During a city council meeting Tuesday, Logan city officials are set to recommend that a replacement for aging Fire State 70 be constructed at 95 East, 200 North.
LOGAN – It almost sounds like an old joke.
“Why did the fire station cross the road?”
But the punchline – “to placate irate local business owners and preserve emergency response times” – is no laughing matter.
The Logan City Council has scheduled a 30-minute presentation by Fire Chief Brad Hannig during its meeting on Tuesday to discuss options for the controversial relocation of Fire Station 70 in the downtown area.
An advance copy of Hannig’s presentation indicates that city officials will recommend that the new facility be built at 95 East, 200 North, diagonally across the street from Station 70’s current location.
The advantages of that location, according to Hannig’s presentation, are that it is “affordable and centrally located so as to not impede operations or hinder emergency response times.
“The department will be able to continue business operations, supply restocking and training at a central location, keeping station personnel closer to their response zones.”
Another advantage, the report states, is that the size of the proposed new location is large enough to meet current needs and future growth, because “additional property could be acquired if a building expansion becomes necessary.”
The recommended location will also provide easy access to both 200 North and 100 East streets, thus possibly improving the LCFD’s response times to emergencies.
The only significant disadvantage of the proposed location is that the property must be acquired and that process may involve the city exercising its right of eminent domain.
The new plan represents a victory for members of the Federal Avenue business community.
In previous discussions with the city council, LCFD officials have listed numerous problems associated with the aging station, including replacing the roof, improving energy efficiency, providing quarters for female firefighters and addressing concerns about seismic safety.
In May, city officials unveiled a plan to relocate Fire Station 70 to city property at the corner of 100 East Street and Federal Avenue.
The plan immediately drew fire from business owners in that area, since the new facility would severely limit customer parking there.
During a city council meeting on May 8, Hannig fought a losing battle to defend that initial relocation plan from heated public criticism.
That contentious meeting ended with Mayor Holly Daines agreeing to seek alternative sites for the new fire station.
Hannig’s presentation for Tuesday indicates that the city considered 10 alternative locations for the new fire station and evaluated each of them in terms of response time, operations, size of footprint, access to main roads and cost.
In addition to the now recommended location at 95 East, 200 North, the alternative sites evaluated by city officials included 45 East, 200 North; 300 South, 100 East; 300 North Main St.; 459 North, 100 West; 200 South, 100 East; 75 West, 300 North; 76 East, 200 North; 400 North, 100 West; and 100 E. Federal Ave.
The agenda for Tuesday’s city council meeting also includes a public hearing to consider accepting $7 million in federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) for Fire Station 70.