Sheriff's office still wants space in Thurmont     

By James Rada, Jr
Thurmont News Editor

THURMONT, Md. – Although the Thurmont Town Commissioners voted to build the Thurmont Police station on their own last month, the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office still wants to have space in the new station.

The town commissioners, Thurmont Police Commission members, county representatives, Sheriff James Hagy and members of the sheriff’s office met in a closed session March 7 to discuss how a joint project might still go forward.

“No decisions were made,” Thurmont commission president Martin Burns said. “The sheriff wanted an opportunity to discuss the issue with us personally and we were happy to talk with him.”

The town commissioners unanimously approved having NuTec Design in Frederick build the new 8,100 net square foot station for an estimated $1.8 million during their Feb. 21 meeting, but a contract has not been signed yet.

“The decision to build the building is not up for discussion,” Burns said. “Whether we contract to continue with the county is up for debate.”

The town had originally planned for the new police station to be large enough to house a Frederick County Sheriff’s Office substation as well. However, construction estimates that reached $240 per square foot and an opening date that moved from 2007 to 2008 caused the commissioners to question a joint project with the county.

“I think they had some heartburn with the way the county dealt with them,” said Hagy.

He said the meeting was a way to lay out the options and let the commissioners know the sheriff’s office was still interested in the project.

“We told them (the commissioners), ‘You tell us what the cost would be. If we’re not satisfied, we won’t be a part of it,’” Hagy said.

He added he would be agreeable to being a tenant in the new building rather than a partner. In that way, the town could still maintain control over the project, using their estimates and timeline.

“We’re going to have a presence up there,” Hagy said. “Thurmont will gain dramatically with a substation up there. With all of the police going in and out of that station, you can’t help but police. That’s what we do.”

Hagy said he envisions having 15-20 officers working out of the proposed substation. This would be enough to have three officers on duty at any one time.

Officers would cover unincorporated areas in the northern end of the county such as Lewistown, Sabillasville, Graceham and Rocky Ridge.

NuTec Design is still the low bidder for a combined police station and substation. The size of the station would go from 8,100 net square feet (10,410 gross square feet) to 11,340 net (15,200 gross). The total project cost was estimated to jump from $1.8 million to $2.3 million, though the square foot cost will drop from about $150 to $140.