Credit English/NewtownPANow.com
A new headquarters might be coming for Newtown Township police after the township board of supervisors unanimously approved a step toward that possibility at Wednesday night’s meeting.
Board members voted to green light a proposal from Hatfield-based KCBA Architects to conduct a police building study at a cost of $14,680.
Township police are currently based in the former administration building just off Route 413, a building that formerly housed the township manager, zoning department and several other functions before those operations moved into a new building next door several years ago. While the building the police currently occupy was renovated, it is “not a state-of-the art facility for an accredited agency,” Police Chief John Hearn said after Wednesday night’s meeting.
The Newtown Township department was reaccredited for the third time in 2019 by the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission.
Among other items, KCBA will look at space and other features of the current police building, study the department’s future needs, the cost effectiveness of a major addition and more renovations as compared to a new building and the size and scope of a possible new building.
Credit: Chris English/NewtownPANow.com
Hearn said he believes a new headquarters is probably the best solution.
“I wouldn’t have asked the township to get proposals for a study if I didn’t think it would benefit the community,” he noted.
The township only received two responses when it sent out a request for proposals for the study, Manager Micah Lewis said. The KCBA proposal was chosen over another one that came in at $24,500, almost $10,000 higher.
Supervisor Phil Calabro wondered why there was such a big difference.
“Will this firm (KCBA) perform all the proper duties to get done what we want done?” he asked Lewis.
“Both (of the two proposals) met the requirements of the RFP,” the manager responded.
