Boxborough Finance Committee Unanimously Backs 984 Mass Ave for New Fire Station

BOXBOROUGH — January 13, 2026 — Boxborough Finance Committee votes 6-0 to recommend 984 Mass Ave fire station site. The committee unanimously backed all four Special Town Meeting warrant articles at its January 13 meeting, endorsing the $2.4 million land purchase at 984 Mass Ave over the competing 72 Stowe Road site, which Fire Station Building Committee Chair Mary Brolin said faced organized neighborhood opposition and explicit litigation threats that could delay the project by up to five years. Member Michelle Ryan framed the finance case: "While it costs approximately $2.6 million more than the 72 Stowe Road site, this choice reduces the potential future financial risk on the town." The committee also recommended warrant articles covering roughly $2.7 million in architecture and design costs, up to $20,000 in land acquisition closing costs from free cash, and an unbudgeted FY26 town meeting venue expense at the Regency. Chair Tony Newton noted the total project — land, design, and construction — now stands at approximately $35 million, compared to a roughly $15 million estimate when the project was first proposed.