11-09-2026 4:23am

Police Station Decisions Still Pending (Part 1)

Alan Earls Editor

Above, when the current police station was built in the 1990s, critics derided it as 'the Taj Mahal.'

More than three decades after opening its present police headquarters at 911 Panther Way, Franklin is considering a replacement facility that could cost, nominally at least, approximately $40 million, making it one of the town's most significant prospective municipal construction projects.

Nearly two years ago, as the work of the Police Station Building Committee hit some significant milestones, Observer provided a number of articles* and an opinion survey. The validity of the latter was disparaged by a Facebook denizen, based on suppositions rather than facts. But, to put the matter to rest, Observer is working on a second survey in cooperation with the University of New Hampshire polling center.

The current replacement proposal reflects concerns that the existing station is now too small to accommodate the Police Department's current day personnel, equipment and operational requirements. However, the project remains in the planning stages, with important decisions about its location, design, financing and construction timetable still not finally resolved.

The current police station opened in 1991, when Franklin had approximately 15,000 fewer residents and a police force with 22 patrol officers, according to a draft municipal request for qualifications prepared in 2024. Since then, the town has grown substantially, while policing has become more technologically complex and increasingly dependent on specialized facilities.

Above, current station on Panther Way under construction.

The town's Master Plan identifies inadequate space as a significant problem. It specifically notes that the department's Community Services Unit needs additional room, particularly with the addition of mental health clinicians whose work can involve confidential consultations protected by federal privacy requirements.

The Criminal Investigation Unit also requires private working areas to conduct sensitive investigations without interfering with the department's other activities.

These deficiencies go beyond ordinary office crowding. Police stations must accommodate secure evidence storage, prisoner processing, interviews, communications equipment, administrative offices, locker rooms, training facilities and public access, while maintaining appropriate separation between functions.

The Master Plan describes the existing station as needing improvement and identifies the need for a new facility.

A committee begins its work

Franklin's Town Council established an 11-member Police Station Building Committee to examine the options. The committee began meeting in August 2023 and was charged with evaluating possible expansion or renovation of the existing headquarters and developing proposals for Town Council consideration.

In May 2024, the committee selected CHA to serve as the owner's project manager, or OPM, a consultant responsible for helping the town oversee planning, design, costs and eventual construction.

Later that year, the committee moved toward selecting Kaestle Boos Associates as the architectural firm.

A draft request for qualifications prepared in January 2024 identified a new police station on a different site as the proposed project, with an estimated construction cost of $40 million. The document did not identify a location or construction schedule.

That distinction is important: the $40 million figure was an early estimate, not a final construction bid or an approved expenditure.

Why not expand the existing building?

One of the central questions is whether Franklin actually needs an entirely new police headquarters or whether the existing building could be renovated or expanded at a substantially lower cost.

The Panther Way property presents a significant challenge. According to the town's 2024 planning documents, wetlands, in part created by the damming of a stream to create a swimming area in the 1930s, surround three sides of the site, limiting opportunities for conventional expansion.

Nevertheless, the possibility of adding a second story, reorganizing interior space or constructing additional parking or a modular parking garage has been raised in public discussion.

There have also been suggestions that the existing building was originally designed to support future expansion.

Whether any of these approaches could meet the department's long-term requirements at a lower cost remains an important question for the planning process.

From Panther Way to Parmenter

During 2024 and 2025, much of the discussion shifted from whether a replacement station was needed to where it should be built.

Two former school properties emerged as prominent possibilities: the Davis Thayer School and the Gerald M. Parmenter Elementary School.

Both offered the potential advantage of town ownership, avoiding the expense of purchasing privately owned land. However, the sites also raised questions about access, suitability, existing buildings and alternative municipal uses, with town officials mostly favoring Parmenter.

The committee's discussions subsequently increasingly favored Parmenter. (CONTINUED TOMORROW)