South Broadwater Residents Study Proposed Emergency Services Building
 | Author:
Nancy Marks
Nancy Marks: MT43 News Secretary and News Editor |
South Broadwater Residents Study Proposed Emergency Services Building
MT 43 News Staff
People got a second look at the Preliminary Architectural Review (PAR) of a proposed emergency services building for South Broadwater County on Thursday, August 31 at Bridger Brewing near Three Forks. The first public meeting was held on May 31, also at Bridger Brewing.
The plans presented by Scott Cromwell of Slate Architecture of Helena showed a footprint of 16,320 square feet with generous room for a sheriff’s office, ambulance equipment, and county search and rescue equipment area. It includes shower rooms for hazmat incidents, a full kitchen, a two-bedroom apartment on the second story, a community room and several separate offices for the sheriff’s use. Broadwater County roads department would also have room for a snowplow. As an essential services building, an electrical generator would be included. Plans are also drawn for a helicopter pad.
The facility would be built on two acres donated to the county by developer Craig Richter of Bozeman. The two parcels are across Highway 287 from Wheatland Road. The parcels are in a ravine so will be difficult to bring to grade. Cromwell suggested the dirt work alone would cost around $380,000.
People agreed an emergency services building is needed to serve South Broadwater County which is seeing huge growth in population and new homes.
Cromwell fielded several pertinent questions including the nuisance factor for people living near the services building, how to pay for the building and who would staff it once it was built.
People questioned how water and sewage services could be connected to the building. Although utilities are not part of the PAR, Cromwell suggested water and sewer might come from the Headwaters Utility Services within the Targeted Economic Development District (TEDD).
Cromwell presented cost estimates for building the facility at between $4.4 million and $5.5 million based on costs for recently constructed buildings in the Helena area. Outfitting the building with equipment would add to those costs, pushing the total to $ 8 million. He emphasized that waiting to build would only increase the costs.
Winston resident Audrey Martin suggested Cromwell’s numbers were way off. She said, “Based on my experience working in emergency services in other places, I would say it will cost between $12 million and $16 million to equip such a facility."
Other questions raised by the group included whether an analysis of internet service to the proposed facility has been done.
Cromwell explained it would take at least two years to find public money and grant funding once the county government starts the process. “It would be after that when construction could begin,” he said.
A short-term strategy discussed was to build a substation for now to house a deputy sheriff and maybe a snowplow and ambulance. Cromwell suggested the county could use Phase I of the PAR which would cover a small footprint and then plan to build on later.
Cromwell ended the session by asking people to send letters to the county commissioners in support of going ahead with the plans presented. Letters may be addressed to the commissioners at the county courthouse, 515 Broadway Street, Townsend, 59644, or email commissioners@co.broadwater.mt.us.
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PhotoCredit: Photo Credits: Slate Architecture
Image 1 Caption: Slate Architecture Proposed Emergency Services Building.
Photo Credits: Slate Architecture
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