Swampscott station design not out of woods

SWAMPSCOTT – The architect and members of the building committee reviewed final questions and designs for a “lean” but functional and durable new police station that they hope will cost less than the $6.5 million budgeted.”The overlying notion is if it’s under budget, it’s under budget – that’s great,” Police Station Building Committee Chair Patrick Jones summarized at the committee’s Monday night meeting.Selectmen debated – but did not endorse – a redesign of the proposed police station when the design committee presented the latest construction plans at the board’s May 24 meeting. The designs had already been reduced by 4,000 square feet and approximately $1.5 million since 2010, Jones told the selectmen. But since the majority of the plans were completed, Swampscott entered into a regional emergency dispatch agreement with the City of Lynn. The agreement sparked questions among selectmen about whether the proposed station contained expensive elements such as technology and extra cells that were no longer necessary.In response, the building committee decided at its June 27 meeting to replace one of the proposed cells with another interview room that could – if necessary – be eventually converted into a cell. The committee also considered changing storage for technological systems in the station’s operations room and identified several items – including 88 trees – that appeared in the budget but not on the latest plans.Architect Carell said Monday that the cell changes could be easily accommodated. He recommended keeping the sub-floor storage for technological utilities, however, saying that other police departments had regretted decisions not to include such storage.He said that he planned to submit permit applications tomorrow.He also said he will double-check with the landscape architect on the trees.