IRONDEQUOIT, N.Y. — A neighborhood is split over the costs of a potential new firehouse in Irondequoit.
News10NBC has been following this story for months. Voters will decide whether to approve a brand new St. Paul Boulevard Fire Department to the tune of $22 million. Voters shot down the original plan in December, but department leaders say there are serious issues that need to be fixed with the firehouse.
Robert Ament lives right down the block from the St. Paul Boulevard Fire Department and is upset that the department is asking for either $22 million to rebuild its station, when it says it would cost $18 million to keep the current building operational.
“The idea that it would cost $18 million to keep this building going is completely misleading, in my opinion,” Ament said.
“The main problem I have is, their main concerns are dormitory living space, separate showers and beds for female and male firefighters. They presently have the biggest room. It shows more than 2,500 square feet of unused space. And I was told by a fireman that they don’t even use it,” Ament said. “So they could empty that room out and put in separate dormitory rooms, say, eight different dorm rooms and three showers, and solve 90% of their problems and save $22 million.”
The room Ament is referring to is currently used as a public meeting space.
But Fire Chief Ken Stavlone says it’s not that simple. He says while they are looking to expand their dorms and showers — there’s currently only one for seven people to decontaminate after fires — there’s a laundry list of other things that the firehouse requires.
“And right now, just to repair the infrastructure, our leaking roofs, our HVAC, our plumbing, the parking lot, our underground plumbing and all these issues we’re having with this current firehouse before even addressing any needs of firefighter health and safety, or having private spaces for our female and male firefighters, to rest at night, we’re looking at $8 million to $10 million just in infrastructure repairs that would need to be done to this building before touching any of the other safety or health issues,” Stavlone said.
Stavlone hopes the station will get a federal grant to help cover the costs for taxpayers for a new firehouse.
“[It’s an] average of $62 a year [per household],” Stavlone said. “And that’s if we don’t get any grant funding and if the project is worst case scenario. So that number is worst case scenario with all the contingencies built in, escalations and everything, obviously we hope for it to be less, but that is worst case scenario because we’re not allowed to go back to the taxpayers and say, ‘oops, we need more money,'” Stavlone said.
That vote is set for June 16 at the firehouse.
Irondequoit neighbors split over $22 million firehouse proposal after voters rejected first plan WHEC.com.
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