TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON—Representatives from the police and public works departments told the town council on Nov. 8 that moving council and court chambers to the second floor of a new DPW facility was likely the best option for expanding the police department on the current town hall footprint.
Council took no action on this at the meeting, as several council members questioned the estimated project pricing, approximately $7.6 million provided earlier by architect Anthony Iovino, of Arcari Iovino Architects. The council next meets Dec. 4.
Iovino has said the estimated DPW facility project at nearly $5 million, and estimated additional renovation costs to expand the police department at town hall and add council and court space to a new DPW second floor, at $2.6 million, for a total of $7.6 million.
Two other police department renovation options, which were found wanting by council members and police officials, were estimated at $1.4 million for Option 1 and Option 2 was slightly over $1 million.
“Option 3 is the one we believe is most viable and most preferable,” Police Capt. John Calamari told the council after describing the pros and cons of the first two design options.
He said that option 3 involves taking the current council chamber and courtroom space and giving it to the department. “None of these are ideal but this is most preferable,” Capt. Calamari, brother of the mayor, Peter Calamari, said.
The captain said it addresses the space issues “that we desperately need” and provides for all the deficiencies noted in Option 1 and Option 2, and a design for a second door to the parking lot will not be an issue with the third design.
He said Option 1 only addressed the sally port, processing area and holding cell issues. It adds on to the existing building, he said. Moving the kitchen to the basement, which also serves as a break room, does not allow the officers to be near the front desk.
Also no room for a record clerk, expansion for male/female lockers, and there’s no second door for officers to have access to the parking lot.
Option 2, the captain said, is “the worst option,” as it did not call for any additional space other than the sally port, processing area and holding cells out the south side of the building, he said. He said the plan relocates the chief’s office and detectives to the basement, requiring the public to go down a flight of stairs to access their offices. He said there was no elevator access. Moreover, past mold issues that were remediated remain a concern, he said
Police chief Richard Skinner said the costs of a police department operating elsewhere while renovations were ongoing in options 1 and 2 had not been included. Also, Capt. Calamari noted that the third option, which they preferred, could be accomplished without disrupting police operations.
Skinner said a December 2022 memo from architect Anthony Iovino listed features that were currently lacking at the township police headquarters. These included: no soft interview room or lobby room, to speak privately with crime victims, or domestic violence victims. He cited two recent instances where that deficit caused issues, plus a liability problem.
He said Option 3 provides a room off the lobby, noting it was “something that we really do need.”
He said other missing features included a department briefing room, where often now they must use the courtroom if it’s available. He said expansion of male and women’s locker rooms was available under Option 3. He said reusing the council space, mentioned by councilman Steven Cascio earlier, would provide a soft interview room and training room.
He said a newer office for the court on top of DPW building, including a separate quarters for the municipal judge, and a new court clerk’s office, would also be a better arrangement.
Option 3, estimated to add $2.6 million to new DPW facility’s estimate of $5 million, for a total $7.6 million cost, offers ground floor expansion for prisoner handling space, and police department use of council chambers space.
It includes interior renovations on main floor to achieve state DOC-required spaces, ADA restrooms and clearances, minimal renovation of lower floor for police storage, and a takeover of council chambers for police department use,
Councilman Tom Sears said he concluded Option 3 was the best option for the township but questioned the pricing on that option. He questioned the cost for moving a wall cited by the architect and questioned the pricing for moving walls listed by Arcari Iovino.
Council president Desserie Morgan said she had more questions of a financial nature, saying she liked Option 3. She wondered whether costs were included for the police operating in new space temporarily at town hall.
Mayor Calamari said the new DPW building would have to get built first and what happens here would move to the new building, and then renovations would occur at Town Hall for the police.
Skinner said he would prefer to have an evidence locker where evidence is put in the front and comes right into an evidence room. He said that would be possible in Option 3. He said an efficiency expert had previously told them the current department space is “too small for the needs right now.” He said that the evidence locker option was not a rush to get done.
Skinner repeated that Option 3 would be best for the town and department in the future, given the anticipated growth in residents. Capt. Calamari said “the general consensus is that Options 1 and 2 are obsolete the day they’re built.”
Skinner noted, “Our biggest problem here is surely space. We’ve outgrown (it)…the police department was built in 1934, renovated in 2000, and when they renovated in 2000, we lost 16 square feet of space.”
Administrator Mark DiCarlo said he would resend an earlier memo from Anthony Iovino on how he calculates project cost estimates. It was not clear if the council would request Iovino to attend an upcoming meeting.
Two public works officials, including Supt. William Lawlor, said they supported Option 3, which involved adding council and courtroom space to a second floor on a new DPW facility. Lawlor said he would lose a little office space by Option 3 but had no issues with council use of the second floor. Councilors questioned whether the DPW was satisfied with the Option 3 design.
Lawlor said “We all have to somehow work together and fit into this footprint.” He said he foresaw “minor adjustments inside.”
Council woman Daisy Velez questioned storage of equipment and vehicles, a longstanding issue for the DPW that now stores vehicles at the former swim club site, and Lawlor said it was “in discussions.”
Lawlor said a salt shed might be needed in the future. He said as long as it’s a secure area” he had no problem storing equipment offsite.
Mayor Calamari said that “none of the options help with storage of equipment.” He said storage of DPW equipment and the building are two separate issues. Lawlor said he anticipated enough new space for a total of 15 employees, from 10 full-time employees, if needed.
Iovino originally presented three options for a new DPW facility in December 2022, and he followed up with a combined DPW and WTPD option in August, after discussions on improving and expanding police department facilities.