Meeting scheduled to discuss new
Churchville fire department building

Community input is being sought on a proposal being put forth by members of the Churchville Volunteer Fire Department to construct a new building to replace their 50-year old facility with a larger, state-of-the-art home.

Department President Steve Gulvin, a 29-year volunteer, said, "There is very little wiggle room between the trucks and the walls of the department building."

A joint meeting is planned between Town of Riga and Village of Churchville officials at the village hall on January 8 at 6 p.m. to move the project along.

"The fire department would like to make the citizens aware of the meeting so we can gauge their feedback on whether they would support the construction of a new building," Gulvin said. "The meeting would be the time to ask questions about the proposal."

The present building is 6,000 square feet and the department is looking to construct one of 18,000 square feet. The new building carries with it a $3.7 million price tag.

Department officials have been working for about ten years to put together plans and proposals for the hoped-for construction but have been pursuing the project more fully in the past three. Fire department officials have made presentations to both boards and will now be presenting information in the joint session.

Riga Supervisor Pam Moore and Churchville Mayor Don Ehrmentraut have said the proposal is one they support but caution that financing and the burden to the taxpayers is something that has to be weighed before decisions are made. (See an article from September 3, 2006.)

The department owns an 18-acre parcel of land on Washington Street, north of Buffalo Road on which the proposed building would be constructed.

December 31, 2006