Natasha Sokoloff
Journal Inquirer, Manchester, Conn.
(TNS)
Jul. 9—CANTON — As Canton nears completion on constructing of a firehouse in the Collinsville section, voters recently decided to finalize the old firehouse’s demolition.
Destroying the old firehouse has been planned since 2021, when residents approved the Canton Volunteer Fire and EMS Department’s new firehouse and associated construction in a referendum, which included razing the old facility located at 50 River Road next door to where it will be built.
But recently, some residents had expressed that they now wanted to save the old fire station, which was built in 1971, for storage space. In May, the Board of Selectmen received a petition with over 200 signatures in support of a study for repurposing it.
The question of whether the town should seek funding for that study was the subject of a June 27 special town meeting, which gave residents the chance to decide if the town should work towards completing a feasibility study and cost estimate for repurposing the existing Collinsville Fire Station, or demolish it as planned.
Voters said no by a 52-37 vote, paving the way for the planned demolition to move forward as soon as this summer, according to town officials.
And as for the brand new fire station, construction is well underway, with an estimated completion in August, said Community Development Coordinator Lisa Ozaki. New drone pictures of the construction site posted on the department’s Facebook show the structure and paving nearly finished.
With a project cost at $5,400,000, the approximate cost of this new debt to a taxpayer owning a median assessed house in Canton ($255,100 assessment) would be $85.41 for the first year, decreasing slightly annually thereafter over the 20 year life of the bond, according to the town.
In November 2021, the new firehouse vote was passed by residents by 2,061 to 834.
The town has long recognized that the old Collinsville Fire Station was inadequate in addressing the needs of the department, as it did not have the necessary space for fire apparatus, equipment or staffing, a town committee established in 2015 had found.
It had changed very little since it was originally constructed in 1971 despite the department growing in members and vehicles, with only two full bays and two short bays, and a total square footage measuring 9,483 square feet. And the old building’s limited and unusable storage space affects call readiness, according to a town presentation on the new firehouse project.
The new station at 51 River Road will have five full bays, additional storage areas and private sleeping quarters for overnight EMS shifts, and the single-level building will be 14,080 square feet. It will house equipment and staff of the Canton Volunteer Fire and EMS Department, which has nearly 50 members in total.
The department has two other stations in Canton, but combining the River Road equipment and staff with another one was not feasible either, as it would not meet the necessary response time for certain suburban and rural areas in town, according to the presentation.
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