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Fire district plans to consolidate buildings

By Meg Olson

As an alternative to a costly upgrade of the existing Benson Road fire station, local fire commissioners are looking at a metal garage west of the Aydon Wellness Clinic.

“It would accomplish putting everything under one roof,” said fire chief Bill Skinner at the July 12 commissioner’s meeting. In the event the Fireman’s Bingo operation would cease to operate Skinner said an upgrade of the fire station to accommodate the equipment now stored in the old Julius fire station and any new equipment would cost at least $500,000. A metal pole building, on the other hand, would cost considerably less.

Skinner said the building would be similar to the red vehicle storage building at the Pier Point site. “That building went up for $50,000. The estimated cost per square foot is $15-20,” he said. “That’s a significant savings over an upgrade of this building that would allow us to get all the equipment under one roof.”

Another benefit would be the potential to sell the old Julius fire station on Gulf Road, which today houses the older reserve fire engine and could not accommodate the replacement engine the district hopes to buy.

“We could get the equipment all up here for far less than we have tied up down there,” Skinner said. ”We could put the additional dollars toward that new engine.”

Skinner said he would research costs and permitting issues about the new building, and approach the water district which had previously offered to buy the Julius station, which can only be sold to another public agency.

“As commissioners you need to be thinking about what you want to do with these issues and we can discuss it further,” he said.

Fire commissioners will meet again August 9.