The Town of Hubbardston Public Safety Building Committee on Sept. 16 finalized outreach plans and timing for the public safety building project and discussed design trade-offs including sign location, building layout and ADA accessibility ahead of a public kickoff event.

Committee chair Carrie said the committee plans a public kickoff tied to the Taste of Hubbardston event on Oct. 2 and a website launch around Oct. 25. Committee members and town staff agreed the Oct. 2 open house will serve as a community “kickoff” — to present renderings, collect public questions and demonstrate project materials — while clarifying that the plans remain preliminary.

Why it matters: the committee is moving from early planning into a public-information phase intended to shape community feedback and to set the timetable for a possible town meeting and election next year. Members emphasized keeping public messaging consistent, centralizing questions and documenting the process so residents can track changes over time.

At the meeting the group reviewed a rough draft outreach schedule and assignment of roles for the open house and ongoing communications. Town staff member Trisha (town event manager) will provide FAQ and fact sheets the committee will use at the event; the committee asked that members not “go off script” to avoid conflicting messages. Committee volunteers will staff stations offering renderings, storyboard displays and demonstrations; the town will supply signage and decorations, with volunteers asked to arrive at 4 p.m. on Oct. 2 for setup.

Signage and site work were discussed in detail. Committee members reported an existing plan to keep the central traffic island in place but reduce its size, install a new permanent sign in the island and repair the adjacent culvert; Jim Dixon and Travis (public works) are reported to be doing the culvert work. The committee said a sign order is already placed and that a matching sign face for “Public Police Department” will be available for later installation. Bollards to protect the sign were discussed as a possible addition but were not formally approved.

Committee members raised recurring concerns about snow removal and maintenance costs related to islands and bollards, and weighed the long-term cost of moving the sign versus improving it in place. The group also discussed short-term temporary-sign options to minimize early construction disruption and the potential for a permanent installation when site utility work is complete.

On accessibility, the committee noted that the building’s lift is not certified for public use and that using it for the open house could carry regulatory and financial risk; the meeting referenced ADA considerations and existing town ADA plans. For the Oct. 2 open house, the committee agreed that visitors requiring accessible access would remain on the first floor or be assisted by designated staff, and that more detailed ADA planning will involve town staff and the chiefs.

Design and layout trade-offs were another primary topic. The architect on the call, Dror, described schematic options to place public-facing offices (town clerk, treasurer/collector) on the first floor and nonpublic departments on the second floor. Committee members preferred prioritizing windows and customer-facing access for first-floor public offices, while locating offices that are not customer-facing upstairs. The group discussed whether the main assembly/meeting room needs windows, noting windows raise construction and long-term energy costs and that the meeting space may be used irregularly.

The committee also discussed internal program decisions such as locker rooms for police, the desirability of separate versus shared break rooms (the committee expressed a preference to keep police spaces separate), and plumbing placement to minimize potential water damage to multiple floors.

Project schedule and next steps: the committee proposed a near-term cadence of meetings and public forums. The Oct. 2 event will serve as a phase‑1 kickoff; the committee discussed holding a preparatory dry run Oct. 1 and a follow-up formal meeting after the open house. The group also proposed monthly forums from late November through March to continue public engagement and to refine layouts and space needs, with a goal of being close to a final schematic by January.

Committee members asked the architect to present one or two schematic options and to provide an assessment of relative cost and long-term energy implications (no formal cost estimates were provided at the meeting). The architect affirmed he will produce schematic drawings and indicated contract provisions allow for multiple pricing options during design.

The meeting closed with routine business and a motion and second to adjourn.