Introduction 2. I Documentation and Current Conditions Establishment Process 3. II Existing Public Safety Facilities Analysis 4

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1 TABLE of CONTENTS Introduction 2 I Documentation and Current Conditions Establishment Process 3 II Existing Public Safety Facilities Analysis 4 III Space Allocation, Co-location and Potential Site Location Analysis 8 IV Options 15 V Recommendations 17 VI Next Steps 19 Appendix A Stakeholder Interview Notes - Police - Fire - Emergency Management - Facilities Management Appendix B Profile of the Public Safety Departments November 9, 2011 (DRAFT) Page 1 of 20

2 INTRODUCTION In October 2009, the City Manager, representing the Public Safety Committee of the City of Winston-Salem proposed... to perform a needs assessment and space allocation study for the Public Safety operation (Emergency Management, Fire and Police) to identify current and future staffing levels and space allocation needs. This review is designed to facilitate comprehensive and long-term decisions about the use of all Public Safety facilities, including the Public Safety Center (PSC), the Beaty facility, the existing Emergency Management space at Smith Reynolds Airport and related auxiliary locations. The study will look at potential upfit and reuse options for these existing facilities. The analytical project team of Architectural Design Associates/Donald Eyberg Architects/Matrix Consulting Group was selected to perform this Study. These three tasks were established to address the needs Study: TASK 1 TASK 2 TASK 3 Conduct initial interviews with key stakeholders The project team will meet with the key stakeholders involved in the study. The focus of these interviews will be to identify key issues with existing facilities, space plans, (and) adjacencies. Document current facilities, spaces and utilization of that space The focus of this Task will be to document the current facilities and space utilized by the various Public Safety functions of the City. Document current staffing, deployment, operations and workload The project team will focus... on documenting key measures of staffing, deployment and workload facing each of the Public Safety departments. Following are our findings as we completed these three Tasks. Our charge for Phase One was to generate general observations relative to the Public Safety departments of the City of Winston- Salem. These will form guideposts as we move through the refining and detailing process of Phase Two to provide specific facility space planning, staffing recommendations and cost estimates. November 9, 2011 (DRAFT) Page 2 of 20

3 I - DOCUMENTATION and CURRENT CONDITIONS ESTABLISHMENT PROCESS The project team used a number of processes to establish all of the existing conditions that the study would need to address. 1. Facility tours: The Public Safety Center, Beaty Center, Emergency Management offices and Fire Stations 1, 7, 8, 9, 15, 16 and 17 were thoroughly toured to establish existing condition and usage. 2. Stakeholder leadership interviews: The leadership teams from Police, Fire and Emergency Management were interviewed to discuss current and future facility staffing needs. 3. Department head interviews: From each stakeholder group, department heads (captains, lieutenants, sergeants) were interviewed to establish staffing and operational specifics. 4. Public Safety Center analysis: The existing facility was analyzed to establish the current condition, utilization and to evaluate future utilization. 5. Beaty Center analysis: The existing facility was analyzed to establish the current condition, utilization and to evaluate future utilization. 6. Potential Public Safety Center locations: Three potential sites for a PSC were studied. These were the current PSC facility on North Cherry Street, the former Thomasville Furniture manufacturing facility across from the Beaty Center on North Patterson Avenue and the former Flak-T Bahnson facility on Lowery Street. A generic or unidentified site was also considered. The interview process was two-tiered. At the first level, the leaders of the three Public Safety departments were interviewed to establish the overall operational aspects of each department and how those operations would change in the future as they related to staffing, facilities availability and possible operational shifts (satellite precinct offices, population growth, etc.). The Stakeholder Interview Notes from these interviews are included in this Study as Appendix A. The second level of the process involved captains, lieutenants and sergeants in both the Police and Fire Departments, and staff in Emergency Management. They provided detailed information relative to staffing, organizational structure, roles, responsibilities, programs and service incidents and levels. The resultant document is the Profile of the Public Safety Departments and is included in this Study as Appendix B. November 9, 2011 (DRAFT) Page 3 of 20

