WELLS — Funding a study to construct a fire substation in Wells on the Public Works Department site will be discussed at a public hearing on Tuesday.

In November, Wells residents approved a $14.25 million bond to fund a new public safety building on U.S. Route 1 and fire substation on town-owned land on Route 109 at Meetinghouse Road. The public safety building, that will include both the police and fire departments, will cost about $11.26 million. About $1.2 million is the estimated cost of the substation.

On July 24, Town Manager Jonathan Carter told the Board of Selectmen that constructing the substation at the Public Works site on Route 9 rather than the already approved Route 109 site could save the town money.

“The cost of development of that site (Rute 109) has raised the question of whether a fire substation on an alternative piece of land can be built less costly,” he said.

In a telephone interview on Thursday, Carter said the cost savings could be in the $200,000 range, however he noted that the actual amount that could be saved won’t be known until the study is done, if selectmen greenlight a study to be conducted.

The design of the building, which is just about completed would not change, Carter said. Cost savings would mostly come through site development, he said, as the Route 109 site “has a lot of ledge and other things” that make it difficult to build on. The Public Works site has no ledge, better soil and other factors that could bring down engineering and other costs.

Lavallee Brensinger Architects would be in charge of the study if the board decides to move forward with it. Carter said selectmen would probably make a decision one way or another about the study after the public hearing on Tuesday. If it is approved, up to$69,000 could be used for the study. Funds would come the Inland Golf Reserve Fund. That fund, which garners $15,000 each time a parcel on an old golf club is sold currently contains $600,000 Carter said.

Another benefit of changing the location of the fire station, he said, is that building it at the Public Works site would allow it t o cover a greater area of the town.

If a study is approved and shows there are cost savings and other benefits to construct the substation at an alternative area, a referendum to change the site would likely go on the June ballot, Carter said.

Construction on the public safety building on U.S. Route 1 began in June.

At the groundbreaking, Police Chief Jo-Ann Putnam said the new building will help employees do their jobs more efficiently and safely. It will have a secure area for police officers to meet with victims and witnesses and will have a dedicated area to process evidence that’s collected at crime scenes.

“I pride myself in giving my officers the tools to succeed, and I think this is one of the best tools we can provide them,” she said.

Fire Chief Wayne Vetre said at the groundbreaking the new building would provide the fire department a modern facility that would address inefficiencies in the current building. He said the new building will provide firefighters adequate storage for their equipment and a dedicated space for training.

“This is definitely a new chapter in the history of the town of Wells departments of public safety,” he said.

— Associate Editor Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 324 or dmendros@journaltribune.com. Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf contributed to this story.