More Review Of Fair Haven Police, DPW Buildings Planned At Meeting

FAIR HAVEN, NJ — The Borough Council will conduct its regular meeting Monday, Jan. 23, at 7 p.m. and the agenda includes a facilities update.

The council has been reviewing plans to make the Police Department and Department of Public Works buildings safer and more efficient.

That may involve renovation or rebuilds, but that decision is still pending more study, officials say.

The meeting Monday night is a hybrid in-person and Zoom meeting. Here is the link to the agenda with the call-in number.

The council met in a special session Jan. 9 to review professional reports on the conditions of both buildings.

The presentations Jan. 9 outlined the problems:

The police department at 35 Fisk St. has mold and design issues to address, the study noted.

There are other matters noted in the report, too, that require action, among others:

• Installing a female locker room
• Adhering to ADA Compliance Building Structure protocols
• Items that are outdated and not up to the Department of Justice guidelines include the HVAC, camera system, interview room, weapons and equipment storage, dispatch room and more concerns.

At the public works building at 1 Allen St., the roof is deteriorating and is past its 20-year expected life. There are structural concerns with the footings of the building and there is not proper egress for four employees upstairs, the professional report said.

Regarding the DPW building, Mayor Josh Halpern said previously the borough decided on Jan. 9 to request three quotes from structural engineers to determine if the footings of the building are sound enough to renovate the structure.

The structural engineer should be chosen shortly and then make a report to the council with two to three weeks of that, Halpern said.

The Police Department, located in an old school building on Fisk Street, is "likely" to be new construction, Halpern has said.

The town is asking the architect who already has drawn up plans for a building to amend the plans to scale down the size and save money on the project, Halpern said.

The cost for the Police Department project is not set because the plans are changing, Halpern said.

There are cost estimates for the DPW building: $2.8-$3 million for renovation and $4.1-$4.4 for a rebuild.

Residents can access the links below to view the Power Point slides on both buildings:

• Police Department Facility Presentation
• Department of Public Works Facility Presentation