New Castle Fire Commissioners Seek $15M Chappaqua Firehouse Expansion

CHAPPAQUA— The Chappaqua Volunteer Fire Department wants voters to approve a $15 million expansion of the King Street firehouse, adding on 16,500 square feet on the adjacent site of the old animal hospital..

There will be two propositions on the ballot Oct. 25, the first asking voter approval to purchase, demolish and clean up contamination on the adjoining property at a cost of $2,674,644. The second proposition covers construction, priced at $12,703,335.

The fire commissioners say the expansion is necessary to bring the firehouse, built in 1954, up to modern standards, and to provide more space for equipment and training needs. Tight space constraints, physical building deficiencies, lack of ADA and OSHA compliance, inadequate training spaces, and other limitations have been concerns for decades, they said. The remodel would provide for drive-through bays, so that the fire trucks would no longer have to back in.

The vote will take place at the firehouse from 6-9 p.m.

If you can't make it in those evening hours, you can vote by absentee ballot.

Get an application by calling the Fire District Office (238-6287), submit a request through the website by selecting "Public Forms" and "Contact Us" or you can click on the Proposed Expansion page, select Absentee Ballot Application and Instructions then open and print.

Your completed Application must be mailed to: New Castle Fire District No. 1, PO Box 64, Chappaqua, NY 10514.

Once your application is received, reviewed and approved an Absentee Ballot and special envelope will be mailed to you. Complete the Ballot and front/back of the envelope, insert Ballot into the special envelope and mail the documents to the address listed above.

Rendering of proposed new firehouse via New Castle Fire District No. 1