LaSalle council snuffs out latest fire station plans

LaSalletown council pleased a crowd of concerned residents Tuesday evening by killing plans for a new satellite fire station.

The proposal sparked frustration among many residents who say the selected west-end site would createtoo much noise for neighbours, endanger pedestriansand ruin a popular green space.

Town staff wanted the new stationto be built on Hazel Street next to John Dupuis Park. Itwas originally anticipated to cost a little more than $2 million, but theprice tag jumped to $2.7million because of the proposed addition of a community room, which could double as a emergency operations centre.

Resident ChrisKnight told council, during a presentation on Tuesday, that a new fire hall would cause a "significant and dangerous" increase to traffic in the area.

Other residents echoed his comments about pedestrian safety, particularly among school children who regularly walk the area. Other residents say construction would damage neighbouring green space.

"We need to be proactive and keep this park safe," said resident TimHampson.

When it came time to vote, one by one town councillors voiced their concerns over the proposed location.

"I don't believe this is the right spot for it," said Coun. Crystal Meloche, who also put forward a motion to ask administration to revisit the proposal and come up with alternative sites.

Mayor Ken Antaya and Coun. Terry Burns were the only two politicians to support the proposed location.

"We are trying to provide a safe community," Antayasaid during the discussion. "Firefighters are heroes who will not drive recklessly through your neighbourhood."

Council did approve Meloche's motion after turning thumbs down on the proposed site..

"This puts us back to square one," MayorAntayasaid following the meeting. He said the town may have to look to acquiring private property in order to build a new hall.

Town officials say a new facilitywill replace theexisting fire station built in the1960swhen the town's population was 25 per cent of its current levels.At the time, the makeup of buildings in the town were primarily single-family homes and individual commercial shops, according to a staff report.

"Given the growth and urbanization experienced in thecommunity in the intervening years, this model is becoming increasingly ineffective as a primary emergency response model," the report states.

Fire officials said thenew station and its proposed location would have allowed for quicker response times and more efficient distribution of resources. The new location also would have given homeowners a reduced insurance rate because of the improvements.

The politicians first approved the original plans for the station during the 2017 budget discussions as a way to improve firefighter response times.

Since the original proposal, staff have considered adding a community room to the station, which would add a new amenity to the neighbourhood, while also providing an alternate emergency operations centre, should town hall be taken out during a disaster.