1944-02-27-AC-MIN.pdf - Laserfiche WebLink

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-3- The Board of Selectmen felt that there should be a combined Police and Fire Station. If they were combined, then the Barnes Property would be a good site. The Town of Needham has a combined Station and now, as a result, there is a spite fence built separating the two Departments. The Town of Arlington was considering the two Departments being combined, but it finally decided against it. Most municipalities decide to keep the Police and Fire Stations separate. Mr. Stokes, the head of the State Police, said he wanted to keep them the hell apart. The Planning Board believes that they would be kept apart. Also, the Planning Board have not found that the present Police quarters are inadequate. Mr. Greeley said that he felt the site opposite Fred Johnson's garage is a good location for the new Fire Station. He also stated that there was no diffi- culty as to the width of Bedford Street. Mr. Greeley stated that when the Middlesex Turnpike is built, it will take a lot of traffic off of Bedford Street. Finally, the Planning Board has adopted Mr. Stokes' quotation, which is : "Keep them the hell apart." This is referring to the Police and Fire Departments. The Planning Board left the m eeting at 9:20 P.M. At 9:25 P.M. this Committee went down and joined the Board of Selectmen. Mr. Lewis L. Hoyt, Chairman, first asked what influence the Board of Selectmen had in recommending the taking of the Leary property. Chairman A. Edward Rowse then said that there were three different committees set up by Town vote to select proper sites for a Fire Station. These three committees recommended the Barnes Property as the proper site for a Fire Station. . One committee re- ported in 1929; another in 1933 and the last in 1939. Chairman Rowse stated that the Barnes Property was pur- chased to make a civic center of the Town. The Board of Selectmen stated, through its chairman, that a Fire Station located anywhere on Bedford Street would nec- essitate the widening of the street and the taking of additional land. Also the Central Fire Station should be in the center of the Town. Also the Board of Selectmen understands that the location of the Police Department was always considered temporary. The Board of Selectmen feels that the Fire and Police should cooperate so therefore they should be together. The Board of Selectmen is unanimous in the use of the Barnes Property for the new Central Fire Station. Chairman A. Edward Rowse stated that the Board of Selectmen did not want the Town to take up the question of purchasing the Leary property separately.