Cohasset Public Safety: Enhancing Safety & Response

23,100 sq. ft. Total building area (proposed)

13,000 sq. ft.

The Elm Street Police Station (built in 1962) was designed for a department of only nine male officers and does not meet modern building codes or current public safety facility standards.

Today, the Cohasset Police Department has 21 sworn full-time police officers, 6 per diem special police officers, 1 FT Administrative Assistant, and 9 Civilian Staff (7 desk attendants, 1 crossing guard, 1 digital forensic investigator). The larger workforce and expanded responsibilities require more workspace, storage, and specialized areas. Additionally, the new facility must fully comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), including:

• Wider hallways and doorways for wheelchair accessibility.

• Accessible public areas and common spaces for community use.

Detention and booking requirements today also differ from 1962 standards:

• Cells must accommodate detainees with mobility impairments (including wheelchairs).

• Male and female prisoners must be kept sight-and-sound separated at all times.

• Juveniles must be held in a completely separate area outside the regular cellblock.

These legal requirements add necessary square footage—even though the total number of cells will be reduced from the current facility.

The project has been advertised for public bid; bids are due September 12, 2025. Those results will provide actual costs, which are likely lower than the estimate.

Net of the original $10.4M appropriated by the 2023 Special Town Meeting, the anticipated 2025 Special Town Meeting funding request is about $19M.

When 135 King Street became available in the Summer of 2023, there was no formal project team. To secure the site for public safety use, the Select Board and Finance Team advanced a best-guess estimate without subject-matter consultation, ensuring the property remained in public hands. Of that initial appropriation, $2.4 million was specifically used to secure the building at 135 King Street for this purpose.

There was no funding at the time for the year-plus feasibility/compliance work (often >$100K). Waiting risked losing the site and higher costs. The Select Board acted in good faith to prevent for-profit development that could have negatively impacted the area.

The original 28,823 sq. ft. concept included amenities (e.g., a “Chief’s suite,” separate civilian locker rooms, decompression/lactation rooms, bedrooms, laundry, gender-neutral locker rooms/bathrooms, evidence lab, etc.) that Cohasset did not need or wish to fund.

The revised plan is 21,300 sq. ft., focused on operational needs and cost control. It adds a secure Town/Schools data center and an Emergency Operations Center that doubles as a community meeting and training room.

The study depended on the final site design (building layout, parking, septic, stormwater). After site plan reviews/approvals determined the driveway and curb cut, the Town continued coordination with MassDOT and our state delegation. The final step is completing the traffic study; legislative partners have committed to help pursue grant funding and safety enhancements.

A Select Board member served as liaison to the working group and attended most meetings. Plans were displayed publicly at the Town Recreation & Health Fair (March 2025) and presented at public meetings of the Planning Board, ZBA, Conservation Commission, and Board of Health throughout spring and summer 2025.

The 2016 MAPC Town Infrastructure Study identified public safety infrastructure as a top replacement priority. The Elm Street facility (1962) experiences monthly critical system failures (plumbing, HVAC, exterior envelope, non-compliant cells), elevating risk and repair costs.

If funding is secured at the November 2025 Special Town Meeting, construction at 135 King Street could start in January 2026. By contrast, new school projects are unlikely to be shovel-ready before 2028–2029, even under the best circumstances with state cycles.

Public safety is foundational. Readiness, resilience, and responsibility require a functional, code-compliant facility now to protect life and property without delay.

Phase 1: 135 King Street public safety building — fully permitted and ready to proceed upon voter approval.

Phase 2: Elm Street remodel — more complex due to maintaining fire operations (admin offices, one engine, ladder truck) during construction. Preliminary estimate $7–$8M. Planning/design is in progress. Phase 2 would begin after King Street is complete (target Summer/Fall 2027).