Blandford Building Committee Plans May Open House on Fire and Highway Facilities

BLANDFORD -- April 11, 2023, Blandford's building committee agreed to hold a public open house around May 13 as the town weighs replacing its aging fire station and highway garage ahead of a June 5 annual town meeting. The committee, meeting April 11, debated whether to bring one or two warrant articles to voters after a November special town meeting rejected an appropriation and design contract for a two-building solution. A member cited a local firm's $15,000 design fee for a 36,000-square-foot steel municipal building as a cost benchmark, while others argued the committee must settle on a single recommendation rather than leave the question open on the town meeting floor. Site options narrowed after fairgrounds overseer Bruce Wyman told a member the Blandford Fairgrounds would not be subdivided. The committee is awaiting a Collins Center capital improvement plan, expected later in April, to determine the property tax impact of a one- or two-building approach.