Plans move forward for new Nanuet Firehouse

BY MICHAEL RICONDA

Nanuet – The Nanuet Fire District presented a detailed proposal of their new firehouse at a June 20 community meeting, showcasing plans to replace their current location at 7 Prospect Street with a structurally up-to-date, spacious building.

Nanuet Fire District Chairman Harold Straut explained the plan is based on a set of designs which was initially set aside, but became feasible once the Fire District found the new location on Old Middletown Road.

“Quite a few years ago, in about 2005, the fire company and the fire district started to explore ways to either rebuild or renovate the existing fire house on Prospect Street,” Straut explained. “In the past August, we acquired that piece of property, so we now own that.”

Occupying a space of 23,296 square feet, the building will include six bays and an exterior maneuvering area for trucks, new training and communications facilities and a bigger meeting room which can double as a bunk room in case of emergency. The building will also include a “gear grid system” for storage and solar panels.

A new site was chosen because rebuilding on the current site, which has operated as a fire house since 1943, was too cost-prohibitive and would not address the cramped conditions which make equipment storage and truck maneuvering difficult. Conditions inherent to the property such as sinking due to poor soil quality and frequent flooding due to low elevation also contributed to the decision.

“We still do experience flooding during heavy rain,” Straut said. “That’s the main reason for moving.”

The site of the new firehouse was purchased with capital reserve savings from the past 15 years. The project is expected to cost about $16.1 million and will be covered by a 25 year municipal bond designed to be spread payments out and minimize taxpayer costs.

If a successful bond vote is scheduled for September, construction can begin in 2014 and will take about 18 months before completion.

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