Report to the 2007 General Assembly

Legislative Report 6

Title: Explore the Implications of Relocating the Williston State Police Barracks to Essex

RELOCATING THE WILLISTON STATE POLICE BARRACKS TO ESSEX

In accordance with Act No. 147, Section 25(c) of the Acts of 2006 Vermont Legislature, the Commissioner of Buildings & General Services is to study moving the Williston State Police field station to Building #617 in Essex and report the conclusions to the House and Senate Committees on Institutions.

The following are the findings and conclusion of the analysis of moving the State Police from Williston to Essex.

The Williston field station is located at 2777 St. George Rd. (Route 2A) in Williston.  This location requires a trooper to cross two (2) lanes of traffic in order to gain access to I-89 or to head south on Route 2A.  Having to cross these lanes during high traffic times is very dangerous and accidents have occurred. This is a critical problem with this location.

Building #617 is located off Sand Hill Road in Essex and this location provides for a safe entrance onto the public highway system. The response time from Building #617 to towns west of I-89 will be longer than from the Williston site; however, having a State Police presence at the Williston Southbound rest area will help in these situations. The response time to areas east and north of the interstate, the majority of the service area, will be improved. The Public Safety Department fully supports this location as an improvement to the present situation.

The existing program space of the Williston field station requires 15,205 square feet along with 13,150 square feet of heated vehicle maintenance space.  Building #617 has approximately 38,000 square feet of unassigned space.  This space is presently being studied for occupancy by the Vermont Emergency Management (VEM) division of the Public Safety Department, as well as the Williston State Police field station.

After a preliminary review, there appears to be enough space in Building #617 to house VEM and the Williston field station, with the exception of the vehicle maintenance area.  However, the configuration of the offices has not yet been determined.  The vehicle maintenance space will have to be leased at approximately $52,600 annually.

The preliminary cost of renovating Building #617 for the State Police is estimated to be approximately $3M.  A more detailed estimate would be determined after preliminary plans are developed. This compares to an appraised value of the Williston property of $1,800,000.

In conclusion, with the proper modifications to Building #617, along with adequate roadway signage, the State Police should be able to provide services to the areas they serve in a safe and reliable manner.