4 II - EXISTING PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITIES ANALYSIS PUBLIC SAFETY CENTER ANALYSIS Facilities Management provided the original construction documents for the PSC for our review. Those were thoroughly studied and analyzed. This information was, along with the information gathered during our tour of the building, incorporated into our analysis. The current building was occupied in 1985 and contains approximately 60,000 square feet of total floor space on three floors. It is a steel frame building with glass and precast concrete exterior walls. It is situated at the corner of North Cherry Street and Eighth Street just north of downtown Winston-Salem. Several analysis points were found that affect the use and performance of the building: The PSC was fully occupied at the time of initial construction, with no expansions since. For comparison purposes, the population of Winston-Salem in 1985 was approximately 138,000 and has increased to 230,000 in 2009 (67% increase). Its land area was 70 square miles in 1985 and has increased to 133 square miles in 2010 (90% increase). There were 429 total police employees in 1985 and has increased to 706 in 2010 (65% increase). The PSC was built well before current day building codes or energy codes. Significant portions of the exterior shell are not insulated, and those areas that are insulated contain relatively small thicknesses of insulation typically found in buildings of that era. All of these combine to require significant energy consumption for the PSC as compared to newer buildings. The floor space efficiency ratios are typical as compared to other buildings of this use and type. Floor space efficiency ratios evaluate the amount of usable floor space against non-specific space. A ratio of 75% indicates that 25% of the floor area is used for toilets, stairs, mechanical rooms and corridors, leaving 75% for offices, conference rooms. work rooms and other spaces directly related to the use of the building. The first floor ratio is 66%, the second floor ratio is 71% and the third floor ratio is 77%. The first floor contains the mechanical equipment for the entire building. The roof construction consists of steel deck, insulation, lightweight concrete and builtup roofing membrane. This arrangement sandwiches the insulation in a position that precludes replacement. The roof membrane is currently scheduled for replacement. This process may add insulation to the top surface and increase the insulation effectiveness. The mechanical system in the PSC has outlived its normal life span. It struggles to adequately control the indoor environmental conditions, particularly during the hot humid summer months. This was observed during the tour and confirmed by the numbers of individual fans in the building and input from the occupants. An aggravating factor is the 15% to 20% more people working in the building than the system was designed to handle. This exacerbates cooling, humidity and healthy air flow issues. The age of the system results in very inefficient operation, both in terms of effectiveness and energy demand. Additionally, one central plant on the first floor serves the entire building. With no floor- November 9, 2011 (DRAFT) Page 4 of 20

5 by-floor system, the entire building is relying on the one system staying in operation. This also makes it impractical to replace the system while keeping the building in operation. The PSC lacks adequate electrical power supply. It was designed for a significantly smaller number of occupants. The electrical load that contemporary buildings demand now is also significantly higher than the PSC is capable of supplying. Electronic devices are in ever increasing use in offices, particularly in Police and Fire operations. This building struggles to supply that demand, affecting service performance of these two Departments. Computer connectivity is very low for a building of this type. Electrical upgrades have been added over the years, but there is still a need for greater capacity as these systems and needs have greatly increased in recent years. This issue mirrors the aspects of the electrical power supply stated above. The light fixtures are of the older inefficient type. They have old technology ballasts instead of newer, more efficient electronic types. The lamps that the fixtures use are also old technology lamps, resulting in both light output inefficiency and high energy demand of the fixtures. This affects both the energy performance of the building and the work efficiency of its users. Even though the PSC was built as a secure facility in 1985, security design issues for these types of buildings have changed dramatically over the past decade. The current security for the building only relates to public access. A PSC should be protected or hardened against a list of threats, both man-made and natural. Retrofitting this building to current day standards would be costly. Increasing the building s security is made more difficult by its closeness to the surrounding streets. In order to create a scenario where the building would be protected from vehicle-borne explosives, additional space (distance) is required between the building and the streets to safely divert the blast shock wave. The PSC is in a central location geographically. This facilitates convenient access by both employees and citizens. On the negative side, its location requires officers to travel to the center of Winston-Salem for roll-call, etc., regardless of their beat or precinct location. There is no automatic fire sprinkler system in the building. This is another component typically found in buildings of a high security value and is mandated in current building codes. Parking for the PSC is dispersed over several lots. None of the parking lots are secure and several are located across the adjacent streets. This is less than ideal from a safety perspective and from a security perspective. The PSC lacks accommodations for the physically challenged that conform to present day standards. North Carolina codes have been very proactive in this area over the years, but significant changes have occurred in the past 25 years that require easier access, accessible exits, more floor space, different types of spaces and new systems for communication, including information and way finding signage. The structure and exterior shell of the PSC are very sound, suggesting that a total renovation would be successful. This could extend its useful life by 25 to 40 years. This would involve relocating the building s occupants to other space, stripping the building down to the shell and constructing a complete renovation. November 9, 2011 (DRAFT) Page 5 of 20

