By Glenn Rolfe

DAGSBORO — Town leaders have taken a step forward in plans for a new police department, improvements to the existing Town Hall and a multipurpose meeting room.

On Monday, the mayor and Town Council approved a town parcel survey and a request for a proposal to start architectural plans for the project.

The 4-0 approval paves the way for the survey to combine three town-owned parcels, one of which was gifted to Dagsboro.

“Those three we want to combine into one lot,” said Dagsboro Town Administrator Cindi Brought. “It would be easier to do the plans.”

The entire initiative, supported in part by $492,000 in bond bill appropriations, carries an initial $675,000 price tag. But that estimate will likely be impacted by the escalation in cost for construction supplies and material shortages.

“I think it may be a lot more at this point,” Ms. Brought said.

Councilwoman Theresa Ulrich agreed and said, “It is starting to get a little better, and the prices are slightly coming down. But I hate to even think about starting a project like this because I have watched how expensive it is just to build a home. In the past year, it’s crazy. You’re talking for an average home, lumber alone is $40,000 more than it was the year before.”

To help with those potential higher prices, Ms. Brought said the town is checking to see if stimulus money can be used.

Conceptual plans presented in February call for a two-story, 2,050-square-foot police building on Main Street. A 450-square-foot meeting room would be separate, and a breezeway would link the meeting facility and the existing Town Hall.

Instead of standard construction, erecting a pole building could be a cost-saving option.
“They do incredible things with pole buildings these days,” said Kyle Gulbronson, the town’s AECOM consultant.

The new police headquarters, nearly triple the existing 750-square-foot station, adjacent to Town Hall, would have two primary entrances — one for public use and a second for officers.

The proposal calls for a processing room, one or two holding cells, a bathroom, a gun depository and temporary and permanent locker rooms for evidence.

Plans for the second floor, which would be off-limits to the public, include office space and more storage.

Security features would add cameras throughout the building.

Flexibility is key for the multipurpose room, which would be used for town meetings and other events.

The Town Hall renovation intends to include new flooring, tables and chairs, as well as ceiling repairs, an updated phone system and other fixes.

Fifteen parking spaces are planned, including four designated for police use along the south side of the new station.