Residents Soundly Reject Firehouse Proposal in Deep River, Connecticut

DEEP RIVER - Residents overwhelmingly voiced their objection to another project anticipated to improve town services through increased taxes.

On Nov. 27, residents at a 14-hour long referendum held at the Deep River Library rejected, on a 766-229 vote, a proposal to bond up to $3.85 million to renovate and expand the 1961 Deep River Fire Department Headquarters.

About 76.9 percent of voters rejected the proposal which had a voter turnout of approximately 32.6 percent of the town's 3,045 registered voters.

First Selectman Richard Smith said the result "wasn't a surprise" and that many residents expressed to him concerns about increasing oil and gas prices and a sluggish economy.

"People are concerned about every penny," Smith said, adding that while most agree the firehouse needs an addition, they questioned both the size and cost of this proposal.

Smith believes the Deep River Fire Department Building Committee will reconvene, reevaluate options, and create a downscaled proposal that could come to voters later in the future.

The project rejected by residents would have created a southern 5,154-square-foot addition to the existing 5,112-square-foot firehouse which sits at the junction of Elm and Union Streets.

The addition would have housed on its first floor a 1,660-square-foot meeting/training room that could hold up to 110 people, a kitchen, restrooms, radio room, and a relocated Emergency Operations Center.

Schematics of the second floor show that it would have included offices for the chief, deputy chief, secretary, and fire marshal, as well as a fitness room, conference room, lounge, bunking room, and flex space.

At both Deep River Fire Headquarters and the Winthrop Fire Station, the project would have allowed vehicles to be outfitted with a diesel extraction system and single-pane windows would have been replaced with double-pane windows.

Less than two months ago on Oct. 23, residents rejected a proposal to bond $2,485,000 and direct $500,000 in town funds for a proposal to renovate and expand the historic 1892 Deep River Town Hall.

That proposal was rejected on a 646-308 vote which means about 67.7 percent of voters voted against the project.

At that time, the town had 3,020 registered voters with about 31.5 percent casting their votes.

The expansion proposal was taken to voters to solve issues with the town clerk's vault which does not meet state guidelines and the Judge of Probate office which does not meet Connecticut Probate Court regulations.

Since the expansion was not approved, Smith said the Judge of Probate office will be relocated across the street from Town Hall behind Cumberland Farms,

Smith said, adding that the space is almost ready and needs only a couple of walls and some small renovations such as wiring.

The new office will still be on Main Street and the town will pay $625 a month to rent the space, Smith said.

If the expansion were approved by residents, schematics showed the plan would have included additional storage and office space.

Specifically, the plan included basement storage rooms and on the first floor a 740-square-foot conference room, Town Clerk's office and expanded vault.

Second floor plans showed a 720-square-foot Land Use office as well as offices for the Judge of Probate, Registrar of Voters, two small conference rooms, a staff room, and a shared office.

Discussions regarding expanding the Town Hall first began ten years ago while talk of expanding the firehouse started about two and a half years ago.