6 BEATY CENTER ANALYSIS Schematic floor plans were provided for the recent building renovation for our review. Those were thoroughly studied and analyzed. This information was combined with the information gathered during our tour of the building and is incorporated into our findings. The building was built in 1956 as a Thomasville Furniture manufacturing facility and renovated as the Beaty Center in It contains approximately 145,000 gross square feet of floor space on two floors. Its construction consists of a steel frame building with brick masonry exterior walls. It is located on the west side of North Patterson Avenue near its intersection with Northwest Boulevard on a site totaling 7.9 acres. Several analysis points were found that affect the use and performance of the building: The Beaty Center was renovated to contain training space for the Police and Fire Departments, along with evidence processing and storage for Police. The Forsyth County Sheriff s Department will also soon begin to use the facility for evidence storage and processing. The facility offers a central location for these functions. During the recent renovation, several components of the building were upgraded. They include a new roof, previous skylight openings were closed, enhanced structural bracing and structural repairs, new mechanical and electrical systems, replacement windows, new secure entry, automatic fire sprinkler system and fire alarm system were added. Hazardous materials were removed from both the building and site. The facility was not hardened during the renovation and cannot supply space for an Emergency Operations Center (EOC). Additional upgrades would be required to meet EOC standards. Patterson Avenue is directly adjacent to the Beaty Center and could pose a vehicleborne security threat. Proximity of the building to the street cannot be changed, making resistance to these types of threats impossible. The building contains a large amount of open floor space for evidence storage and to allow expansion of current activities and/or insertion of related new activities in the future. The entire second floor is available, as are portions of the main floor and basement. Public Safety facilities not evaluated in this Study: Airport firing range Clemmons training and munitions facility (Kinnamon Road) Police Fleet management (Brookstown Avenue) Fire Fleet Management (Palmer Lane) Bike patrol offices (North Cherry Street downtown) Special Investigation Division, Enforcement Squad, Interdiction Squad and Crimestoppers lease space (North Point area). November 9, 2011 (DRAFT) Page 6 of 20

7 EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICES ANALYSIS Floor plans were not provided for these offices. This analysis is based on our tour of the building. The Emergency Management offices occupy a number of spaces in the north wing of Smith Reynolds Airport. There are five offices and one conference room. This functions acceptably on a day to day basis, but poses problems when an event initiates mobilization: Proper management of an event requires Emergency Management s presence in an Emergency Operations Center (EOC). Critical time can be lost during an emergency as personnel, support equipment and supplies have to relocate. The current space designated as an EOC is the auditorium on the third floor of the PSC. This space is not large enough for the total number of persons required to properly manage an emergency event. During a recent exercise, approximately 30 people participated. It was observed that the auditorium was at functional capacity. It can take as many as 60 people to adequately manage an emergency. There are also a minimal number of power and data outlets for the number of computers required. Other technologies that facilitate sharing of critical data among the emergency management team members is also lacking in the room. These include multiple screen projection capability and a PA system. The Smith Reynolds Airport is 3.6 miles from the PSC. The mobilization from Smith Reynolds Airport to the PSC requires approximately 4.5 hours to complete. This completion time involves moving the equipment and supplies required to manage the emergency from Smith Reynolds Airport to the PSC over clear streets in good weather conditions. This time would be much greater in the event of an emergency where streets could be blocked, weather conditions could be severe or exterior atmospheric conditions could be hazardous. This time would be better spent managing the initial hours of an emergency from a facility that is occupied by those required to handle the emergency. The PSC lacks a number of spaces required to adequately handle an emergency lasting more than one day. Among those are: kitchen, sleeping facilities, showers, bulk storage, collateral agency offices and time-out/de-compress space. Mobilization in the EOC can last several days and involve dozens of people requiring adequate support space. This mobilization also interferes with the normal operation of the Police Department. An emergency event requires them to hand over space normally dedicated to Police operations. In an actual emergency, this may not be intrusive, given that they are focusing more on the emergency. It is disruptive during the much-needed drills that are required to stay event-ready. November 9, 2011 (DRAFT) Page 7 of 20

8 III - SPACE ALLOCATION, CO-LOCATION AND POTENTIAL SITE LOCATION ANALYSIS SPACE ALLOCATIONS AND COMPARISONS As the current PSC is analyzed, a number of statistics can be directly derived. Those relate to city population, city land area and the number of police and fire employees served by the building. Basic to all of these is the building s date of occupancy (1985) and total size (60,000 square feet). City of Winston-Salem 1985 to 2009 comparison Residents Size Police Fire , Sq. Mi , Sq. Mi Over these 25 years, the population of Winston-Salem has grown by 67% and its land area has grown by 90%. The number of sworn Police officers per 1,000 residents has remained level over those 25 years at The number of Fire employees per 1,000 residents has also remained level over the period at 0.7. There have been no building additions to the Public Safety Center. That translates to approximately 60,000 square feet serving a total of 629 employees in 1985 and 1,049 employees in Additionally, discussions with Police, Fire and Facilities Management representatives indicate that the PSC was at capacity when originally occupied in Another factor indicative of the usage of the PSC is the ratio of square feet in the building to the total number of employees served. In 1985 that figure was 95.4 square feet per employee. In 2009 the figure was Relocating training, evidence processing and evidence storage to the Beaty Center improves the situation only slightly with just a few hundred square feet freed up. Another logical step would be to compare Winston-Salem with other similar cities. That is relatively easy to do when comparing population, land area and demographics. The four comparative cities noted do not contain any factors that alter their service levels such as resort status, costal location or major climatic differences. From these criteria, these cities are comparable: Residents Size Police & Fire Police Districts Birmingham, AL 230, SM 1, /1,000 4 Durham, NC 230, SM /1,000 6 Greensboro, NC 260, SM 1, /1,000 3 Lubbock, TX 226, SM /1,000 1 Winston-Salem, NC 230, SM 1, /1,000 1 The national average number of sworn Police officers per thousand residents is 3.0. The variations in the structure and size of each of the five cities make establishing direct comparisons very difficult. There is a wide variety of variables within the Public Safety November 9, 2011 (DRAFT) Page 8 of 20

