Hook & Ladder—

Borough Zoners Reschedule Firehouse Hearing

By Andrew Gorosko

Borough Zoning Commission (BZC) members this week postponed the second session of an ongoing public hearing they are conducting on Newtown Hook & Ladder Company, Inc, #1’s, proposal to construct a firehouse at 12 Sugar Street (Route 302).

The hearing had been slated to resume on Tuesday, November 16, at Town Hall South.

But because there had been a death in the family of the applicant’s lawyer, the applicant sought a postponement. The BZC thus scheduled the second session of the public hearing to resume at 7:15 pm on Monday, December 13, at Town Hall South, 3 Main Street.

BZC members said they would consider some residents’ requests that the December 13 session be held elsewhere in a larger meeting room than the one located at Town Hall South.

About 20 people had arrived at the Town Hall South meeting room on November 16 for the public hearing.

BZC member Douglas Nelson, who acted as the agency’s chairman on the firehouse application, said the panel would field public comments on the firehouse application at the December 13 session.

Borough Attorney Donald Mitchell said that BZC members cannot legally take action on the firehouse proposal until after the Inland Wetlands Commission (IWC) acts on a pending application from the fire company, which seeks a wetlands/watercourses protection permit for the project.

The IWC held four public hearings on the fire company’s application. The IWC is scheduled to meet on December 8 to discuss and possibly act on the IWC application.

Fire company members maintain that the 12 Sugar Street site is the best location for them to construct a new firehouse to replace the aging deteriorated town-owned firehouse that they now occupy at 45 Main Street, behind Edmond Town Hall.

Some people living near the 12 Sugar Street site, however, have objected to the construction proposal, saying that it is an inappropriate residential location for a firehouse, citing quality of life issues including traffic congestion, development density, and property values. They have also charged that such a construction project would environmentally damage the area.

The fire company wants to build an 11,414-square-foot firehouse with six garage bays. The facility would be located on a one-acre section of a 9.4-acre site.

Under the firehouse proposal, the Borough of Newtown Land Trust, Inc, and the R. Scudder Smith Family Partnership would donate land for the project. Mr Smith is the owner/publisher of The Newtown Bee.