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Spencerport Fire District presents
plans for new Station One Information meeting Nov. 30 at Spencerport High School The plans for a new firehouse in the Village of Spencerport were underway even before the disastrous August 11 fire destroyed Spencerport Fire District's Station One on Lyell Avenue. But now, members of the department and the Board of Commissioners are presenting a referendum to registered voters in the village as they make plans for the future of the department with a reconstruction plan for the firehouse. Fire department officials were one-and-one-half years into plans for the reconstruction of the building when the fire occurred. They had presented preliminary plans to the village's planning board for casual review. The district also operates stations on Route 259 south of the village and on Ridge Road West at the corner of Route 259. Cause of the fire at the former Lyell Avenue building where seven vehicles were stored has been listed as undetermined accidental. No apparatus was lost in the blaze. Some department trucks have been assigned temporarily to the other stations and Station One is now relocated behind 27 West Avenue in a garage leased from Frontier Communications. Rebuilding Station One Rich McQuilkin, chairman of the Spencerport Board of Fire Commissioners, said the new structure will be large enough to house two pumper trucks, a ladder truck, one rescue vehicle, a utility van and still have enough room to maneuver around. "We were sorely lacking in space in the other building. We were cramped for space for the apparatus," he said. The former building was 9,500 square feet. When asked why an all-volunteer force needed a bunk house, McQuilkin said in the past, a small crew of firefighters would sleep one night a week at the station. "They would put out a page to all the other firefighters that they were there to handle calls and it gave the other members a night off. They knew they could make plans or sleep through the night because small calls could be handled" (by the firefighters at the station), he said. "They were sleeping in the station house on pull-out cots. Now, with the new design, if we offer better amenities we might get more firefighters offering to be on site and to handle calls. While our community enjoys an all-volunteer fire department today, that may change in years to come and with the proposed station allowing for bunk space, we will be prepared for the future, (meanwhile, the facility would be) used immediately by the volunteers when they staff the overnight shifts and for standby during storm situations." In addition to constructing a new building, the department is planning to purchase property at 183 Lyell that the Firemen's Association owns. "There is office space in the building that would be accommodated in the new firehouse," McQuilkin said. "If the referendum is passed, the building will be demolished to accommodate the new footprint of the building." The Spencerport Fire Department boasts a 100-member roster. "We're very fortunate to have such a dedicated force," he said. "In the past 10 years, the Spencerport Fire Department has seen an increase in calls for service of more than 100 percent. Though the loss of the main firehouse in August has pressed the need for a new station, both the fire district and firemen's association have been discussing the need to expand for some time," McQuilkin said. The department had outgrown the previous station many years ago. "The building was originally a car dealership and then a machine shop. Fire apparatus, by design, has become larger to accommodate the safety features necessary and required under EPA, OSHA and NFPA (National Fire Protection Agency) standards," McQuilkin said. With the population growing in both the town and the village, McQuilkin said, the need for a new fire station has never been more important. "The design for the new station allows for ample space for apparatus as well as training, storage, records retention and expansion." On Tuesday, December 12, registered voters in the Spencerport Fire District will be asked to cast their votes on the Fire District referendum for the purpose of authorizing the district to spend up to $5,200,000 for the cost of the construction and equipping of the proposed fire station at 175 and 183 Lyell Avenue. The district is seeking to bond $4,200,000. The balance of funds for the construction will come from casualty insurance proceeds estimated at not less than $1 million. If approved, the 20-year bond will cost the taxpayers with the median home value of $130,000 an average of $21 per year. As with all bonds, the rate is derived over the 20-year life where the cost declines from year one at approximately $37 to year 20 at approximately $9 based on projected growth data, according to fire district leaders. 'The fire district and the association have spent many hours along with our architectural firm to design a station that will continue to provide the level of service our community deserves, and it will also fill our needs for many, many years to come," McQuilkin said. Robert Garlick, Village of Spencerport Planning Board chairman, said if the referendum passes that fire officials would need to submit plans and go through the necessary steps to obtain approval to build. "It's the normal process, complete with public hearings, reviews, SEQR approvals and inspections," he said. "The process could take at least three to four months." Public session The public referendum for the project will be held Tuesday, December 12 from 3 to 9 p.m. at the Spencerport Fire Station #3, 2588 South Union Street. If the referendum is approved, McQuilkin said department officials will begin the process of seeking planning and zoning board approval.
November 26, 2006 |
