Blandford Facilities Committee Narrows Site Search, Hires Auditor, Makes Appointment

BLANDFORD -- March 16, 2023, Blandford's Public Facilities Committee restarted its site search for consolidated fire and highway facilities, aiming to bring a credible proposal to annual town meeting in June. The committee engaged Weston Sampson's Mike Richard to conduct a formal site selection review after voters at a special town meeting rejected funding for schematic design on a previously favored Chester Road site. Several parcels were discussed, including a five-and-a-half-acre trust-held property near the town center and land along Route 23, with multiple members arguing that proximity to the main road is essential for fire response. The project has grown from an initial estimate of roughly $2.9 million to more than $8.1 million, driven largely by a steel price spike that members said remains about 75 percent above 2020-2021 levels. The committee also voted unanimously to engage Roselli, Clark and Associates for fiscal year 2022 audit services at $20,000, and to appoint Lynn Kane as assistant treasurer-collector.