Boxborough fire station panel votes unanimously for one-story design at 984 Mass Ave.

Fire Station Building Committee · Meeting of July 9, 2026

Boxborough Fire Station Building Committee votes unanimously to pursue one-story fire station design at 984 Massachusetts Avenue. The committee voted 5-0 at its July 9 meeting to adopt a single-story configuration, clearing the way for the project to advance from conceptual to schematic design. Architect Chris presented three updated concept schemes and a preliminary cost estimate suggesting a two-story scheme might save between $300,000 and $450,000 — roughly 1 to 2 percent of project cost — but committee members weighed that figure against elevator maintenance costs estimated at $2,000 to $12,000 annually, operational risks from stairwell injuries among overnight crews, and the fire chief's stated preference.

The chief, monitoring the meeting remotely, ranked one-story scheme 1C as his top choice, citing direct vestibule-to-triage access and unobstructed apparatus bay flow. Committee member Alan Ford moved to adopt the one-story design; the motion passed without opposition. A separate FAQ answer released at the meeting put the rough cost range for site excavation and grading under one prior option — which called for direct Route 111 apparatus access — at $3 million to $9 million.

Property purchase closing for the 984 Mass Ave site remains on track for July 17.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,857 words

Source: the Fire Station Building Committee meeting of July 9, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.