(This story has been updated to provide additional information.)
NORTHBOROUGH — For the first time in 50 years, the town will be getting a new fire station.
Residents voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to fund a debt override to build a new Northborough Fire Station. Town Meeting voters had previously voted to support the project.
The ballot question, which needed a simple majority, received 5,556 yes votes, or 59.9%. No votes totaled 3,312, or 35.7%. There were also 403 blanks.
Turnout was strong — 9,071 of the town's 12,097 registered voters cast ballots, or 75% — thanks to the presidential election.
“It’s been a long road, to cross the finish line is so exciting for the department and our community, to all who dedicated their time and efforts in making this possible and the citizens who supported the project, thank you, thank you, thank you," said Fire Chief David Parenti, in a prepared statement. "Our focus now turns to ensuring that the design is translated from paper into brick, mortar and steel. Citizens can have confidence that we will continue to be just as diligent during construction as we were during the feasibility and design phases, including fiscal responsibility.”
Earlier:Northborough has Nov. 5 ballot question seeking $41.3M to build new fire station
Voters approved $41.3 million to use to build the new station. The current station was built in 1974 and has been in use since 1975.
At 33,850 square feet, the new station will be nearly three times as large as the current one at 11 Pierce St. The new station will be built on town-owned property at 61-65 West Main St. (Route 20).
Annual fire calls have increased from 500 to 2,500 since 1975
The current building was built when the department had just two firefighters on duty at each time and eight apparatus. Now, there seven firefighters per shift with 24-hour-a-day coverage and 18 pieces of apparatus. The number of calls the department responds to has increased five-fold, from 500 to 2,500.
The new building will also be built to modern firefighting health and safety standards, designed to expose firefighters to less harmful materials at the station.
It will include men's and women's bathrooms and showers, and seven separate sleeping areas that can be expanded to house 14 firefighters at a time.
Parenti said the goal is to move into the building in September 2026.
Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or [email protected]. For up-to-date public safety news, follow him on X @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerCrime.