New Gloucester fire station, architect rendering If you live in New Gloucester, you will want to attend the public meeting on the construction of the new fire station. (Photo Courtesy)

The meeting will be held at the Amvets' Hall on Tuesday, November 27 at 7 p.m.; all residents are urged to attend. According to Town Manager, Rosemary Kulow, "This will be an opportunity for people to see first-hand the preliminary draft designs presented. The meeting will also provide citizens a chance to ask committee members, selectmen and the contractors direct questions about the project, as well as provide a forum for individuals to voice their own concerns."

The road to a new fire station began in July of 2004 when the Board of Selectmen appointed the Fire Station Committee. In a nutshell, the task of the committee was to determine a location; needs for the complex, present and future; and submit a recommendation to the selectmen and townspeople.

The committee visited neighboring stations in Poland, Raymond, Oxford and Paris. By December of 2005, after much hard work, the committee had selected land for the complex on the Lewiston Road. The town agreed to purchase the 25 acres of land at a special town meeting and the committee was well on the way to its goal.

In 2006, the committee gave a PowerPoint presentation to the board on its findings and was instructed to continue and develop bid specifications for a conceptual design. In September, committee members visited the Brunswick Fire Station and decided to recommend the design/build process and use Brusnwick's format. In October of 2007, the selectmen made plans to move ahead with the project and capped it at $2.3 million, including all construction costs, furnishings and equipment, clerk of the works costs, bonding costs and contingency money. Bids were reviewed and Zachau Construction, with the architects of Bunker and Savage, were sent a letter of intent.

Once the townspeople have weighed in on Tuesday, a special town meeting will be needed to approve the $2.3 million project. Kulow says the public informational meeting will be recorded for a later replaying.

"The meeting will be televised on cable channel three at later times, but attendance at the meeting will allow interaction, follow-up and general conversation about the new fire-rescue station. This time of information-sharing is an educational opportunity for residents to better understand a very important topic that will soon be considered at a special town meeting."