Burlington City Council approves initial plans for new public safety building
The project would combine the city's police and fire departments into one space.
The project would combine the city's police and fire departments into one space.
The project would combine the city's police and fire departments into one space.
The Burlington Finance Committee and City Council approved a proposal Monday night that would lay the framework for a new public safety building.
It would be home to both the city's police force and the fire department in one centralized health and safety building.
City Council President Ben Traverse says the proposal is solid but he still has his reservations.
"I have some concerns that a joint public safety facility like this will have a cost that is too high, but I still think it's worth beginning the work to see what this project might look like," Traverse said.
The initial cost would have been at least $200,000, which raised some red flags with committee members.
"The fiscal reality is such that we need a significant bond to build a building like that," said Independent Mark Barlow.
The committee settled on allocating $172,000 for this initial step.
The Burlington Business Association represents nearly 300 local businesses. Deputy Director Sam Donnelly tells NBC5 that this project is the step the city needs to take to prioritize public safety in Burlington.
"We have heard a lot from businesses, visitors and residents of Burlington that our downtown needs a lot of help and could benefit greatly from there being a safety hub right in the middle of downtown," Donnelly said.
The first phase involves bringing in a third-party design firm to begin the work. Burlington City Council says there is no timetable for when that might happen.