Sarnia City Council has agreed to allocate 15 acres of land at the Western Sarnia-Lambton Research Park for a new police headquarters.
City/County Councillor Chrissy McRoberts, who's also a member of the Sarnia Police Service (SPS) Board, brought forward a motion Tuesday to set aside a piece of land at the north or south end of Wellington Street. The motion coincided with an expression of interest submitted by the police board for the procurement of city-owned land.
Councillor Terry Burrell questioned why the SPS needs 15 acres.
"If we don't take up the entire 15 acres and the plan does not work that way, and we only need 12 or 10, then so be it," said McRoberts. "This is just for us to get a start and to start looking at how we're going to get drawings and plans out in place."
McRoberts and SPS Board Chair Paul Wiersma clarified the new facility would allow the service to consolidate all of its needs into one area. Currently, SPS utilizes the Christina Street headquarters, a separate property for parking, and a secondary training space at Lambton Mall.
"We don't know until we actually get the architect to do the design for us. So if 15 acres isn't needed, then it's not needed," Wiersma said. "This whole motion, I believe, is really about planning for the future."
Mayor Mike Bradley questioned the level of public input on the matter, suggesting more was needed.
Wiersma said the process of public input has occurred through strategic planning.
"Our hope is that if council approves the motion today, that we will secure an architect. Council provided us with funding to acquire architectural services. Then our hope is we're going to have a high-level design and be able to put in a request for the 2026 budget estimates," Wiersma said. "I think there's going to be a lot of opportunity throughout that whole process for council to discuss -- for all the stakeholders to be a part of a community-wide consultation."
Some council members noted the current state of the Christina Street headquarters.
City/County Councillor Bill Dennis specifically mentioned how the garage isn't large enough and how raw sewage seeps into the basement when it rains.
"We need a new police station, there's no question," Dennis said. "I'm a fiscal conservative, I'm tight with my money, I'm tight with the city's money, and there's no ands, ifs, or buts, we need a new police station."
Councillor George Vandenberg, a former member of the SPS, said he was around when the current Christina Street facility was built.
"Within years of moving in, it already became obvious to us that it was obsolete. It wasn't properly designed, it wasn't in the right place," Vandenberg said.
McRoberts' motion passed in a majority vote. Bradley, Burrell, and councillor Dave Boushy were opposed.
Meanwhile, the police board agreed to hire an architectural firm during a special meeting held virtually on April 25 to start the preliminary design process for a new headquarters, which will not include detailed drawings.