9 Departments that affect office needs (number of employees, centralized versus de-centralized offices, service co-locations, department management structure, etc.). The parameters of this Study do not include direct establishment of space needs. That is reserved for Phase Two. It would be prudent to further analyze these cities as Phase Two progresses in order to draw whatever parallels exist within the service models and office spaces. This will provide additional check points in the space requirement establishment process as the full Public Safety Facility need emerges during Phase Two. CO-LOCATION ANALYSIS As the current situation demonstrates, the three Public Safety departments can function separately or together. During the design of the current PSC in the 1980 s, Winston-Salem operated on the Public Safety Officer concept, with a portion of Police and Fire personnel crosstrained and serving in both departments. Given that arrangement, it made sense for both departments to have offices in the same building. Winston-Salem suspended the Public Safety Officer concept in 1987 and returned to the traditional separate officer model. The only crossover function now is the need for the heads of both departments to meet together regularly for planning and information sharing. They could also share some meeting space. Accordingly, Police and Fire could occupy separate spaces. In emergency event situations, the most efficient arrangement is for Police, Fire and Emergency Management to be located together in the same building with the EOC. Some classroom oriented training functions could be provided in their respective offices, but most of those needs are now served through the Beaty Center. Fire prefers for some training to occur in Fire Stations to keep fire fighters dispersed in the community, facilitating response times if a fire call comes in during training. Driving training should not be located at either office location. The noises, smoke and smells generated during driving training are not conducive to a business/administrative environment. Fire suppression training also needs a free-standing facility at a remote location for obvious reasons. The Police Department is in the process of constructing a new firing range, while decommissioning and remediating the current range. This new location serves the need for a firing range. The former range will be used for munitions training, K-9 training and small amounts of munitions disposal and disablement. Both of these sites are large and accommodate these functions very well. The offices that the Police Department leases generally serve functions that need to be located away from the PSC for undercover operations and other reasons demanding anonymity or separation. The bicycle patrol offices are located strategic to their patrol area downtown and should remain there. The fleet management facilities for both Police and Fire could be located virtually anywhere in the County. These functions could also be a component of City Yard. Emergency Management demands a location near supportive spaces. It would benefit from being in the same building as the EOC for efficiency during an emergency event. This would also likely place Emergency Management in the same building as Police and Fire. This would be another benefit during emergencies and simulations. November 9, 2011 (DRAFT) Page 9 of 20

10 Police and Fire fleet management potential locations offer a number of possibilities. They are very specialized functions and are currently in separate locations. That arrangement can remain. They could be located in a new facility or merged into City Yard. In either case, these specialized functions should be staffed by separate personnel. SERVICE, PROGRAM AND DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS AFFECTING SPACE ALLOCATIONS A possible service change that would affect the need for space would be a precinct office arrangement for Police. With the current central PSC, all patrol officers must travel to one location for shift change, roll call, booking, interviews, etc. This is very inefficient with respect to consumption of officer time, fuel consumption, vehicle wear and tear and service effectiveness. Opening precinct offices in the Police beat locations would move those functions out of the PSC for all but one or two beats. This would afford a higher degree of efficiency relative to officer travel time and vehicle fuel consumption, increase the service effectiveness by keeping officers in their beats longer and it would also reduce the demand for space in the current or new PSC. This could potentially provide a total reduction in space need in the PSC of 20% to 30%. It would also reduce the demand for parking at the PSC. Program changes would be difficult to predict. They could have both an increasing and decreasing affect on the need for floor space. Federal mandates could dictate a higher per capita ratio of sworn officers. The City could return to a Public Safety Officer concept, thereby changing the staffing dynamic, along with the related floor space needs. New, unknown threats could result in new types of officers, more officers, specialized space and new training methods. The policing functions of the City Police Department and the County Sheriff s Department could be merged into one Department. Charlotte-Mecklenburg is a local example. This would change staffing and the need for support space. Legal interpretations at the State level may open the possibility for City of Winston-Salem Police officers to serve local municipalities in place of the current arrangement staffed by County Sheriff s Deputies. Again, these are all difficult to predict. It is fairly easy to predict that the local population will grow. This will in turn require the Police and Fire departments to grow. This will be pushed in the Police department mostly by population growth to continue service levels. In the Fire department, annexation of land area will result in more fire stations to maintain acceptable response times. This is ongoing now with the recent completion of Station 20 and the bidding process for Station 19. Increases in the number of firefighters will increase the need for training space and office floor space for leadership positions. Just like predicting program changes, accurately predicting the rates of population and land area growth is difficult. What can accurately be predicted is that both will grow over time. The total number of Police employees has increased at precisely the same rate as population growth over the current 25-year life of the PSC. The total number of Fire employees has increased in a similar manner. November 9, 2011 (DRAFT) Page 10 of 20

