MORRISONVILLE — Construction of the voter-approved addition to the Morrisonville Fire Station is scheduled to begin in late spring.
The tally for the Jan. 31 vote was 88-63, said Gary Rabideau, chairman of the Board of Fire Commissioners.
“We’re looking forward to having sufficiently more space and being able to service our trucks efficiently within the firehouse,” he said.
The $2.5 million project will add 51 cents per $1,000 assessed property value to the present 77 cents, which means Fire District taxpayers will pay $1.28 per $1,000.
Construction should begin in late April or early May, Rabideau said.
Until then, design details will be finalized in meetings with architect Andrew Abdallah of Architectural & Engineering Design Associates in Plattsburgh.
If all goes according to plan, Rabideau said, “we would have the addition complete for (vehicle) occupation for September or October of this year.
“We have to have a place to put our fire trucks in cold weather.”
5 TRUCK BAYS
The addition will be the first major construction performed on the firehouse since 1986, when firefighters volunteered their time to build a new bay.
Once the work is complete, the station will have five truck bays with larger doors and higher ceilings, a decontamination room, a community room for fundraising events, expanded office space, a “day room” for mutual-aid departments standing by at the station and a fitness room.
The updates will also make the entrance and bathroom of the building handicap accessible.
Rabideau said the department hopes the tax rate will drop once the economy gets better and the tax base increases, as the cost would be borne by more taxpayers.
“We’ve had positive growth since I’ve been commissioner,” he said of his 13 years in his post. “I would imagine housing and things in the Fire District will start rolling again.”
The next district meeting is 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19, at the Fire Station, located at 1927 Route 22B.
Sessions are the third Tuesday of each month and are open to the public.
Email Felicia Krieg: fkrieg@pressrepublican.com
