Village plans, including building a new fire station, have been gaining traction lately in Scotia (NY), reports timesunion.com.
After years of trying to find the best location for the facility—as well as a renovated village hall—a citizen’s committee recently settled on three potential sites. Village officials say the public will have a chance to voice their opinions at an information session scheduled for late January/early February.
One option is a plot of less than 1 acre along Mohawk Avenue in Collins Park, at the current site of the community war memorial monument, the report says. That would require reconstructing the monument, though.
The other two plots are not as large as the first option, and they would necessitate a two-story facility.
The second is a privately owned property currently occupied by two buildings with about a dozen apartments, which would not only make it expensive but also displace many families.
The other option is the existing municipal parking lot on Mohawk Avenue, two doors down from the current fire station, officials say. This would require the municipality to alienate park land, which requires state Legislature approval, according to the report.
The current station is so cramped that the chief’s vehicle and the department’s pickup truck have to be parked outside to fit the two pumpers and ladder and rescue truck, officials say. They add that the last estimate they had on the project—coming two years ago—was around $12 million; with $5 million for the village hall upgrades and the rest going toward constructing a new fire hall.
The village would pay through bonding of 30 years for the firehouse and 15 years for other improvements or a combination, the report says.