State officials have signed off on a Griswold land purchase, where they hope to build an expanded state police facility that would replace an existing one in Simsbury.
Several state agencies, including the Office of Policy and Management, the State Properties Review Board and the attorney general, approved the $1.1 million purchase for parcels at 100 and 101 Lee Road in Griswold.
The Department of Administrative Services (DAS) has been working with the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) for several years to find a new training facility to replace its Simsbury site.
Built in the 1940s, they said Simbury’s facility is “outdated, too small for modern training requirements and is prone to flooding and erosion,” DAS says.
DAS and DESPP will begin a “due diligence period” to identify any potential legal or environmental issues that may arise in developing the property, state officials said. An environmental study will follow, the agencies said.
A May hearing will be held in Griswold for public comments regarding the environmental study, state officials said.
If approved, DAS officials said they will oversee the facility’s design and construction. Several design options may include classrooms, staff offices and outdoor firing ranges, they said.
The Griswold property abuts the Pachaug State Forest and the Mystic Rod & Gun Club. The nearest home is more than a half a mile away, state officials said.
“This acquisition will allow the state to develop a sustainable and resilient facility in order to maintain and improve a core function of the state police,” DAS said. “The facility will support the modern and ever-changing training needs of the state police for the foreseeable future.”
WFSB reported that there is opposition from local residents to the facility.
