When will Perkins fire station be built?

PERKINS TWP. — Perkins Township officials recently provided a more concrete timeline for when a new long-awaited fire station could open within the political subdivision's boundaries. Planning out the process Earlier this year, officials first unveiled their intentions to build such a structure on Woodlawn Avenue on property near the Columbus Avenue intersection by the Erie County Fairgrounds. Upon debuting, this station will replace two existing and outdated facilities: on Campbell Street not far from Strickfaden Park and Milan Road (U.S. 250) beside Great Wolf Lodge. While many factors still must be ironed out, this much is certain: Officials stressed how they won't raise taxes or take money away from funding present-day services to cover station costs. Officials pegged the new station's cost between $6 million and $8 million. "With the due diligence and the background we have done, we believe that this is the best option," said trustee Tim Coleman, noting, if executed, this would become the largest project — in terms of dollar amount — undertaken by Perkins Township's government across its 200-plus-year history. Updating the timeline Officials continue to work out issues with App Architecture, a company tasked with designing this proposed new fire station. The company has "significant experience" in the design of fire stations, township administrator Gary Boyle said. Boyle offered up an idea of when a new fire station might open: • Spring 2025 — "The township anticipated that construction bids for this project will likely be advertised." • Summer/Fall 2025 — "Construction will hopefully be underway. Our architect estimates that construction of the new station will take about 13 months or so." • Mid-2026 — Based on this information, a new fire station should open around this time. Officials originally wanted to open the fire station by late 2025. Scoping out the station Several officials provided some more information about the necessity for a new fire station: The history: Perkins Township started fire operations on Jan. 1, 1953, as a volunteer department. After initially operating on Bogart Road, crews built fire stations on Campbell Street in 1959 and then on Milan Road in 1968. The Bogart Road fire station reportedly closed due to "hard financial times." The growth: In 1971, Perkins fire transitioned from a volunteer department to a 24/7 operation. Today the department employs 26 full-time firefighters and seven part-time firefighters. As the township's population has grown, so, too, has the number of service calls requiring firefighters' assistance — yet their buildings haven't changed to keep up with this trend. Officials stressed they need a more modern facility to best continue serving the public. The problems: In short, both stations suffer from typical aging issues due to them being constructed a few decades ago. They don't meet many guidelines set forth by the National Fire Protection Association, an agency that sets standards firefighting agencies use for best practices. Additionally, health and safety standards have evolved over time, becoming more stringent. "The stations now in operation were not designed to meet those requirements," according to a joint statement. Among some more specific concerns: • During the past decade, officials have spent tens of thousands of dollars in maintenance costs and repairs. • There's not enough room to adequately store vehicles, equipment and other firefighting materials. Vehicles have gotten larger over time, and both fire stations were not originally built to accommodate these bigger fire trucks and ambulances. • It lacks ample space for sleeping quarters. • There are no separate locker rooms, bathing areas or sleeping quarters for women. • It's truly not handicap accessible. The evaluation: Within the past year or so, officials reviewed each fire station site and made a final determination to build one new station, which would replace these two existing structures. Despite a multimillion-dollar venture, officials noted this would end up saving taxpayers money in the long run. Once the new station opens, likely in late 2025 under this timeline, then the other two stations will close. The size: This new station should total about 27,000 square feet. This would just about double the overall space when combining Campbell Street, about 8,000 square feet, and Milan Road, roughly 6,000 square feet. The blueprint: Perkins officials pointed to recent fire stations built in Norwalk and Danbury Township as what their forthcoming facility could look like. The efficiencies: Perkins fire Chief Dave Murphy explained how more firefighters staffed at one station, as opposed to the same number spread out across two sites, proves beneficial when responding to emergencies. Under this scenario, firefighters can more quickly respond to emergencies and overcome staffing issues often encountered today. As an example, if a firefighter is presently sick or needs a day off, it could leave one station severely understaffed. By consolidating two fire stations into one, it eliminates this problem. The funding sources: Officials outlined how they'll pay for this project. They'll spend: • $2.5 million in local funds saved up over the years • $1.7 million through selling land where the existing fire stations are located in addition to a lot on Hull Road by Great Wolf Lodge • $1.2 million from American Rescue Plan Act federal dollars; Governments received these funds in response to COVID-19 in hopes of helping them recover during the pandemic. Perkins intends to spend its entire share, $1.2 million, on a new fire station. • $600,000 through a federal fire grant That accounts for about $6 million. Regarding the rest, officials are leaning toward taking out a low-interest, 15-year loan. They stressed how raising taxes is not an option.