11 POTENTIAL PUBLIC SAFETY CENTER OPTIONS AND LOCATIONS 1. Build a new PSC on North Patterson Avenue across from Beaty Center. This option involves the 11+ acres on the east side of North Patterson Avenue, directly across from the Beaty Center. This site represents the balance of the former Thomasville Furniture manufacturing facility. Other contiguous properties under different ownership are vacant and could possibly be added to the size of the original tract. All existing structures would be demolished and any prior soil contamination would be remediated. This site offers several positive benefits: A new PSC could be built apart from the existing PSC, allowing the current PSC to remain in operation. The new PSC on this site could benefit from hardened design elements and site design that could reduce blast impact from surrounding streets. The location directly across from the Beaty Center affords the possibility of secure transfer of evidence and property via an over-street walkway directly from the PSC to the Beaty Center. The location directly across from the Beaty Center affords the possibility of direct access to training classrooms via an over-street walkway directly from the PSC to the Beaty Center. This site represents a largely central location, much like the current location. The new PSC design could be programmed without the restraints of fitting into an existing facility. This site is large enough for a facility that can co-locate Police, Fire and Emergency Management in the same facility. Future expansion options can be accommodated into the facility design. This site provides a neighborhood Police presence for positive community relations. Secure and safe parking can be accommodated on this site. 2. Build a new PSC in an unidentified location. Another option is to seek a site that could provide the following: Access to major and/or minor thoroughfares. 7 to 10 acres of site area. Neighborhood presence. Sufficient distance from surrounding streets for blast resistance. Growth space for future needs. 3. Upfit a portion of the former Flak-T Bahnson building on Lowery Street. This former manufacturing site offers over 310,000 square feet of ground floor space on 36 acres near the intersection of US Hwy. 52 and Business I-40. Public safety space would have to be inserted into an existing facility, but this site offers ample space to manage a fit and provide expansion. Other City departments could share the space. The site has high accessibility to two major thoroughfares. Large open spaces to the south provide isolation for security. November 9, 2011 (DRAFT) Page 11 of 20

12 The proximity of US 52 on the north and the railroad on the south pose hazards related to accidents with potential chemical spills and other related exposures. This site provides driving training space for both Police and Fire. This site has very little or no neighborhood presence. 4. Renovate the PSC for use by Police and Fire. This option, after completion, would largely maintain the status quo. However, maintaining that position would not improve the overcrowding issues. In fact, giving the building more flexibility by adding heating and air conditioning units to each level would take floor space now dedicated to office and other uses. Replacing the central mechanical system requires vacating the entire building. That means temporary space would need to be in place for both Police and Fire for the duration of the renovation. A key component of that space would be adequate computer and connectivity technology to run a modern police and fire department for a city the size of Winston-Salem. Assuming these logistical factors would be acceptable, the building could be renovated once it was vacated. All interior elements would be demolished on each floor down to the exterior shell, floors and roof. Stair wells and elevator shafts would remain. The exterior concrete walls would be supplemented with new stud walls, an air infiltration barrier, insulation and gypsum board. Both the amount and continuity of the insulation would be improved and completed. This would also be the time to address building hardening as it relates to the building shell (walls, glass, etc.). Given the site and streets surrounding the building, there appears that little can be done to dramatically improve the building s blast resistance. Mechanical rooms could be added on the second and third floors, giving each floor its own mechanical system. Electrical capacity would be increased, as would data capability and connectivity. This would replicate the data and connectivity piece contained on the temporary space, requiring the purchase of these elements and equipment twice in an 18-month period. New high efficiency light fixtures would be added as well. An automatic fire sprinkler and suppression system would also be added. New toilets would be designed to be fully accessible, along with fixture counts to match the current North Carolina building code. Parking availability at the renovated Center would still be an issue, unless contiguous or nearby properties were acquired. The security and safety concern of the parking areas would need to be addressed as well during the renovation. This option seems to be very burdensome given the need to find functional, temporary space for both Police and Fire by requiring them to move two times in 18 months. The chances for success would be slightly improved if Fire were found a permanent space prior to the renovation. That still would require Police to be moved to temporary space and back again. Another factor that would contribute positively would be the Police precinct office concept. This would relocate space needs now assigned to the PSC to other locations, slightly reducing the space needed in the renovated PSC. The estimate of probable construction cost for renovating the PSC as described would be $15.0 million. This cost calculates to $250 per square foot and would involve everything in the November 9, 2011 (DRAFT) Page 12 of 20

