Police Facility Committee

Essex Police Facility Project

The existing police facility… is not sufficient to carry out the mission of the department.

- Essex Police Chief Dave Demag (retired), 2001 Annual Report.

Police Building - Perspective Looking Southeast (JPG)Current Space

The sworn and civilian employees of the Essex Police Department work out of approximately 4,000 square feet of space in three locations spread a total of 3.4 miles apart. The majority of police operations occur in 1,800 square feet in the Town Municipal Building at 81 Main Street. The detectives work in 1,900 or so square feet leased in a commercial building on Essex Way. The remaining space, in a third location, is for vehicle maintenance and evidence storage.

Area Departments

By way of comparison, the South Burlington (26,000 square feet), Williston (20,000 square feet), and Colchester (15,200 square feet) police departments all work out of facilities better suited to meeting the operational and safety needs of their police employees.

Committees

Two citizen committees comprised of 13 residents of the Town and Village spent more than two years identifying potential sites, researching and making recommendations regarding energy efficiency and sustainable design, and advocating for the project. A bond vote will occur on Tuesday, November 6th.

The Proposed Solution

An 18,000 square foot single-story energy-efficient police facility on 5.3 acres of land purchased from IBM.

The proposed square footage was first identified in a facility needs analysis completed in 2010. The 2010 analysis lays out necessary "operational adjacencies," which will improve the efficiency, effectiveness and safety of police operations.

Energy Solutions

A photovoltaic solar array on the facility's roof will provide the building's energy needs and produce energy savings in an amount exceeding the projected bill for natural gas. Energy savings (the facility is capable of earning LEED Gold certification) equal savings in operational costs.

Project-related information are available as individual links, such as:

  • Floor plans
  • Initial renderings
  • Preliminary site plans
  • Presentations and educational materials
  • Project budget

The reports of each phase of the committee process as well as the 2010 Wiemann Lamphere police needs assessment are also available.

The Vote

The bond vote was November 6th, 2012. A public information meeting was scheduled for Monday, November 5th, 2012.

For questions or comments, please contact the Town Manager's office by calling 802-878-1341 or by emailing B Keleher.