cent tax rate equivalency or about 1.6 percent. Therefore, the total projects to their conclusion would amount to an additional 48 cents or 2.4 percent tax equivalency.

Plans are to move forward over two years with 24 cents equivalency each year. However, the economy and other budgetary needs could affect the schedule and the funding model.

Projected Schedule

Pool Construction Completed November 30, 1999

Gull Crest Completion November 30, 2000

Fire Station Renovation Design Commences July 1, 2000

Police Department Design Commences July 1, 2000

Fire Station Improvements Commence March 2001

Fire Station Open October 2001

Police Department Renovations Commence February 2002

Police Department Open October 2002

Funding Requirements

FY 2000 $ 451,300 Adopted Budget

FY 2001 $ 618,000 24 cent equivalency

FY 2002 $ 785,000 24 cent equivalency

Council Workshop

It is the plan to have a Town Council workshop on Monday, July 12, 1999 at 6:00 p.m. to review with the Facilities 2000 Committee the status of all the projects. This is the same night as the regular Town Council meeting. The date should be confirmed when the council meets on June 14.