13 building except for the structure and a portion of the exterior shell. The building glass would require replacement in order to enhance the hardness of the structure. Moving costs are not included in this figure and could total $50,000 to $100,000. Lease costs for the 18 month renovation period are also not included. Assuming 50,000 square feet of floor space would be adequate, the lease cost for the 18 month renovation period could range from $900,000 to $1.35 million, reflecting a per square foot price of $12 to $18 per square foot. 5. Renovate the PSC for use by other City of Winston-Salem Departments. Once a new PSC was constructed elsewhere, the current facility could be renovated largely as described above and occupied by other City departments. Any number of City departments that could benefit from being located in a facility like this would be candidates for moving. Those could include Inspections, Planning and others. This could improve access to these departments by their user groups, also provide growth space and satisfy co-location efficiencies for related departments. The estimate of probable construction cost for renovating the PSC as described would be $9.0 million, not including moving costs or any costs associated with temporary space(s). 6. Sell or transfer the PSC to another Owner. Once new facilities were completed for Police and Fire, the current PSC could be sold or transferred to another Owner. The list of interested government parties could include County, State or Federal Government entities for offices, Forsyth Technical Community College for instructional and office use, as well as private owners such as banks or small businesses. It could also be offered as leased office space for private companies or business incubator space. This option would deflect the renovation expenses, while potentially gaining income from the sale of the building. This option assumes the building would be sold or transferred as-is. No costs are associated with this option. In a sale of the building, it is anticipated that $1.0 million to $1.5 million of income would be generated. Lease options would involve some undetermined renovation expenses and unidentified lease income. Both of those can be assumed to be concurrent with buildings of similar type and final use. EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER Emergency Management should be in a facility that can supply their need to mobilize without the distance issues posed by the current arrangement. This would eliminate the several hours now required to move and be ready to manage an event, allowing them to be ready immediately. This should be space directly adjacent to their day-today office space, providing sufficient space for Emergency Management training, exercises and actual event management. With Police, Fire and Emergency Management all near the EOC, their day-to-day interaction is greatly enhanced. Their immediate response to an emergency is also possible. The EOC also facilitates drills, exercises and training with minimal impact on normal, daily operations. The space can also be multi-functional for use by a number of City and County departments for training, meetings, etc. The facility should be: Approximately 12,000 square feet. November 9, 2011 (DRAFT) Page 13 of 20

14 Contain daily offices for Emergency Management and spaces required for emergencies, such as kitchen, showers, communications, collateral agencies, briefing rooms, secure rooms for elected officials and supply storage. Remotely located away from impact hazards, blast zone isolation, outside of flood prone areas and in an area unlikely to be affected by most emergencies and disasters. The site should be able to supply area for parking, tractor trailer storage and maneuvering, and additional temporary emergency facilities. The facility should be designed to hurricane impact standards. November 9, 2011 (DRAFT) Page 14 of 20

15 IV - OPTIONS As a result of the interviews, tours and analysis, several factors have been identified that affect Winston-Salem s Public Safety facilities: Police and Fire do not need to be in the same building for operational efficiencies, but it does make sense from an emergency management perspective. The PSC is over-utilized to the point of significant work inefficiency. Emergency Management should be located in an event-ready Emergency Operations Center. Fire lacks several structural training facilities, including driver training and fire suppression training. Logistically, it would be nearly impossible to renovate the PSC for Police use. A community Precinct office model for Police reduces the amount of PSC office space required. As a result of the Study, several options have been identified for consideration: Renovate the current PSC for Police and Fire. This option would require finding temporary space for both Departments that supplied their space and technology needs for approximately 18 months, moving them out of the PSC and back in once it was renovated. Both Departments could be located together in the same facility or in separate facilities. This option assumes the Police Precinct office model is adopted, reducing the space need for Police in the renovated PSC and offering growth room as a result. Renovate the current PSC for Police, Fire and Emergency Management. This option carries the requirements for Police and Fire noted above for moving out and back in. It also requires finding space in the current building for Emergency Management. A full space planning process would reveal the ability of the renovated PSC to offer enough space for all three Departments. Renovate the current PSC for Fire and other City Departments. This option would create renovated space in the current building for Fire, as well as space for other City Departments (Inspections, Planning, Public Works, Engineering, etc.). This option affords the possibility to co-locate Departments other than Police in the renovated PSC. A Department such as Inspections shares some functions with Fire and could benefit from a facility somewhat removed from City Hall for public access and employee efficiencies. Transfer or sell the PSC to another entity. The building is usable by other public agencies or marketable to private users. The current facility is capable of serving other City Departments, County agencies and even Federal agencies. It also offers a viable private office facility. Possibilities include corporate offices, main offices for a small bank, small data center, call center or a business incubator key-person location. Build a new PSC at the current North Cherry Street site. A new PSC would be built at the current site (with additional property acquisitions). The existing PSC would then be demolished. This option could locate all three Public Safety Departments in a new building on an enlarged North Cherry Street site. November 9, 2011 (DRAFT) Page 15 of 20

