Weston fire station group narrows site search after state rejects cemetery parcel

WESTON — April 25, 2024 — Weston Fire Station Working Group converges on south-side superstation concept after state rejects preferred cemetery site. Chair Tom Palmer reported the state requires a roughly $20 million wastewater treatment facility for the cemetery parcel next to the police station because it sits in a Zone A surface water tributary, and offered 200 Ash Street as an alternative. Consultant-led heat mapping of about 25,000 incidents over 10 years confirmed call concentrations at Norumbega, Regis College, the state police barracks and Sunrise, while drive-time polygons showed school parcel 11B at the high school baseball field producing the strongest south-side coverage. Chief Jonathan Woodside said the town's ISO rating is 4/4X and that "fire doubles in size every minute" when discussing any response-time tradeoff. Member Jim Blando objected that test fits are running ahead of a needs-versus-wants program review, which was deferred to May 13.