Letters to the Editor: Millwood firehouse
Fire station No. 1, downtown Millwood
July 4, 2008
What to do about Millwood’s firehouse? Move forward!
Barbara Mellinger
What to do about Millwood’s firehouse? Go back!
Leo Rota
What to do about Millwood’s firehouse? Move forward!
Dear Editor,
I think the Millwood firefighters have waited too long to get a bigger, better and safer firehouse. We depend on them for our safety. I’ve lived here for the past 40 years and I am fed up with all this bickering. We all voted “yes” without hesitation when the Fire Station No. 2 was proposed and built so that the “west enders” could have better service. Now that they have a great firehouse they don’t care about the hamlet’s needs. What about Fire Station No. 1? We need the same great firehouse for the rest of Millwood.
I think it’s shameful that people are putting cost before safety. It would cost a lot more money if we had to hire firefighters. I think our volunteers are the best and deserve the best. I expect the full support of all the residents of Millwood, New York, including the members of the West End Neighborhood Taxpayers, to build a new fire station for our fine Millwood firefighters before there is a disaster at Fire Station No. 1.
Barbara Mellinger
Millwood, N.Y.
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What to do about Millwood’s firehouse? Go back!
Dear Editor,
The people of Millwood will never pass an eleven million dollar bond for a firehouse. The proposed plans and studies which have cost Millwood taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars to date have no possibility of being accepted by the community. They were not accepted when gas was $1.28 a gallon when this thing started in 2001, and they’re not acceptable now that gas is $4.50 a gallon.
The community will support an updated firehouse, but there is no reason the costs of this project cannot be cut in half. I would suggest looking at the existing firehouse No. 1, built in 1928. Besides some repairs, all that has to be done to the downtown firehouse is that the existing one story extension should be expanded, within the existing property lines, about 15 feet in width and 15 feet in length with a second story for recreational and meeting facilities.
Furthermore, Fire station No. 2 should be studied, reevaluating the existing spaces and expanding the existing meeting room and eliminating the fire commissioners’ offices. Instead, utilize the old farmhouse for commissioners’ offices and meeting rooms.
There is plenty of room for expansion at Fire station No. 2, which sits on two and a half acres. Study the meeting room and devise a way to expand it. The stone farmhouse that sits on the property could be turned into executive offices for the fire commissioners. Millions of taxpayer dollars would be saved.
The fire commissioners should make the existing buildings work, and get this overpriced new building out of their minds.
Leo Rota
Leo Rota is the longtime owner of the Millwood lumber yard site.
Fire station No. 2, Pinesbridge Road
Stone farmhouse behind fire station No. 2
Rota’s sketch for expansion of fire station No. 1
Two story eastern section of fire station No. 1
One story western section of fire station No. 1
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