Firehouse Proposal Raises Alarms On Queen St

By Steve Bigham

Queen Street residents turned out in force at Monday’s Board of Selectmen meeting to oppose a proposal to build a firehouse in their neighborhood.

The residents say Hook & Ladder’s plan to build a 60,000-110,000 square-foot building creates both safety and quality-of-life concerns and does not belong on what has already become a very busy, sometimes dangerous street. The thought of sirens and whistles going off at all hours of the night has them worried.

Hook & Ladder, currently located behind Edmond Town Hall, has requested that the selectmen consider a firehouse for the town-owned property across the street from Borough Lane. Leaders of the fire company say they have looked unsuccessfully at every possible site in the center of town and have run out of options. But those who live on Queen Street say they do not like the option currently at hand. More than 20 residents of the area signed a letter to the selectmen indicating their displeasure with the plan. Their fear is that Queen Street could become “the dumping ground” for all town municipal needs.

“The town has an obligation to help residents maintain their property values,” noted longtime Queen Street resident Blanca Sheehan. “Queen Street was a quiet road 22 years ago. Now it’s become a speedway with people using it to avoid the lights [on Route 25].”

Residents say the construction of Wasserman Way has made matters even worse. A firehouse “is just going to punish us even more.”

Two years ago, the Hook & Ladder firehouse was ruled structurally unsafe after weaknesses in the floor were discovered. On Monday Chief Dave Ober said the company was running out of time, but stopped short of saying Hook & Ladder wanted the Queen Street site.

“We’re just requesting that the town hold this as an option. We’re still looking for other options,” Chief Ober said. “Queen Street is not our number one choice. Queen Street is an option.”

Last year, the town purchased six houses and a narrow stretch of land along Queen Street from the state. The plan, according to First Selectman Herb Rosenthal, was to acquire ownership of the scenic land to maintain the character of the land. The town would re-sell the homes and possibly use some of the land for either ball fields or municipal building.

On Monday, however, Queen Street residents, including Lisa Floros and Bridget Kellogg, said they did not expect the town to consider a firehouse for the street, especially across from Borough Lane. They said a firehouse is not the kind of municipal building they had expected.

Several other options were suggested Tuesday night, including the existing firehouse at Fairfield Hills, the volunteer ambulance garage, and Town Hall South. None of these options are viable at this time, Mr Ober said. Reconstruction of the existing firehouse would also be difficult due to parking problems behind town hall, Chief Ober added.

The town-owned Amaral property along Elm Drive has also been considered as a site for the Hook & Ladder firehouse, as have the former Yankee Drover property on Main Street and the Denlinger property on Church Hill Road. The vacant “eyesore” property at the corner of Church Hill Road and Queen Street owned by George Wiehl was also considered. However, the owner is seeking $8,000 per month in rent, according to Chief Ober.

Hook & Ladder had originally planned to add on to its existing firehouse, but changed those plans once the building’s structural integrity fell into question. “We’ve been kicking this around for 12 years,” noted Mike McCarthy, Hook & Ladder president. “Regardless of where this goes, you’re going to have a battle with whoever lives there.”

Mrs Floros believes the real question boils down to what the town is going to do at Fairfield Hills. “It seems that any decisions regarding municipal needs are being tied up by the battling factions in local politics. The results of this inaction are mediocre services and shortsighted solutions to space problems,” she stated in the letter to the selectmen. “We urge you to make a decision on the purchase and reuse of Fairfield Hills before any final decisions are made regarding the firehouse.”

The cost to construct the firehouse would be approximately $1.6 million, according to Mr McCarthy.

The selectmen do not plan to take action on the proposal at this time.