Hallowell voters are being asked their opinions on two non-binding referendum questions on this year’s ballot: Do they approve of renovating the old town hall/fire station, and do they approve of building a new public works garage? Members of the Historic Hallowell Committee voted unanimously to recommend voting yes. A “yes” vote does not commit the city to undertaking the projects, but only indicates that voters are interested in further exploring the ideas and options.

The Historic Hallowell Committee was formed to guide the creation of policy and practices regarding the collection, preservation and display of the City’s historic artifacts and related properties; to prioritize and coordinate historical projects and to promote historic preservation efforts. Committee members have long supported the city’s ownership and use of the old fire station and the public works facilities could certainly use an upgrade.

The next step for the old town hall/fire station project would be creating architectural drawings and developing construction specifications based on the revised conceptual designs. These plans grew from reactions to the initial designs generated for reuse of the building by the police department. We hope that work can be undertaken as soon as possible.

Bob McIntire

chair, Historic Hallowell Committee