The North West Fire District board of commissioners voted Aug. 7 to approve two propositions relating to the sale of property from the Baldwinsville Volunteer Fire Company, the construction of a new station on Smokey Hollow Road and an addition to Fire Station 1 on Crego Road.
Fire district residents will vote on the propositions Sept. 22 at Baldwinsville Station 1 on Crego Road. A public hearing will be held prior to the vote, the date of which has yet to be announced.
NWFD commissioners called an emergency meeting Aug. 7 to approve the propositions. Commissioner Jack Kline said waiting to vote until the board’s regularly scheduled Aug. 11 meeting would have thrown off the schedule for the referendum and the public hearing “by three, four weeks” due to the timeframe set by state law.
The Baldwinsville Village Planning Board approved the SEQR action for the NWFD’s application July 26.
Proposition I seeks authorization for the NWFD to purchase Baldwinsville Station 1 (located at 7911 Crego Road) and Baldwinsville Station 2 (7461 State Fair Blvd.) from the BVFC for $2,065,407.
Proposition II seeks authorization for the district to build the Smokey Hollow Road station, which would replace Baldwinsville Station 3 on Elizabeth Street. Proposition II also provides for an addition to Station 1. The total cost of both construction of the new station and the addition is not to exceed $4,486,824.
While the propositions allow the district to levy a tax to pay for the land purchase and construction, Kline said the district’s goal remains not to affect taxes.
He said the U.S. Department of Agriculture Community Facilities Program loan the district is seeking should cover the cost of the projects without having to increase taxes.
“The payments that we’re going to make on $6 million will be cheaper than what we’re making now [on the building lease costs],” Commissioner Larry Schuler said. “We’re trying to do it with no tax increase.”
Kline said the USDA loan application is still in place, and if the residents approve the propositions, the application is ready to move forward.
Kline said he understood area residents’ concerns about noise, drainage, traffic and other issues.
“We’re doing the best we can for them,” he said. “We’re trying to work through it so it’s not going to be as bad as they think it is — it’s not going to have neon lights.”
Kline and Schuler said the fire district will have to work with the planning board and the Architectural Review Board to ensure that the new station meets the village’s standards for the building’s specifications, including lighting and aesthetics.
