Fire station plans expansion

Fire station plans expansion
First steps taken at finance meeting last week, new staffers installed

By Rod Meehan, Staff writer
02/13/2008

BRANFORD - First Selectman Anthony "Unk" DaRos shared his plans to expand Branford's Fire Department Headquarters shortly after the New Year. Headquarters now abuts the Public Works Department, just east of Cherry Hill Road and his vision would be to relocate Public Works to new facilities on the Tabor Drive parcel in the Indian Neck section of town.

The transfer has two advantageous aspects.

Seized by eminent domain in 2004, the property is the subject of a serious lawsuit.

Last summer, the parcel's former owners, Frank Perrotti Jr. and Thomas Santa Barbara Jr., along with an associated development firm to build a housing complex, successfully sued Branford for damages and wrongful seizure.

The court awarded the plaintiffs approximately $17 million. The case is headed to the appellate court system later this year. Here-to-fore unused by the town, the practical placing of the PWD on the 77-acre Tabor property could only strengthen the town's appeal case.

Secondly, it will allow the town's Fire Headquarters to remain in its central location while undergoing much needed renovation and expansion. According to Fire Chief Jack Ahern, the entire complex will shift closer to Cherry Hill Road at the intersection of North Main Street.

The transfer of PWD and the building of new facilities for them and the Fire Department will take some time, but there is little doubt of Town Hall's commitment to the project.

"We don't expect this to happen overnight, but we're definitely moving forward," says Ahern. "Unk seems to have a good vision for this."

Ahern quoted the First Selectman on the transition phase: "We have to keep both patients alive during the process."

The Fire Chief reported that the Board of Finance began that process at its monthly meeting, Monday, Jan. 28.

"They took the first step to find Public Works a new home on Tabor Drive," Ahern said. "$209,000 was allocated to initiate engineering studies and schematic drawings.

"The goal is really to replace and expand Fire Headquarters," Ahern says.

The plans do not affect any outlying town fire stations, in terms of consolidation. Currently, the North Main station has four bays, front and back to house its vehicles. Ahern asserts the cramped quarters force some vehicles to be parked in back, outside.

The new headquarters will consist of six bays, front and rear, in a 25,000 square-foot facility.

"We are very excited," said Chief Ahern. "One of the plans is to build the station environmentally friendly; using recycled parts, solar panels and rain water collection technology."

Apart from building expansion, Ahern's department has recently hired new, full-time personnel. Three new firefighters have been added to the department and a fourth will come aboard in March, stated Ahern.

They are Jeff O'Conner and Jeff Kaczynski of Branford, Craig O'Rourke of North Branford, and Jess Gulick of Madison. All have experience as volunteer firefighters in their respective towns, according to the chief.