Joint
police
building-
cost soars
By Richard D. L. Fulton
News Editor
THURMONT,
Md. – Thurmont may be looking at alternative ways to build
a new police office if the county is unable to adjust a “sudden”
rise in projected costs for a joint building with the county
sheriff’s office.
The board
learned in a meeting with representatives from the sheriff’s
office and the county Management Services Division (MSD) on
Dec. 13 that the cost of the joint police department building
could be as much as $3 million.
The board
was split on its next course of action, causing the board
president to cast a deciding vote.
Misunderstanding
may have caused size increase
Board
President “Mayor” Martin A. Burns said the new
numbers came out during a joint meeting with MSD and that
apparently even the sheriff’s office was unaware of
the projected cost changes.
Thurmont
had envisioned an 11,000-square foot building, 8,500 of which
would serve as the new Thurmont police office, with 2,000
for the sheriff’s proposed north county office. These
calculations included common space such as hallways and reception
areas.
Somehow,
the county misunderstood, and added another 4,000 square feet
for common areas, producing estimates for a 15,000 square
foot structure, which radically impacting projected costs.
“No
one really knew (at the meeting) why it grew” to the
new size, Burns told the board Dec. 13. Board members surmised
the county did not realize the 11,000 square foot structure
already took common areas into account.
In addition,
projected design costs soared from $150,000 to $235,000. Thurmont
was expecting to pay only $75,000 for its half of the design
work. The town’s share would now be more than $117,000.
Commissioner
Glenn D. Muth said, “I’m troubled by all of this.
They knew what our budget was. Somehow this has gotten out
of hand.”
Town
will look at Taneytown option
Burns
suggested the town work with planners from the county and
sheriff’s office to clarify the proposal in order to
generate real, working numbers.
However,
that in itself would not be cost-free and the town would have
to allocate some of the $75,000 design money toward a meeting,
with the actual percentage causing the board’s split
decision.
Commissioners
William H. Blakeslee and Wayne A. Hooper voted to allocate
up to $13,000 for a work session with the county project planners.
Muth and Commissioner Ronald A. Terpko voted against the amount.
Muth had suggested no more than $7,500.
Burns
broke the tie, voting in favor of the $13,000 amount, stating
that residents have said they would support a new police office
and “this will take the process forward.”
However,
the board agreed to consider an alternative, should the proposed
joint venture fail, that of using the Taneytown police station
blueprints and simply adding the extra space. Taneytown had
already provided Thurmont with a copy of the blueprints.
This
option would make much of the architectural costs unnecessary,
since the town would be building with an already existing
set of blueprints.
County
Commissioner Michael Cady, present at the town meeting, said,
“I am as frustrated as you about the cost of the project.”
County commissioners had previously voted to provide $75,000
toward the planning phase costs of the joint station.
“I
think you are absolutely right to look at your options (such
as simply adopting the Taneytown blueprint),” Cady stated.
(See
related story, “Town,
county agree to joint police station” in
the Aug. 18, 2005, Thurmont Dispatch.)
