Fire Station to Undergo Renovation

Last week Scarsdale officials unanimously gave the go-ahead to draft plans for updating the Popham Road Fire Station, otherwise known as Fire Station #1, for use with current-generation firefighting apparatus. 

The board approved the $24,925 cost of the preliminary plan and cost-estimation for Fire Station #1 from the engineering firm, Grigg & Davis on January 12^th 2010 at the bi-monthly Board of Trustees meeting.

Scarsdale trustee, Dr. Miriam Levitt Flisser spoke at Village Hall about the origins of the Popham Road Fire Station and how it has become less than adequate over time.

"Fire Station #1 was constructed in 1923 to accommodate fire apparatus of that era and, over the past 10 decades, parts of the original construction have deteriorated and, more importantly, the apparatus bay has become dysfunctional as a result of a new generation of fire apparatus."

The cost-estimation plans of Grigg & Davis will include a way in which to expand the vertical door clearance from a height of 9'11" to at least 14'6", which is the height needed to accommodate modern ladder trucks equipped with the latest firefighting apparatus. 

The plans also include options to "lowering the apparatus floor, adding a rear addition to house a kitchen, sitting room & fitness area…and preliminarily designing a stone-veneered reinforced concrete wall to retain the fill below the Fire Station driveway."

The reason a new addition is included in these plans is due to the fact that in the process of lowering the apparatus floor, the basement, where the current kitchen is located, will be shortened and filled-in to strengthen the structural integrity of the building and to alleviate future problems. The breakdown of the $24K goes to a combined 135 hours of engineering, architectural, and drafting services.

During the Board of Trustees meeting the future renovations of Firehouse #3 (Crossway) were also discussed, but all definite plans have been put aside until the improvements to Fire Station #1 have been completed.

Once the preliminary and cost-estimation plans are completed the Board will be able to make a final decision in terms of committing to a proposed plan. There was no timeframe set on when the cost-estimation plans would be completed or when renovations are expected to start.