16 Build a new PSC on an unidentified site. Sites with existing buildings or bare sites could supply options for a new PSC. Locations would have to be identified and evaluated for size and location. Build a new PSC on North Patterson Avenue. The former Thomasville Furniture manufacturing facility site could provide the site for a new PSC. A direct connection to the Beaty Center could be provided via an over-street walkway for access to training and evidence transfer to storage. This site also offers the possibility of locating all three Departments on the same site. Acquire the former Bahnson site for upfit as a new PSC. This very large facility can be renovated for use by all three Public Safety Departments, while leaving space for growth or other City Departments. There is ample space in this existing facility for all three Departments as well as other Departments that could benefit from being in the same facility. Seek and build a site for driver training and fire suppression training. This function is currently unfulfilled and would be best served by a free-standing site with external buffer space. Smoke from training fires could hinder local traffic flow as drivers slow to view the activity. Driver training vehicle generate noise and sounds that should be isolated from adjacent areas. Merge vehicle outfitting and maintenance functions into City Yard space. These functions can be served in their current free-standing locations or merged into City Yard space. Continue to program and upfit space at the Beaty Center. This facility has recently undergone significant renovations to supply training space, evidence processing space and long-term evidence storage space. It is logical for those functions to remain in the Beaty Center and be allowed to grow in place, capitalizing on the investment made there. Upfit the second floor of the Beaty Center as an EOC. The second floor contains ample space for an EOC. Fire could be located there as well. Upfitting the building for these functions will limit its ability to provide long-term evidence processing and storage space. This could be mitigated through future additions to the Center. November 9, 2011 (DRAFT) Page 16 of 20

17 V RECOMMENDATIONS (A or B) Recommendation A. 1. Begin the negotiation, due-diligence and purchase process for the former Thomasville Furniture facility on North Patterson Avenue. This property is crucial to the concept of a unified PSC. Its location across from the Beaty Center makes it a logical choice for a Police headquarters facility. The site has a neighborhood presence, it is largely centrally located, it can be directly connected to the Beaty Center for secure evidence and property transfer and it is convenient to the Beaty Center for training. No other current site can offer these positive attributes. Once purchased, contracts can be awarded for demolition of the structures and clean-up of the site as required. 2. Establish 3 Community Police Precinct Offices. This will provide a broader, ongoing Police presence in the community and increase operational efficiency of the Department in terms of time and fuel consumption. Citizens also gain a higher degree of access to the Department, and the size of a new Public Safety Center can be reduced. Vacating the existing PSC also facilitates its total renovation at one time, as opposed to a floor-byfloor basis. 3. Program, design and construct a new PSC on the former Thomasville Furniture site to provide central space for Police, Fire and Emergency Management. Relocate Police and Fire from the current PSC and Emergency Management from Smith Reynolds Airport. All current additional Police and Fire spaces (bike patrol, firing range, Clemmons K-9 and munitions facility, fleet management and leased space) will remain in their current locations. The new PSC will contain an EOC. 4. Renovate the current PSC to accommodate other City Departments. Those would include Departments that would benefit from an enhanced public access arrangement. One example would be Building Inspections. This location would improve the ability for users of their services to access their offices and add efficiency to the Building Inspectors routine of travelling out to the community and back to the office. 5. Seek a site for Police and Fire driver training and Fire suppression training. Driver training could take place on a portion of the Bahnson site. Fire suppression training would best be located on an isolated site to provide visual and geographic buffers from surrounding uses and highways. 6. Continue the upfit process at the Beaty Center. This is the logical progression in a facility renovated to supply current and future space needs related to training, evidence processing and evidence storage, and to protect these elements over a long period of time. Other uses may be identified for portions of the space over time, but those should be secondary to the space required for the three core functions. PROJECTED COST OF RECOMMENDATION A: PSC Building only (80,000 $350/SF) - $28,000,000. Additional costs not included: Property acquisition and demolition, moving costs, existing PSC renovation cost for other City departments. November 9, 2011 (DRAFT) Page 17 of 20

