HDC: Public safety complex design needs additional work
PLANNING
BY PETER B. BRACE INDEPENDENT WRITER
Although it liked what it saw overall, the Historic District Commission told architect Michael McKeon of Kaestle Boos Associates of Foxboro that his design for a new 43,406-square-foot public safety complex needs a lot of work.

At the HDC's meeting on Feb. 19, the commission reviewed plans for a building at 2 Fairgrounds Road that would house both the Nantucket fire and police departments. Even though plans were presented to the HDC for an architectural appropriateness review, the proposed $27-million building is not a done deal. It still requires a two-thirds positive vote on Article 11 at April's Town Meeting to pay for it, and the town has not set a date for construction to begin.

Most HDC members seemed willing to forgive McKeon's design of a rather huge, hulking structure within the largely residential neighborhood - saying they expected such a design for a governmental building - but they still felt it needed many adjustments.

"It's very massive for out of town," said HDC member Valerie Norton. "A lot of the elements that just pop out a foot or two, those are troublesome . . . and I am troubled with outside materials."

Rather than the proposed cement clapboards and trim, the commission told McKeon it prefers brick and more traditional wood exterior coverings. Other commissioners did not like the negative massing of a porch on the northeast side of the building; HDC associate member Diane Coombs took issue with the windows on the northwest elevation. However, HDC Chairman Dirk Roggeveen defended the size of the building, the groups of large windows, the metal and glass doors that are otherwise frowned upon in this part of the island, the town's need for roof heights taller than the island maximum of 30 feet and wide bay door openings for entry, exit and storage of firefighting equipment.

"I think a hospital should look like a hospital; a school should look like a school; and a firehouse should look like a firehouse," Roggeveen said. "It's okay to have large buildings. I think we need as a board, we need to look at this not like all other buildings; it's going to be a big building.

"The economics of trying to put it all together in one building…there's a reason why they're taking one shot at it."

Given the amount of architectural difficulties the commission had with the building, it voted 5-0 to have the architect

come back with revised plans. I