“To develop a meaningful set of budget guidelines, we must establish the criteria necessary for evaluation. Public Safety Facilities are high-use, service buildings classified by the International Building Code as an “essential facility” and by FEMA as a “critical facility”. These designations trigger mandatory requirements for structural strengthening, critical construction oversight and system protections that are significantly more rigorous than other building types. During natural or man-made emergencies, essential facilities such as public safety buildings, need to remain open and operational to respond and serve the community. These mandated requirements and the design needed to implement them have an impact on construction costs. It may seem illogical for a renovation project that a “perfectly good” building may require structural upgrades. For older buildings, especially those constructed prior to the 1990s, the building code for seismic design has changed considerably; even if earthquakes/windstorms are not a regular local phenomenon, or if the existing buildings have performed well to date, the “Essential Facility” classification can lead to extensive strengthening requirements. For significant renovations or additions, these code conditions will often trigger requirements that the entire existing facility be brought up to current structural standards. Where this happens, our recommendations may advise against renovation/addition due to the cost and complexity of design and construction involved."

- Tecton Architects on Public Safety Buildings

PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING PROPOSAL

Updated Information March 2025

Feasibility Study Plans

Cost Analysis

Public Safety Building Estimated Impact on Taxes

Combined Programming Document

Feasibility Study 10-24

Step 1: Site selection, feasibility study and design

The original feasibility study and design, started in 2023, had a total project cost of $39.8 million for a 26,895 sf. building that combined the police and ﬁre stations. The Public Safety Building Committee voted that the initial cost was too high and to implement cost savings in the design.

The PSBC also selected “0 College Highway” as the future location of the building, which the Town approved and purchased in September, 2024.

Step 2: Reduction in cost and site planning

The building was redesigned to reduce the size and cut costs, this lowered the building cost by 36%, or $12 million. The new cost of the project will be $27.8 million at 21,523 sf.

The Town retained the services of land use professionals for public input and to locate and design the future site of the public safety building at “0 College Highway”.

Step 3: Design and project approval

The next step in designing the public safety building, taking it from a conceptual design to construction ready documents, is being proposed at this Special Town Meeting. This will cost about $3.2 million and needs to be approved by Town Meeting and the voters of Southampton.

Step 4: Building costs approval

The ﬁnal stage of approval will be at a future Special Town Meeting in September and a Special Election in November to approve the remaining $24.7 million for the project. No money from the approved $3.2 million will be spent until Southampton voters approve this ﬁnal step.

Step 5: Construction

Once all funding has been approved, it will take about 1 to 2 years for the designs to be ﬁnalized, bidding completed and construction ﬁrms selected until we break ground.

Funding for the project will be requested in two parts as shown below:

Pre-Construction Costs	Construction and Building Costs
Examples: project management, architectural services and engineering fees to get project “shovel ready”	Examples: insurance, equipment, site testing and preparation, legal expenses, permitting fees, clerk of the works, environmental engineering, concrete, rough carpentry, metal framing, doors, windows, rooﬁng, ﬂooring, plumbing, septic, lighting, HVAC, lockers, appliances, toilets
$3.2 million	$24.7 million
Spring 2025 Special Town Meeting & Election	Fall 2025 Special Town Meeting & Election

Public Forum Presentation and Video Tour:

Guided Tours of the Police and Fire Station Available!

May 18th, 2024 10:00-12:00

Also by appointment-please contact

Chief Illingsworth: chief@southamptonpolice.com

Chief Fasoli: firechief@townofsouthampton.org

General Responsibilities and Duties

Public Safety Building Committee Charge

The Committee, which reports to the Select Board, is composed of 11 voting members; the Police Chief, the Fire Chief, and one each representing the Select Board, the Historical Commission, the Finance Committee, the Council on Aging or the Friends of the COA, as well as five members of the community or the surrounding area with experience in engineering, construction, architecture, financial management or previous public safety experience. The Town Administrator is ex-officio, non-voting. Appointments shall be staggered one to three year terms.

The charge was amended in 2022 and can be found here.

Amended Charge of the Committee

Informing and Engaging Southampton's Residents

On Wednesday April 10, 2024 - 7pm at Norris School there will be public forum for a public safety building. All residents are encouraged to attend. This will provide more information on what is being proposed and the current state of the Fire and Police department buildings. Please share and inform any residents that would be interested that don't have social media. Thank you for your support, we look forward to seeing you there.

Frequently Asked Questions-FAQ

Trivia Quiz Contest-Southampton Police, Fire/EMS

The Public Safety Building Committee is initiating a Trivia Quiz Contest that is intended to be one of a series of fun exercises this winter that will test your knowledge about Southampton's Police and Fire/EMS Departments. As you may know, the Town is working towards designing and building a public safety complex. This quiz is a first step in a multi-faceted effort to engage the community and learn why this is such an important need.

These tidbits of history and today's reality will appear on the Town's website www.townofsouthampton.org and its official Facebook page: Town of Southampton, Massachusetts, as well as on other social media platforms every couple of weeks between February and April. There will also be paper copies at the Senior Center and Library. All responses will be anonymous, but we will be able to see wrong responses and further build our outreach campaign accordingly. Each correct response is worth two points. You may wish to keep track of your points for each of these Quizzes, because, per an honor system, we will have 'winners' at the beginning of May. Details will be announced later but it could include a ride on the fire truck or visiting the police booking area (voluntarily of course)!

Each Quiz will be ‘open’ for 10 days for your response. We invite you to join in the fun!

Thanks for taking part in the trivia Quiz contest

#1-ANSWERS

#2-ANSWERS

Reports & Documents

The Public Safety Building Committee

Email: PSBC@townofsouthampton.org
Phone: (413) 529-0106

Mailing Address:
Public Safety Building Committee
Town Hall
210 College Highway
Southampton, MA 01073

Members of the Public Safety Building Committee

Select Board Liaison-Chris Fowles

Position	Name	Term Expires
Police Chief-CoChair	Ian Illingsworth	6/30/2027
Fire Chief	Richard Fasoli	6/30/2027
Senior/COA Rep.
Finance Rep.	Reggie Greene	6/20/2027
Historical Com. Rep.	Barry Searle	6/30/2026
Select Board Rep.	Chris Fowles	6/30/2025
At Large	Mark Darnold	6/30/2027
At Large	Charles Kaniecki	6/30/2026
At Large-CoChair	Kristina Madsen	6/30/2025
At Large	John O’Shea	6/30/2026
At Large
Town Admin. Ex Officio	Scott Szczebak

In This Section

Public Safety Building Committee

Recent Updates

April 2025

Basic Facts and Info

Trivia Quiz Contest-Southampton Police, Fire/EMS

Calendar

June

PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING PROPOSAL

Updated Information March 2025

Step 1: Site selection, feasibility study and design

Step 2: Reduction in cost and site planning

Step 3: Design and project approval

Step 4: Building costs approval

Step 5: Construction

Public Forum Presentation and Video Tour:

Guided Tours of the Police and Fire Station Available!

May 18th, 2024 10:00-12:00

General Responsibilities and Duties

Public Safety Building Committee Charge

Informing and Engaging Southampton's Residents

Frequently Asked Questions-FAQ

Trivia Quiz Contest-Southampton Police, Fire/EMS

Thanks for taking part in the trivia Quiz contest

Reports & Documents

The Public Safety Building Committee

Members of the Public Safety Building Committee

VIEW THE STAFF DIRECTORY