Representatives for the Midway Fire Department presented a sketch of its proposed firehouse renovation, replacing its current original station of more than 50 years.
At the Planning Board’s meeting Tuesday, Aug. 11, board members saw the sketch plan for Midway’s updated and renovated fire station of about 13,000 square feet, which would replace the department’s Fire Station 1 at 1956 Central Ave. Voters approved the $3.5 million bond to replace the station this March with 82 votes in favor and 53 against.
The new station would be at the same location. The building would increase about 6,000 square feet and would have 74 parking spaces, as opposed to the current 53.
“The first station has outlived its useful life,” said Milan Jackson of Lamont Engineers.
In addition to the functional fire station space, it would include a kitchen and offices, a day room and a community space for public events that could be closed to the rest of the station.
Jackson said a storm water retention area would be added as well, since the current site lacks one. Town Designated Engineer Joe Grasso, of Barton & Loguidice, said the project is a straightforward redevelopment.
Two waivers would be needed, one for the building exceeding the maximum front yard setback, needed for the fire trucks, said Grasso, and one due to parking extending into the front yard.
Residents had previously opposed a bond to redevelop Midway Fire Station 1 last summer. Those plans included a $6.5 million bond, which would have raised taxes about 49 cents per thousand dollars of assed property value. That was reduced to about 26 cents with the new plan.
Fuccillo Volkswagen
The Planning Board received an update for a new Central Avenue Fuccillo Volkswagen dealership following pushback from residents about two months ago.
Fuccillo representatives updated the board as to a proposal for the town to abandon a section of Nutwood Avenue, off of Central Avenue. The project, which would encompass 2240, 2242 and 2250 Central Ave., originally had neighboring residents concerned about traffic and speeding test drivers.
The original proposal, heard by the Planning Board in early June, brought neighbors surrounding the property to voice their concerns. Several had said the current limited space between the dealership parking lots and roads caused salespeople to conduct business on the residential streets.
Others said test drivers sped down the roads, especially since Nutwood Avenue connects Central Avenue to Albany Street.
“It’s a main thoroughfare,” one Nutwood Avenue resident said.
Board members originally questioned the effect the dealership would have on quality of life in the residential area. The concerns sparked a look into what it would take for the town to consider abandoning the front section of Nutwood Avenue, cutting off the dealership traffic from the residential area.
Fuccillo representative Victor Caponera, of Caponera Law Firm, said he had been told he would need essentially all residents of the affected area to be on board with cutting off Nutwood from Central Avenue. He said it would be more of a T-shaped turnaround than a cut-off cul-de-sac.
“Unless you get substantially all of the owners to go along with this, the chances of the town abandoning this part of the road are pretty slim,” he said.
Initially, only one resident called him in support, with two against, said Caponera. However, at last week’s meeting, Caponera had been told by the single resident in support of the abandonment that all of the other property owners supported Caponera’s proposal.
Many of the residents, Caponera said, simply did not receive his letter explaining the proposal.
One homeowner spoke out against cutting off the front part of Nutwood Avenue because she had to walk up to catch the bus. The second was concerned of property value dropping.
Board member Tim Lane suggested Fuccillo representatives should also contact fire services to ensure emergency access would not be impeded.
Since Caponera said he expected to tell Planning Board members abandonment was not an option at Tuesday’s meeting, more research will have to be done before any major updates to the board can be made.
