There has been discussion about relocating the Blue Hill Fire Station from its location at 42 Water St. for many years, from many perspectives. Among the rationales expressed in the past have been:
- A view that the “prime,” harborfront location of the station could be put to better use for the community
- Concern about the effects of sea level rise and increased storm intensity on the building
- The low clearance of the main fire truck bay doors, which has required the town to purchase, at extra cost, specially constructed fire trucks that can enter the building
- The possibility (likelihood?) that, at some point, the Town will need to employ (and house during shifts) a core group of firefighters
- The fact that the building, which is almost 60 years old, is no longer configured to accommodate modern firefighting standards, like ventilation, post-fire contamination reduction and facility safety
- The prospect of increased costs of maintaining the existing building in the coming years
While several of the above concerns do not appear to be well-founded (the parking area on the wharf side of the building is ~6 feet (and the building itself ~8 feet) above highest water levels observed during recent “king” tides), taken together they caused the town to undertake an evaluation of the options available for relocating the station.
Town Appropriation of Funds
At the April 2024 Town Meeting, voters approved a $50,000 appropriation to begin to plan for relocation of the fire station. Then-Select Board member James Dow formed a committee, on behalf of the Select Board, to begin that process.
King Foundation Grant and Experts Retained
One of the first actions of the group was to apply for an additional $50,000 grant from the Stephen & Tabitha King Foundation, which was awarded in June 2024. Using those grant funds, the Town solicited proposals from civil engineers and architects with expertise and recent experience in designing fire station and emergency services facilities in Maine. In April 2025, the town engaged Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. (VHB), a civil engineering firm, and Port City Architects to advise on the process of considering a relocation of the fire station and to advise on alternate locations and designs for a replacement facility.
Relocation considerations
The Exploration Committee met to discuss ideas, locations and the myriad of concerns associated with a relocation of the facility. In addition to the reasons to consider relocation mentioned above, the committee also evaluated the cost (purchase, construction, maintenance), community impacts (including the effects on property owners’ Homeowner’s Insurance premiums), comments made during the 2024/25 Comprehensive Plan process, and the advice of the civil engineers and architects retained to assist with the evaluation.
Alternative site reviews
Based on these considerations, the committee began to evaluate potential sites for a relocated “public safety” building to house the Fire Department, Peninsula Ambulance Corps, and provide office space for local law enforcement.