Forest Grove sends police station bond back to voters in November

Forest Grove voters will decide in November whether to fund a new police station, a year and a half after they narrowly rejected a similar bond. City councilors agreed on March 9 to place the measure on the Nov. 3 ballot, the city said in a news release. If approved, the bond would pay for a new police facility at the corner of 19th and Birch, on city-owned land next to other municipal buildings. Voters last weighed in on a police station bond in May 2025, when Measure 34-343 failed. In the certified count, 2,232 voters opposed it (52.27%) to 2,038 in favor (47.73%), a 194-vote margin. A precinct-level breakdown of that vote showed the city split geographically, with the east side narrowly backing the measure while heavier turnout on the west side sank it. At $29.5 million over 20 years, the bond would cost the average Forest Grove homeowner between $15 and $19 a month, or $175 to $233 a year, the city estimates. The city is asking for the same amount as the 2025 measure. "A new police facility will give our law enforcement the resources they need to effectively serve and protect our community," Mayor Malynda Wenzl said in the release. "This is a critical investment in public safety and the quality of life we value in Forest Grove." According to the city, the new facility would include: * Increased evidence and record storage * Improved ADA accessibility * A private space for interviewing victims * Separation between adult and juvenile offenders * More workspace for officers and staff "Our current police facility is outdated and no longer meets the needs of a modern law enforcement agency," said David Marzilli, who became Forest Grove's police chief in April. "It lacks the necessary space, safety features, and operational capabilities to serve our community." Built in 1977 to house 12 officers, the current station has not changed even as the police department grew to 40 sworn officers and six civilian staff, the city said. The building is the same 12,120 square feet it was when it opened; the bond would replace it with a two-story, 21,500-square-foot facility. A 2016 city assessment found 34 major deficiencies. They included too little space to process and store evidence, no private space to interview victims (often pushing those conversations into the lobby), holding rooms that cannot safely separate adult and juvenile offenders, limited ADA access, a building that fails current seismic and building codes, and no room to expand or remodel. The 19th and Birch site sits next to other city buildings, which the city said preserves response times and public access. Forest Grove described the bond as the next step in its long-term building plan. Ahead of the vote, the police department is offering tours of the current station. Guided tours run during the Forest Grove Farmers Market on Wednesday, June 17; Wednesday, July 1; and Wednesday, Aug. 5, each at 5, 6 and 7 p.m. The department is also pairing station tours with Coffee with a Cop on Saturday, June 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the station. Tour sign-ups, a full list of community events, frequently asked questions and preliminary designs are at forestgrove-or.gov/policebond.