18 Recommendation B. 1. Establish 3 Community Police Precinct Offices. This will provide a broader, ongoing Police presence in the community and increase operational efficiency of the Department in terms of time and fuel consumption. Citizens also gain a higher degree of access to the Department, and the size of a new Public Safety Center can be reduced. Vacating the existing PSC also facilitates its total renovation at one time, as opposed to a floor-byfloor basis. 2. Move Police and Fire out of the existing PSC and into temporary space at the Beaty Center. This move clears the way for the existing PSC to be completely renovated. The total renovation at one time retains a number of advantages over a floor-by-floor renovation. Security of the building is not compromised, and the public and staff are not subjected to safety issues inherent around a construction zone. The renovation costs are reduced by capitalizing on economies of scale in a larger construction project, as well as having each trade mobilize once for their work instead of once for each floor. Additional savings are realized by establishing a new Police Communications Center in the Beaty Center and keeping it in place there after the move back to the renovated PSC. This saves the cost of reproducing the Communications Center in the renovated PSC and frees floor space up in the renovated PSC as well. 3. Renovate the existing PSC. A vacated PSC allows it to be completely renovated and reprogrammed according to current-day Public Safety needs and building code requirements. The building exterior shell can be hardened, and the thermal envelope can be greatly improved for energy savings. New mechanical systems can be designed for each floor, facilitating future renovation needs. Public and staff safety can also be improved in the process. 4. Move Police, Fire and Emergency Management into the renovated PSC. With the establishment of the 3 Community Precinct Offices and the absence of communications in the building, the PSC can now provide adequate and growth space for all three departments. They can now begin to reap the benefits of being co-located within the same building. As stated above, they can also benefit from a re-programmed facility that provides space designed around current-day Public Safety standards. 5. Allow the Communications Center to remain in the Beaty Center. Keeping the communications center in Beaty capitalizes on the investment made to complete the move out of the PSC. It also frees up additional floor space in the PSC. 6. Continue the upfit process at the Beaty Center. This is the logical progression in a facility renovated to supply current and future space needs related to training, evidence processing and evidence storage, and to protect elements of evidence over a long period of time. Other uses may be identified for portions of the space over time, but those should be secondary to the space required for the programmed core functions. PROJECTED COST OF RECOMMENDATION B: Moving costs - $100,000; temporary space upfit at Beaty Center - $3,000,000; technology for Communications Center at Beaty Center - $1,000,000; PSC renovation (60,000 $250/SF) - $15,000,000 = $19,100,000 November 9, 2011 (DRAFT) Page 18 of 20

19 VI NEXT STEPS Completion of Phase Two will complete the Public Safety needs picture for the City of Winston- Salem, including total space requirements, establishment of Proposed Capital Projects, timelines and estimated construction costs. The space needs establishment process, or programming process, allows further detailed study of the space needs and adjacency needs for each Department. The proposed space requirements for each department can also be compared to the four similar cities noted in this Study as a means of tracking those space recommendations. Specifically, Phase Two will: 1. Analyze current staffing and deployment needs, given workloads and service level objectives, and determine future staffing needs. The steps in this Task analyze current staffing requirements in each public safety department. This step is critical given the need to project future facility requirements. This Task ensures that future projections are based on a strong foundation. The following approaches will be utilized: Utilize workload to calculate those functions (patrol, investigations, inspections, emergency dispatch) that are heavily dependent on the timing and volume of workload. Utilize other functions (geography, response time targets) for functions that are less strictly dependent on workload. Document staffing requirements for programs that are dependent on staff (emergency operations, public information officer, etc.) for the program in place but that are neither dependent on workload nor on performance targets. Following the development of these current staffing projections, planning and growth management information from the City will document the following: Annexation and other growth plans for the City over the planning period. Projections for population growth and changes in the City. Anticipated changes in service level objectives. Once these key factors have been documented, the following can then be established: Projections as to changes in population and resulting workload. A model that projects the required staffing and space needs for each. 2. Develop future space requirements, including consideration of adjacency and operational priorities. Following the development of the future staffing requirements for each of the public safety departments, the process will translate these findings into the following: November 9, 2011 (DRAFT) Page 19 of 20

20 Analyze current staffing and deployment needs given workloads and service level objectives, and determine future staffing needs. These will be assessed across all three Public Safety Departments. Draw comparisons and parallels between Winston-Salem and similar cities. Develop future space requirements, including consideration of adjacency and operational priorities. This will set space requirements for each Department and allow for future growth and known Department changes. Define the projects and their scope. Complete code reviews and project design programs. Establish estimates of construction costs. Develop recommendations for inclusion of the projects in future Capital Project Budgets. Completion of Phase Two will complete the Public Safety Needs picture, including total space requirements and estimated construction costs. Upon concurrence and/or direction from the Public Safety Committee and City Council, it is recommended that this team be authorized to proceed to Phase Two. This Public Safety Needs Assessment Study is a necessary step in a process that identifies the needs in all three Departments, defines proper project parameters, establishes priorities and establishes capital needs for several projects. This concludes Phase One of the Public Safety Needs Assessment Study for the City of Winston-Salem. November 9, 2011 (DRAFT) Page 20 of 20