The Haines Borough Assembly unanimously rejected Wednesday morning a proposal by architects and public facilities director Ed Coffland to pursue designs of a new 26,000 square foot public safety building south of the existing facility, characterizing the plans as too extravagant.

Principal of Bettisworth North, Roy Rountree, presented a range of options to the assembly during a committee of the whole meeting, including the largest 35,000 square foot “all-inclusive package” that included an indoor shooting range and two kitchens.

“I was shocked at the presentation,” Mayor Douglas Olerud said. “This wasn’t what I was expecting at all. Personally, I think we need to take a huge step back before we move forward with this.”

Olerud said he was under the assumption that the borough would pursue a modest, utilitarian structure that meets the basic needs of a public safety building.

Assembly member Cheryl Stickler said the building needs to be upgraded, but the current fiscal climate doesn’t support an overly large project.

“We need something efficient, effective, yet attractive, but with something we can reasonably afford in the long term. I would like to see at the next presentation a basic bullet list of what that might look like and what our options are if it’s scaled way back.”

Coffland said the assembly was focusing too much on the larger project, which isn’t his recommendation.

“Our intent was the 26,000 square foot facility which doesn’t have the shooting range and two kitchens,” Coffland said. “The intent is to get a building that’s going to be functional for the next 50 years that will have modern capabilities of a public safety building. I’d rather you…focus on the building we’re actually proposing.”

The “optimum,” mid-rage, option was roughly estimated to cost $19.4 million. The 26,000 square foot facility is roughly double the size of the current 12,000 square foot public safety building, which officials agree is nearing the end of its useful life. The current public safety building sits within a tsunami zone, which is why architects proposed a new location further south.

The midrange option would also include assembly chambers, public facilities offices, records, a morgue and Haines Volunteer Fire Department storage.

The smallest option presented was a 22,000 square foot building which would include public safety needs but would not include assembly chambers and the features listed above.

“I’m sure we’ll be able to squeak down the size some more,” Rountree told the assembly. “I’m in with the utilitarian version. We can do that in a way that provides the space. You do need space for this stuff to occur.”

Assembly member Paul Rogers said the assembly also needs to have a discussion on moving the assembly chambers and other offices to a separate location to help reduce the cost of any new public safety building.

The assembly will meet at another committee of the whole at a future date to discuss other options.