Select Board Hears Pushback on North 40 Fire Station

Select Board · Meeting of September 15, 2026

Wellesley Select Board hears two hours of pushback on a proposed fire station for the North 40. Fire Chief Steve Mortarelli and architect Jeff Shaw of Context Architecture presented a master plan ranking two Weston Road sites above a Washington Street alternative by 16 points, but nearly 20 residents, including Weston Road neighbor Miriam Gates and Conservation Land Trust president Michael Tobin, argued the 46-acre, $35 million parcel's future use should be settled first. Member Kenneth Largess said firefighter health risks from the current stations are "the equivalent of smoking cigarettes" and backed funding feasibility studies on two sites rather than picking one by November.

CFO Rachel DeRoach also briefed the board on FY28 budget guidelines, including a $12.25 million spring bond and roughly $1.5 million in newly flagged software and lease costs. The board took no vote on the fire station and moved into executive session over union talks and litigation involving 140 Weston Road.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,784 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of September 15, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.