Blandford Select Board Revives Firehouse Search, Eyes Second Site Option

BLANDFORD -- September 15, 2025, Blandford Select Board revives stalled firehouse project and weighs solar moratorium amid application surge. At the September 15 meeting, board members directed Town Administrator Christina to obtain a feasibility study quote from engineering firm Weston & Sampson for a second potential firehouse site on North Blandford Road, a town-owned parcel of roughly 10 acres near the cemetery, as an alternative to the previously recommended salt shed location. Weston & Sampson's 2024 pricing for the design phase ranged from $471,000 to $496,000, not including owner's project manager fees, and the remaining project account balance had not yet been confirmed by finance staff. Board member Adam rated current OPM City Point, which the board confirmed is in litigation with the town, a three out of ten, saying "we had to direct everything that happened." On solar, the board reviewed a legal opinion from town counsel warning that a new moratorium would face AG scrutiny but could survive with documented post-2020 environmental harms; the board agreed to pursue a joint meeting with Planning, Zoning, and Conservation, targeting October 6, to evaluate both a moratorium and zoning bylaw updates. The board also voted unanimously to reimburse highway employee Brian $270 for a hoisting license under the existing union contract.