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North Highlands Outlines Plans for Trimmed-Down Fire Station
District planning on public vote in August
by Mike Turton
An artist's rendering of the proposed new fire station in the North Highlands
Fewer than a dozen residents turned out to a public presentation in North Highlands on June 12, 2007 even though the issues being discussed centered on public safety - and taxes. In August, residents will vote to either support or reject a project to reconstruct the North Highlands Fire Station. The proposed design was presented at last week's public meeting. Located on Fishkill Road near Route 9, firefighting facilities are currently housed in a "Butler Barn" type building. The metal structure was built with an expectation that it would last for thirty years but has now reached the ripe old age of thirty-six, and the years have not been kind. This is not the Sophia Loren of fire halls. The roof is well past its prime. Metal is corroding. Code violations abound. Storage is inadequate. Space has become cramped, making easy access to equipment and speedy departures to fires difficult. Ventilation is inadequate. Space and facilities for training, the backbone of a department staffed completely by volunteers, are limited. So what's the rub? Who could argue against the need for quality firefighting facilities? The problem is that nothing is free. Certainly not fire protection. The cost of building a new fire hall, or at least significantly improving the existing facility, has already stopped two proposed designs dead in their tracks. In 2005, commissioners hired Mitchell and Associates, a Voorheesville, NY- based architectural firm with more than thirty years experience in designing only fire halls. In May, 2006, when the cost of a new station came in at 6.6 million dollars, commissioners rejected the proposal without even taking it to voters. The architect was asked to trim costs and came back with a plan that utilized some of the existing concrete pads and building frame while applying a new outer "skin." The 5.6 million dollar design was rejected by voters in December, 2006. At that point the Commissioners and the architect wiped the slate clean and started over once again.
The concept which will be put to voters in August would meet the requirements of Fire District and is designed to last a minimum of fifty years. Construction would be completed in phases. Floor area has been reduced by 2,759 square feet - mainly by reducing the area of the vehicle bays. The pared-down but up-to-code proposal would also include all necessary furnishings, training facilities, adequate storage, office space, communications room, decontamination area and community facilities such as a kitchen and meeting room. The price tag for the new station is 4.8 million dollars. For taxpayers, that translates to an average annual tax bill of $125 over a period of twenty-five years. Fire Commissioner Hans Moeller put the cost a different way. "It works out to a cost of about thirty cents a day," Moeller stated.
Not everyone who attended the presentation was supportive. Area resident Chuck Powell said it isn't uncommon for public buildings to not meet all current codes, adding, "It's a farce to be in compliance with ADA and OSHA - it's not a good sales point. We didn't just fall off the turnip wagon you know." Architect Bob Mitchell responded emphatically, stating that in addition to a legal obligation to meet codes when reconstructing the station, the Fire District also has an obligation to the community and firefighters to build a facility that meets modern standards. Mr. Powell went on to say that he felt the District "wants to spend millions of dollars so you can have your parade," alluding to the use of fire trucks at local community events. Fire District Vice Chairman John Van Tassel responded to Powell stating that, "We're taxpayers too. We've always tried to protect taxpayers by being cost conscious" pointing to a slight decline in taxes in 2007. When asked by the PCN&R what the thinking was behind cutting costs by reducing vehicle-bay space rather than community space, Van Tassle responded, "The Fire Hall is also serves as the North Highlands community center. How can we expect the community to support a new fire hall if the fire hall doesn't also serve the community?" He listed numerous groups and functions that rely on the hall including little league baseball, Boy Scouts, Girls Scout and senior citizens. He added that the station is also used for blood drives and as a polling station during local elections.
"There's no going back. The fire hall is in such a state of disrepair that it can't simply be repaired. This is an investment for the community - it's our 'town hall' for North Highlands. We need a building that matches the professionalism of our firefighters" Van Tassel concluded.
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