City has deal to buy land for new fire station

Nov. 14--The city of Decatur is close to buying land for a new Fire Station No. 5 in Southwest Decatur, according to a city official.

Chief Financial Officer John Andrzejewski asked the City Council at its Tuesday work session for permission to close on the deal to buy land off Danville Road.

Andrzejewski said the council budgeted $400,000, which should be enough to buy the property, pay closing costs and demolish the house that's on the property.

"We may have some money left over to run sewer, which will cost between $5,000 and $10,000," Andrzejewski said.

Andrzejewski wouldn't talk about the final price or specify the location, but both will become public record when the City Council votes on it at its meeting Monday.

In September, the City Council allocated $3 million in the fiscal 2020 budget to buy land and build a new Fire Station No. 5.

Fire Chief Tony Grande said then that they were looking at a 2-acre commercial property that's on sale west of the existing station on Danville Road. He said it's important not to move the station too far because this could impact ISO ratings used for homeowners' insurance rates.

The Southwest Decatur station opened in 1963. Its coverage area is west of Beltline Road Southwest and includes the largest part of the city's police jurisdiction.

Grande said the station has many problems, including its bay being too small for all but four of the department's firetrucks and having too little space for the firefighters who must occupy it.

-- bayne.hughes@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2432. Twitter @DD_BayneHughes.

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