Executive Summary
The Town of Hardwick seeks to advance the development of a new Essential Services Complex on Creamery Road to relocate its repeatedly flooded fire station and modernize critical emergency and municipal infrastructure. The current Hardwick Fire Station, located on VT Route 15 along the Lamoille River, is situated within a Special Flood Hazard Area and has been inundated on a reoccurring basis, and the widespread flooding of July 2023 and July 2024. Repetitive flooding significantly disrupts emergency response capacity, damages equipment, and generates substantial cleanup and repair costs.
Relocation of the fire station is identified in the Town’s emergency operations plan and municipal plan as essential to community safety and long-term resilience. The Creamery Road parcel, owned by the Town and located safely above the floodplain, is ideally suited for development. Site conditions support cost-effective construction and long-term stability for emergency services.
In addition to the fire station, this project will address critical deficiencies in the aging Town Garage (built 1972) and Hardwick Rescue facility (built 1982), both of which lack adequate space for modern operations. Hardwick Rescue is particularly constrained by the absence of overnight accommodations, limiting recruitment and emergency staffing.
Through a 2024 Municipal Technical Assistance Program (MTAP) grant secured by NVDA, the Town completed a comprehensive scoping study with Vermont Integrated Architecture. The study includes conceptual design, preliminary engineering, and site planning that fully supports readiness for federal and state funding. The Essential Services Complex will improve public safety, reduce long-term municipal costs, and build community resilience consistent with USDA, FEMA, and VCDP objectives.
News
Reports
Existing Town Garage Structural Report
Quonset Hut (Vermont Architectural Resource Summary)
Quonset Hut (VT Division for Historic Preservation Determination of Eligibility)