Portsmouth explores police station alternatives after negative feedback from public

PORTSMOUTH — The Police Station Working Group is “continuing to explore other alternatives” on a new station project, according to Department of Public Works Director Peter Rice.

“We haven’t come up with anything specific at this point, but suffice to say we are challenging each other to come up with more creative solutions that will become … potentially more acceptable and sustain more support,” Rice said during a recent City Council meeting.

The council voted 7-2 during its first meeting in June to “affirm the municipal campus as the preferred site” for the city’s new “ community policing facility .”

The vote came despite hearing criticism from the public about the proposal to put an addition in front of the existing station, which would block the view of the South Mill Pond, nearby cherry trees and the North Church.

Rice said at the council’s second June meeting that he heard “really good feedback …relative to the goals and desires of the City Council, as well as residents.”

The “major takeaways,” Rice said, “were try to maximize the use of the existing building, try to minimize the impacts to the viewscape and the front of the building, and try to shift as much as possible out back.”

As the working group continues its work, the City Council continues to hear from residents who’ve called the proposed addition “ugly” and “atrocious.”

City Councilor John Tabor, who serves on the working group, asked Rice at the June 17 meeting about a previous plan “to move the Police Department into where the city clerk and appraisal is now, tax collector,” and put an addition on the back of the building.

'Dusting off' phased approach discussed in 2014

Rice confirmed that “phased approach” was discussed in 2014.

“What that entailed was building a point of service addition out front where the current school board conference room is, as well as some additions out in the back of the building,” Rice explained.

But that would involve relocating the clerk’s office, the assessor’s office and the tax collector’s office, Rice said.

“So, they’d be a number of enabling projects prior to being able to drill down into and build the police station,” Rice said.

But he acknowledged “this is an option that we’re dusting off as well, and saying OK is there a variation of that or is there something associated with that, that could be salvaged and used.”

“Those are part of the mix at this time,” Rice added.

Tabor asked if that approach would have to be built to International Building Code 4, which he described as “a hurricane-proof structure.”

“We’d have to define what portions of the police force would need to be in those Category 4 spaces, and then we’d have to have an addition,” Rice replied.

“That option did envision a 10,000-square-foot addition at the back of the building for the police, so we would envision if that was the option we were pursuing, likely those functions would be located in that space,” Rice said about what police operations would need to be in a Category 4 building.

City officials have previously said a Category 4 building is more expensive than a Category 3 structure.

First plan blocks iconic views

City Councilors heard a series of negative comments about the early design of the addition after the working group recently released massing diagrams for the proposed addition.

Rice acknowledged at the time the proposed addition would also block views of the North Church and Portsmouth’s Middle School.

The projected cost for renovating the existing station in the City Hall complex, along with building a new addition, is $41.8 million.

That’s about $29 million lower than the $70 million-plus estimates the council received in December on a new station at several potential sites.

A total of $42.2 million has been identified in the city’s CIP for the design and construction of the new station, according to Rice.

Mayor notes the public's engagement and awareness

Mayor Deaglan McEachern said the fact the city is now saving about $30 million when compared to the original estimates is “probably the biggest piece of information we’ve received.”

Asked if the city should restart the police station discussion given the negative feedback, McEachern said, “No, we should use this engagement to actually get the conversation going.”

“I can assure the people of Portsmouth we’re going to be listening throughout this process,” McEachern said. “We’re not going to be making decisions in the summertime. Probably the next big steps are coming in the fall.”

“The important things for me, is we’re on budget, and now we’re in the minds of people who have a lot to say about this,” he said. “Those are two good things.”

Residents continue to pan first proposed location and design

Meanwhile, councilors continue to receive complaints about the early design of the new police station.

South Street resident Jan Nisbet told the council the “current location and design of the Community Policing Facility is atrocious.”

“It ruins the character of the South Mill Pond district and creates an unwelcoming symbol of our city,” she said in an email to the City Council.

“There must be another solution that will not ruin the district. As everyone knows, the City Hall, the old hospital with upgrades, is in itself an eyesore,” she said. “Why perpetuate a bad design and decision that was made decades ago? Why not put the police station in the parking lot on the intersection of South and Junkins?”

Manning Street resident Judy Hiller finds “the new design for the proposed police station just plain ugly.”

“The mass is too large, and the design is frankly awful,” she added.

“I would recommend that offices that do not need to be located at City Hall be relocated to the Sherburne School, and that space be used instead of a massive addition,” Hiller said. “$42 million is a number I do not support.”

Islington Street resident Ken Goldman recounted to the council how he was recently walking down Junkins Avenue on his way to the Farmer’s Market and stopped to take some pictures at South Mill Pond.

“I realized … that if the city decides to go ahead with the proposed extension of the police headquarters, this photo would not have been possible,” he said. “Please do not build the new/extended police facility in a place that will block this view.”

“As I've grown to know Portsmouth, I've learned how important the visible integrity of the city is to the residents,” he said. “I too appreciate maintaining the look and feel of the city to the greatest extent possible, and, frankly, feel that this will be an ugly blight on this area.”

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Portsmouth explores police station alternatives after negative feedback from public