Branford’s plans to renovate its police headquarters at 33 Laurel Street include the need to greatly improve safety and security involving police and public parking around the site. On July 17, the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) approved a site plan to improve the current parking and access drives incorporating both the front-facing lot on Laurel Street and the rear lot leading to Harrison Avenue behind the main police building.

Deputy Chief of Police John Alves told the PZC on July 17 some important changes which have been incorporated to improve the site will address needed site security, which has been a “major issue” and “big concern over the years,” Alves said.

“Our site has been open with free access in and out through the back parking lot, and uncontrolled. It’s caused some problems, ranging from damage to vehicles to a box truck in the back parking lot parked up against the building at one point. Luckily, there was no threat, but the operator was able to just drive in and park there,” said Alves.

Alves said other incidents have involved disputes and family violence incidents breaking out in the rear parking lot, and stalking of a female officer. Alves noted for the PZC that one threat to officers at police departments nationwide is that they are sometimes killed in back parking lots of police stations.

“An increase to security is just something that’s desperately needed here on the site,” said Alves.

Plans to renovate Branford’s police headquarters building do not incorporate any changes the footprint of the existing building at 33 Laurel Street. Instead, to eliminate deficiencies in the building, it includes reorganization of existing spaces, interior renovations, improvements to infrastructure and utility connections, and other improvements including new windows and new roofing.

In addition to the main headquarters at 33 Laurel Street, the police department also has facility use of a portion of the Patricia C. Andriole Volunteer Services building at 30 Harrison Avenue, which is situated behind police headquarters. The rear of the volunteer services building has a garage structure which houses police department vehicles and equipment. To the rear of that structure is the department’s indoor firearms training range.

Currently, vehicle access to reach the public entrance to the police department at 33 Laurel Street includes one curb cut on Laurel Street to access public parking in two spaces with a handicapped parking space at the front of the station. Additional parallel parking along the driveway is primarily occupied by police vehicles. If the public spaces are full, visitors continue along the driveway to the rear lot behind the building where vehicles involved in the volunteer services building may also be circulating or parking, in addition to police department members’ vehicles and fleet vehicles. As a result, parking is often lacking and the lot becomes congested. If a member of the public does find a parking space, there is no sidewalk for pedestrians to walk uphill to access the police department’s only public entrance, at the front of the building on Laurel Street.

Vehicles currently cohabiting the rear lot include police and those involved with community services programs including Community Dining Room and Branford Food Pantry. To the right of the volunteer services building is an open lot meant for use by volunteer services. However, spaces behind the police department (to the left of the volunteer services building) are also being occupied by those wanting to access volunteer services. As a result, the cohabiting of the site is reducing the ability for parking for police department staff needed for shift change.

Additionally, since police have occupied the site, Harrison Avenue was converted to a one-way. Police vehicles exiting on Harrison Avenue with the need to quickly access Main Street need to loop left, instead of making a right turn to directly reach Main Street. Exiting from the rear lot using the current Laurel Street driveway to more quickly access Main Street is achievable, but not optimal.

Changes to the site plan will retain the existing driveway at 33 Laurel Street, but will make it an entrance-only access. Turning into the police headquarters from Laurel Street, the public will be able access to seven parking spaces, including one handicapped accessible space, at the front of the building. The public will no longer be able to park at the rear of the building. Given the amount of time members of the public visit the station, the additional spaces will meet the need for public parking for routine services. If the spaces are full, drivers will be able to seek street parking in the proximity of the department.

In his comments to the PZC, Deputy Chief Alves said the plan to include more public parking in front of police headquarters makes a lot of sense.

“There’s not a day that goes by where I don’t see an elderly person walking up that hill to the side of the building, trying to access the front of the building because there’s no available parking up front,” Alves said.

To stop the public from continuing into police-only parking at the rear lot, an access gate will be installed with pass-use for police department members, staff, and fleet vehicles; and will include an intercom to reach police dispatch, if needed.

As part of the site improvements, the current underground refueling storage tanks, refueling pumps, and refueling canopy in the lot behind the police headquarters building will be removed. Fleet refueling will instead take place at Branford Fire Headquarters, 45 North Main Street.

Alves told the PZC the removal of the fuel pumps will also greatly reduce traffic at the police department.

“As of right now, multiple town departments do fuel at the police station, in addition to all our police vehicles. So that will greatly reduce a lot of volume at the site,“ he said.

The newly-configured rear parking area will accommodate 47 vehicles, including a newly constructed, 14-car carport in the center of the lot for official fleet vehicles. Additionally, a new, exit-only drive on the west side of the Laurel Street building with a free exit gate (automatically opens upon car approach) will allow police vehicles to exit on Laurel Street.

Two large existing elm trees along Laurel Street will be preserved and supplemented with additional plantings at the front of the building. Bike storage and outdoor benches will be incorporated at the front of the newly-renovated police building.

From Harrison Avenue, volunteer services staff and related public parking will be directed to the building’s right side lot. A current, cut-through drive access leading from the lot to the police department’s rear parking will be fenced with gates on either end. The area will be used for police supervision of impounded vehicles and equipment.

The site plan also shows the rear lot’s existing transformer servicing the police department remaining in its present location. A generator will move from its location just to the south of the transformer to a point just to the north.

The site plan application was brought to the PZC by Jacunski Humes Architects LLC (Berlin) and presented by firm partner Brian Humes. The July 17 PZC meeting was held via Zoom and can be viewed at BCTV on YouTube.