Community Corner

Letter to the Editor: Ledyard RTC Endorses Police Facility

At its May 13th meeting, the Ledyard Republican Town Committee (RTC) unanimously endorsed the proposed construction of a new Police Facility in Ledyard Center.  The current police station on Lorenz Parkway is in poor condition and its continued use would require substantial renovation at a cost that would be significantly greater than its value.  In order to support the option of a future Independent Police Force, Ledyard needs a professional facility that supports public safety requirements both now and in the future.  The current proposed design represents the collaborative work of volunteer appointed members of the Permanent Municipal Building Committee (PMBC), Ledyard Town Center Committee (LTCC), Planning and Zoning Commission and Economic Development Commission with significant input from Mayor Rodolico and Police Lt. Finkelstein to define requirements.  The new Police Facility would be centrally-located, enhancing the sense of community in our Town Center and providing a municipal government complex that Ledyard can be proud of.  

The process to arrive at the current conceptual design of the Police Facility has been deliberative and thoughtful.  The PMBC, with input from the police force, has been working for almost a year, hiring an architect and working closely with all stakeholders to ensure the Police Facility design meets Ledyard’s needs for the next 30 years and beyond.  Working closely with the PMBC, the architect designed a building that met the defined requirements.  In a collaborative effort, this draft design was reduced in scope by almost 20% to its current size, providing all required services in a fiscally-responsible manner.  The proposed design allows space for Dispatch, current needs of the Ledyard Police Department and future needs that would be required to support an Independent Police Force.  Hence, final decisions on Dispatch and an Independent Police Force do not need to be finalized before the referendum.  The proposed Police Facility provides sufficient space to meet all anticipated needs, including Dispatch and a police organization that continues with a Resident State Trooper or transitions to an Independent Police Force.  

Ledyard Center has been a recommended location for the Police Facility for at least six years.  In 2007, the LTCC, formed by the Town Council under the leadership of Chairman Fred Allyn, Jr., investigated alternative municipal uses for the Firehouse with a police station as one option for the property.  In the Ledyard Community Facilities Assessment, presented to the Town Council on July 13, 2011, the PMBC recommended renovating the existing police station with an addition or demolishing the building and build new.  Clearly there is an identified need to provide a new facility for our Police Force.  The use of the former Ledyard Center Firehouse property, next to Town Hall, is the best option for our town.  

The Ledyard RTC strongly encourages participation in our representative democracy by bringing concerns and ideas about the Police Facility to the PMBC as the final design is developed following successful referendum.  We encourage all registered voters to review the Police Facility design, ask questions of our elected and appointed leaders, and make your opinion known at the Town Meeting on Monday, May 20th and in the voting booth on Tuesday, May 21st.   Mike France Chairman, Ledyard Republican Town Committee


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