Good Morning, Burlington!

Some local children will have 385 more reasons to smile this winter, as Toys for Tots distributes the toys collected via its partnership with Shawsheen’s SkillsUSA organization. The group blew its previous record out of the water by more than 50%, and emotions ran high when the Billerica fire department came to collect the donations, just 11 days shy of Christmas.

Shawsheen Valley Technical School is a public school providing a vocational education to over 1,300 students from Burlington, Bedford, Tewksbury, Wilmington, and Billerica.

Community Information

Shawsheen SkillsUSA Achieves Record-Breaking Success with 385 Toys Collected in Annual Toys for Tots Drive

Nicci Kadilak • Dec 21, 2023

Shawsheen Valley Technical School’s SkillsUSA Leadership Team has once again demonstrated the extraordinary power of community and compassion through th…

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Police Station Building Committee Discusses Site, Building Requirements

The Police Station Building Committee met with a representative from the architectural firm, Kaestle Boos Associates, this week to discuss the disposition of the feasibility study so far.

The firm considered three different possible town-owned parcels for the new police station, but found that only one was truly feasible for a police station:

• The Vine Brook water treatment plant is located within one big wetland, making it an unsuitable site.
• A site adjacent to the high school was also considered, but the lot wasn’t sufficient to provide two separate access points, which is needed for a public safety building of this type.
• The location where the existing police station sits, with the addition of some of the land where the Sculpture Park currently stands, was found to be the most suitable location.

Members of the Committee brought up the fact that the high water table has caused problems in the existing facility, as well as the fact that the property will need to be rezoned before building can take place—a process that would require a 2/3 vote by Town Meeting. Additionally, the police department would need to relocate for two years during construction.

Additionally, the current police station is located in the former Union School building, which opened for business in 1898 as a consolidation of the five one-room schoolhouses that served students living near the town’s four corners and in the center. The current thinking is that this building would be leveled; the reasoning for this is manyfold:

• The building has “leaks everywhere” and water problems that have caused the formation of black mold, which cause health issues for those who work there.
• The building and its foundation don’t meet the seismic code, which basically says the building must remain standing even if all the others around it fall to the ground.
• The building doesn’t meet current accessibility standards, nor does it meet code for safety.
• Other abatements might need to be undertaken as well.
• Even if the entire building were redone and remain as it stands today, and even if it wouldn’t cost about the same amount to renovated it as it would to build a new building (Spoiler: it would probably be comparable!) the layout might not be sufficient for today’s needs.

So, it looks like the winner is demolition of the current building and reconstruction of a new police station on the same site. Barbara L’Heureux, Committee member representing the Planning Board, expressed the Board’s disposition as of their last meeting. The Planning Board feels they should have been involved in the process from the beginning, and that they could have told the Select Board and Police Department that the other two sites were not viable.

Town Administrator, Paul Sagarino, stated the current site has always been the Select Board and the Police Department’s preferred site for the police station, and their effort during the feasibility process was to figure out how to make a building work on that site rather than examining too many other locations.

The architectural firm offered to review more sites, if any come up, it was clear that the Select Board’s stance is that the site has been selected and there is no need to look further.

When the historical nature of the building was discussed, Sagarino said they’d been in contact with the Historical Commission and the architect pointed out that many historical features of the building had not been maintained—the building has vinyl siding and replacement windows, for example—and suggested the building is historical for what it used to be, rather than what it is at the moment. Regardless, L’Heureux prepared the Committee that there would likely be individuals or organizations reaching out who wish to maintain the historical building.

As for the new police station itself, the process will feel familiar to anyone who’s been paying attention to the school building committees. The Space Needs Program, which gives a rough square footage based on the divisions and number of people the station serves, was completed and it looks like the size of the station will need about a 50% increase, landing around 35,000 square feet. Some features to meet the programmatic needs of the Department:

• A friendly, inviting lobby with some privacy
• Patrol on one floor with admin on a separate floor
• A separate area for detainees with separate entrance and exit that prioritizes safety of people and property
• Separate areas for dispatch, report writing, evidence storage, etc., that are tailored to their use
• Gender-neutral toilet and shower facilities

They’re also already thinking about using durable materials that require little maintenance, so that the station can maintain its good repair well into the future.

Many Committee members requested more public outreach to ensure transparency with the public, and while no firm plans were made to that end, the Civic Expo would be a great place to start.

Today in Burlington

Municipal Meetings and Community Events

• 12:30-3:00 PM - Bridge club (Human Resources Building, 2nd floor)
• 3:00-5:00 PM - Maker Meetup for Adults-Book Page Paper Flowers-first opportunity of the day to get creative and meet your neighbors. Share your creation with #BurlingtonBuzz on social media! (Library; Registration Required)
• 6:30-7:15 PM - Cardboard Gingerbread Houses-Grades K-5-Make a mini gingerbread house using cardboard and other fun decor. Take a picture and share it with the #BurlingtonBuzz! Let’s see your beautiful design! (Library; Registration Required)
• 6:30-8:30 PM - Maker Meetup for Adults-Book Page Paper Flowers- second opportunity of the day to have fun and meet your community. Take a picture and share it with the #BurlingtonBuzz! Let’s see your beautiful creation! (Library; Registration Required)

Sports and Activities

Lady Devils won their hockey game yesterday by a score of 5-1; boys unfortunately lost 0-2. Our wrestling team lost to Watertown 27-51.

We’ve got track, swimming, and girls’ b-ball today.

• 4:00 - Track meet against Melrose at the New Balance Track
• 4:30 - Varsity Boys Swimming vs Reading at Home (Shawsheen)
• Girls host Malden Catholic for basketball, with JV playing at 4:30 and Varsity playing at 6:00

That’s all for today. Have a great one!

Nicci

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