Quarters are getting cramped at the Milton Eagles volunteer fire department firehouse.
Located on Geyser Road in the town of Milton, the Rock City Falls fire department is looking to build an addition for storage and training space. The existing square footage could then be used for meeting rooms for volunteers and possibly even community groups.
The addition would be insulated steel covered with bricks, and plans call for adding a brick facing to the rest of the building soon.
Milton Fire Commissioner John Frolish said the existing bays are so cramped, they don’t conform to state standards.
The project would come at no cost to taxpayers because the fire company has saved up the approximately $600,000 needed to fund the project.
We’re basically just building bigger bays, and we have a reserve fund for the addition, said Frolish.
Town officials sought legal interpretations on whether the project needed approval by the Milton planning board. Frolish said that the firehouse was an independent subdivision governed by state laws, rather than falling under local jurisdiction.
Town Attorney Martin Pozefsky agreed that is most likely the case.
`They are not subject to site plan review,` said Pozefsky. `The fire district is in the same standing as Saratoga County buildings.`
There has been discussion, however, on whether the fire department’s location within Milton’s dedicated town center district would require approval by a town board. The firehouse is on Geyser Road, within the boundaries of the town center district, which carries its own ordinances separate from other areas the town.
`There are special requirements for design, lighting and sidewalks for properties located there,` said Pozefsky.“