Plans to spend $5.2 million to expand a town fire hall have some residents seeing red.
Rotterdam Fire District No. 7, on Gordon Road, known as the Schonowe Volunteer Fire Co., has scheduled an Oct. 10 vote that asks for voter approval to issue $5.2 million in bonds.
The bond money will be used to renovate and expand the fire hall, which was built in 1946 and last overhauled in 1964, when it was enlarged.
Some residents, including past and present fire company volunteers, object to the scope of the project. They argue that approximately 300 homes in the fire district are served by 23 active volunteer firefighters and doubt the district needs $5 million to maintain safety.
They want to double the size of the firehouse, and we think that is too much, said Schonowe member Robert Guyette. `A lot of people feel it’s too much of an expense.`
Guyette has been a member of the department for 45 years; he was a fire commissioner for 35 years.
He noted that the normal budget for the fire company is less than $400,000 per year and said he has difficulty understanding why they want to borrow what amounts to 13 years worth of funding.
`They say they need more space, higher bays for more modern trucks,` Guyette said, adding that their newest truck is only one or two years old. `They just want more space for offices, I guess.`
Fire commissioner Peter Sylvester said the board of commissioners wants to upgrade the facility so that it is a viable fire company and useful to the community.
`We did not go out and tell architects we want a $5.2 million structure,` Sylvester said. `The whole argument is on the $5.2 million, totally losing sight of what price tag is the product of skyrocketing costs for building materials during the past three years. He said board members have been talking about the project and discussing their plan with other districts about lessons they learned while undergoing similar expansions.
`When they came back with an estimate of $5.2 million, we were all surprised,` Sylvester said. `None of us anticipated that high a price tag. The cost of building materials went through the roof between 2002 and 2005, while we were doing our planning.`
The fire commissioner also said that the fire district is subject to the same construction laws that apply to municipalities, such as the Wickes Law, which requires a minimum of four prime contracts for general constructing, electrical, mechanical and plumbing work.
`There’s no way the state allows a municipality to save money or cut on a building project,` Sylvester said, adding that about $2 million of the requested bond issue is for anticipated costs associated with managing four contractors.
`The other $2 million is all contingency money that may, or may not, ever get spent,` he said. `The bond issue is for what the architects proposed.`
If voters approve the proposal during the three-hour balloting period from 6 to 9 p.m., Oct. 10, the bond will paid off over 15 years. Sylvester said that property owners in the district would see approximately $4,000 in extra taxes over the 15-year repayment period.
`You look at $4,000 over 15 years,` Sylvester said, `you can’t buy a good used car for that.`
Although he is in his 70s, Bill Zimmer still volunteers at Schonowe as a firefighter.
Zimmer expects the fire district portion of his tax bill to jump from slightly above $200 per year to a little over $500 per year if the bond resolution passes.
`I think it’s a little too lavish, what they are proposing,` Zimmer said, `Granted there are a few things that are required, but I think it’s more than what is needed for one of the smallest fire districts in the town.`
Firefighter George Van Schaick echoes Zimmer’s concern.
`It’s just too big a proposition for our small fire district,` said the 75-year-old interior firefighter. `I don’t think the size of the addition is necessary.`
Resident Robert Tufano recently moved to town from the Los Angeles area and was surprised to receive higher property tax bills from Rotterdam.
`It seems likes there’s no need for a new station,` Tufano said. `They do fewer than 100 fire calls a year, and it doesn’t justify that much money. It seems to me they want to build some kind of lavish, luxury type of building.`
Tufano said he is a senior citizen living on a fixed income and he is opposed to spending $5.2 million for the fire hall.
`If they have issues with storage, I’m not opposed to a smaller issue for a smaller building on the side,` Tufano said.
Sylvester said opponents can’t seem to see beyond the $5.2 million price tag.
`They don’t like to see any money spent,` Sylvester said. `They say the community is a large number of retirees on a fixed income. Like any community, over the course of 15 years, the community will change. Guys like myself will be gone. Young couples with their children will be buying their homes.`
Commissioners and opponents are scheduled to discuss the matter and answer questions at a public forum in the fire hall at 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 5. “