Belleville Silver Lake Firehouse May Be Repaired

Belleville, NJ - The Belleville Township Council has approved a resolution to send out bids to repair the Silver Lake Firehouse.

The resolution, passed during Tuesday’s council meeting, sets aside $247,500 for improvements to the firehouse and authorizes the township engineer to prepare bid documents and advertise/receive bids, NorthJersey.com reported.

Town officials hope to begin work by the end of March, NorthJersey.com reported.

Belleville code enforcement officials closed the firehouse in 2013 due to concerns about its structural integrity.

The prospect of repairing the firehouse became especially relevant following multiple fires in the area last December, according to Belleville resident Frank Fleischman.

• See related article: Belleville Fire Destroys Home: WATCH

In December, Fleischman sent a letter to township officials where he extolled the possibility of reopening the firehouse.

“Silver Lake and the First Ward needs better fire protection, and by better I mean closer,” Fleischman wrote. “Re-opening the Silver Lake firehouse will improve Belleville’s already good response times, will provide more immediate service and will give residents more peace of mind, especially since the firehouse has often acted as a deterrent to criminal activity in the area.”

• See related article: Silver Lake Firehouse Needed: Belleville Letter To The Editor

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