The design for the new Chesterfield fire station seemed to be a win on all sides when it was presented to the City Commission May 9.
Fire Chief John Connaughton said the station will meet the functionality needs of a modern fire department, and the commission was pleased to see that the new building will meet those needs with an aesthetic that meets the city's standards.
"This is a more iconic structure," said Commissioner Carol Deweese. "Originally, we didn't hold this to the same requirements we do our private developers. Now I think you've got something a developer would (do)."
Connaughton brought the final design plan to the commission during its regular meeting after several revisions at the Planning Board and Architectural Review Committee in 2015 and earlier this year. The city has allotted around $3 million for the project to rebuild the fire station, which the chief explained has outlived its expectancy in structure and function.
"When the station was built, door openings of 10 (feet) by 10 (feet) were standard. A few years later, it went to 12 by 12. The current standard now is 14 feet, so our new trucks are barely able to back into the existing building," he explained.
The current station also doesn't have separate locker rooms for men and women or enough space to store all of the updated equipment needed for the department to respond to a variety of emergency situations.
But more than that, the current building is showing its 61 years of age with fractures in the ceiling and degrading pillars outside.