Posted: 5/15/02

Work begins on Wyoming Fire Hall expansion

Cliff Buchan
News Editor

Work has commenced on a three-bay addition to the Wyoming Fire Station following city approval steps last week and Monday night.

By early August, the fire department hopes to occupy the 2600 square feet of additional space which will provide room for parking seven fire trucks now in service.

ìItís a step in the right direction,î said veteran fire chief Dennis Berry this week.

Work got under way last week for the addition on the north and east wings of the original fire station built in 1977. The expanded fire hall will have two new north facing bays and a third with a south facing entrance.

City Administrator Dennis Coryell said the project is being accomplished through a unique partnership with the Economic Development Authority. Under the plan, the EDA will have ownership of the new space and lease the facility to the city over 10 years.

ìIt makes sense for the city, the EDA and is good for the entire community,î Coryell said.

The project, estimated to cost $325,000, will be financed over a 10-year revenue bond backed by the EDA and the city. Annual payments should run about $40,000, some $5000 below earlier estimates, Coryell said.

The city will cover lease payments through a special levy allowed by law for just such programs, Coryell said.

Need is there

City officials agreed this week that need is present to justify the project and the bonding program.

The planning commission met on May 8 and unanimously approved the redevelopment as required under the program. The EDA board did likewise at a special meeting Monday night.

The city council earlier approved the plan contingent on approvals by the planning commission and the EDA board, Coryell said.

Berry and Coryell said the project will bring needed space to the fire department.

Coryell said one of the catalysts behind the project was a recent OSHA mandate that the department needed more room to address safety concerns tied to vehicles being backed into bays. Insurance factors are also involved, Coryell said.

Berry and Coryell said the three existing bays arenít doing the job for the equipment of today.

ìEquipment is bigger these days,î Coryell said.

Berry said the department is now parking six trucks in four stalls and that fact also requires frequent moves to get equipment rolling. One truck is parked outside during warm weather months and a second is stored off site on city property.

Along with easing the stall problem, the expansion will provide storage space now in short supply, Berry said. The existing training room will be converted into two offices and a lounge.

Plans call for the Monday training meetings to take place in the community room of the existing building, Berry said.

The new facility could address needs for the next 15 years, Berry said.

Some of the cost of the expansion will be shared with Wyoming Township. The township contracts with the city for fire protection for areas close to the city.

Berry said township area makes up about one-third of the valuation under protection by the fire department.

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