By Christopher Haraden
The committee studying options for constructing a combined police and fire station last week informally eliminated the Hull Redevelopment Authority property from its list of potential locations.
At its August 17 meeting at town hall, the public safety building committee reviewed the sites under consideration for new or renovated buildings – the HRA land, the current town hall property on Atlantic Avenue, Central Fire Station, the former 7-11 at the corner of A Street and Nantasket Avenue, and the athletic fields at L & N Streets.
With a survey under way to gauge public opinion on the process, committee members did not formally vote on any of the proposed locations, but a consensus emerged from the roundtable discussion that the redevelopment authority land was not a good fit.
“I think that’s a big step to push that out of the way,” said James N. Russo, chair of the committee and Hull’s fire chief from 1984-2002. “I think it alleviates a lot of issues and a lot of concerns from some of the people, too.”
Both the current fire and police department buildings need renovation, and town meeting voters in 2024 appropriated $150,000 to hire KBA Architects to study alternatives. Central Fire Station at 671 Nantasket Avenue is more than 100 years old, and the police station has been in its current location on the first level of the municipal building since the late 1970s. The fire department’s southernmost presence – commonly referred to as the Green Hill Station – has been part of town hall for decades; the Village Fire Station on Spring Street is used during storms and emergencies.
The building committee will recommend a preferred site and a new configuration; voters will have the final say at a future town meeting.
For more information on the committee’s work, click here
Members of the committee – which include leadership from both the police and fire departments, representatives of the select board and advisory board, and citizens – displayed a wide range of opinions about the siting process.
Police Chief John Dunn said members of his department concurred that the current address – not necessarily the current structure – was ideal for the police station.
“We felt the number one place would be here where we currently are,” Dunn said. “I know there’s a lot of discussion about A Street and location across from the fire station. But my feeling, not just as a chief but as a citizen of the town is … that’s something we shouldn’t even be really considering until we have something in writing or something valid and saying, ‘Yes, we’re going to sell it to the town for a public safety complex or for a fire station.’”
Dunn said that the HRA land would be the second choice of the police department, and “the third area would be L Street, but the concerns there we’ve already talked about” – such as parking and the effect on nearby residents – dropped that location to third on the list.
Select board member Greg Grey said the costs of renovating the current town hall were too great, and that he supported siting the new building on the HRA property.
“There’s part of me that wants this to be the number-one choice, but in reality, it’s the expense that’s going to make it number two,” Grey said of the town hall structure. “The HRA would be the number-one because is the reality of it. It’s going to be a massive amount of money to do this building over, keep everyone up here, and when it comes down to it, it’s going to be dollars and cents.
“In the end, the citizens will decide which direction to go,” he added.
Hull Police Lt. Stephen Glavin said that if the HRA land was chosen, the risk of flood water blocking access to police headquarters was too risky.
Deputy Fire Chief William Frazier agreed that the HRA property should no longer be considered.
“In the beginning, I was a proponent of ranking the HRA lot higher,” he said, “but after looking and really evaluating that, it has fallen off my list.”
Frazier also clarified that combining the former 7-11 store at 670 Nantasket Avenue, which was purchased last year by Mambo’s owner Anthony Ghosn for $1.2 million, and the adjacent property at 664 Nantasket Avenue, would result a very similar situation to the current service delivery model.
“If we were able to acquire that lot or a lot in that section … the functions that are currently being provided from the current A Street fire station would go from where they are now to just across the street,” he said. “And if the town hall site is determined to be a finalist, the building here would be the police headquarters with the fire substation. So it’s pretty much the model that we’ve got.”
Russo, who is the brother of current Fire Chief Chris Russo, said that while cost should be considered, the goal of the committee should be to ensure that Hull residents receive the best possible service.
“We’re not talking about buildings. We’re talking about the future of public safety and how it’s delivered for the town of Hull and its residents,” Russo said. “And so, I think that becomes, in my mind, a much bigger question. I don’t want to see facilities that are just dropped into a place because they are the cheapest location.
“I can tell you, I literally grew up in that building,” he said of the current Central Fire Station. “It was dedicated in 1910. There’s not a lot more we can do to that building.”
“I disagree completely with the HRA. I think that the residents have spoken about keeping the HRA as a community location,” said advisory board member Moraiba Reyes, who also serves on the public safety building committee. She said she favored having the police and fire department at town hall, noting that “anything that we do is going to cost money,” but the investment would be worthwhile “if we are able to have a vision for what that is and what that will do for the community going forward for the next 40-50 years.”
Committee member Donna Pursel, who is a former member of the select board, agreed with removing the HRA from consideration and suggested that properties behind Central Fire Station be considered for acquisition to expand the footprint along A Street.
The committee also discussed ways to further engage residents, such as forums for residents to ask questions, additional surveys, and attending community events to discuss the process and answer questions.
The next meeting of the committee will be on Monday, August 31 at 5 p.m. at town hall.
Click here to take the survey.
