Fire Hall Debate Heats Up

By Darren Mohn
Sun Contributor
August 6th is the date of the Primary Election, and on that ballot Glen Arbor voters will be asked to approve a new $1,760,000 Public Safety Building. As usual, Glen Arbor’s residents have a variety of views on the subject.
Built in 1952, the existing fire hall housed some modest equipment for a modest town. Over the decades the township has grown, and the fire and rescue department has grown along with it. But while the equipment and personnel have become more sophisticated, the actual fire hall has not.

“We’ve run out of room,” explains Chief John De Puy. “We have no choice: we can’t improve this location, and we have to move.”
Many of those “improvements” are rather basic. The septic system has been failing for years, but because of space requirements, can’t be rebuilt. The water well is contaminated and low flowing, but can’t be redrilled because it is out of compliance with the septic field.
Most residents are aware that not all of the necessary equipment fits in or is stored at the current fire hall, and even the casual observer can see that the cobbled shelves and storage units in every bay are filled to capacity.
Four years ago, the Emergency Services Advisory Committee (ESAC) began to research the alternatives. Merging with another department, such as Empire, was found to impair the response times, since personnel and equipment would be spread over too large an area. Studies were made of where the volunteers live, where the population center of town is, and where the center of the fire and rescue calls is. The center for all three was discovered to be the downtown area of Glen Arbor, so a search was begun for a site within a one-mile span of the current fire hall.
A number of sites were reviewed, and the National Park Service was approached, but none could fulfill the specified 5-minute response time, the need for access and egress, or were even for sale, according to ESAC reports. When the Woodstone development was announced, ESAC quickly approached The Homestead to see what might be possible.
The Homestead redesigned its site to accommodate a new fire hall on three acres (the current site is less than a half-acre), offered to take care of the site plan and landscaping, and accepted the appraisal presented by the nonprofit Glen Arbor Fire & Rescue Association (GAFRA).
GAFRA President Matt Davis explains, “If the Township were to get this property—ideal property, we were going to have to act quickly. Several donors helped us put up the money, and GAFRA was able to secure this land for Glen Arbor without a penny of cost to the Township.” While GAFRA was able to put down $200,000 on the land, it took out a $175,000 short-term mortgage for bridge financing.
The proposed Public Safety Building would increase the number of bays from four to six, add living quarters for ‘round the clock Advanced Life Saving (ALS) personnel, provide a training room that can accommodate the 27 volunteers, and add such amenities as a decontamination area and showers.
“Right now, when you return from a run sweating in your turnout gear, there is no way to wash it or yourself off,” explains new firefighter Mike Buhler. “I was keeping a clean shirt and towel in my bag, but they got mildewed, since they sit on the floor by my boots. It’s kind of pathetic.” Says another firefighter who wishes to remain anonymous,“ After a fire my clothes will be ten times as smelly as from a campfire, and many times more toxic. To be able to change at the station and not bring that into my car or home to my family would be nice.”
Most people interviewed did not want to go on record. “I just think that’s a lot of money,” said one local, echoing the view of several opponents. Others voiced concerns about the disposition of the present fire hall. “It seems logical to sell the old fire hall and use the money towards a new one. I’d like to know what would happen to the old one before I vote for a new one,” explains Bob Sutherland.
Trustee Kent Kelly agrees. “I hope I’m wrong, but I am worried that we’ll have problems selling the (idea of a) new station if we can’t sell the old one first.” But at a Township Board meeting, the members split on a proposal to sell the land, leaving that question in limbo. Many in town, including Supervisor John Soderholm, think that the voters, not the Board, should determine the old fire hall’s fate. “I feel that the future of that property needs to be put to a vote of the people of Glen Arbor — it’s that important.”
To finance the new building, voters are asked to approve a 25-year millage, with year one at .52 mills (52¢/$1,000 of assessed property value), and the remaining years at .42 mills. In the ESAC example, a $400,000 home assessed at $200,000 would pay $104 the first year, and $84 each of the remaining years. Notes one property owner, “$84? Heck, you pay that for dinner!”
The financing does appear to have a silver lining that may make it even less expensive. The Emergency Services millage, levied since 1995, was voted in at 1.75 mills. Through various rollbacks, it is at 1.114 mills this year. Since Empire has contracted their EMS with Glen Arbor, that millage will fall further, as the two communities are now splitting several costs. New housing construction has and will continue to add to the tax rolls, further dropping all Township millages. Thus, even with the new building, the total tax may never approach the total voted in 1995.
Still, this vote is no slam-dunk. John De Puy notes, “In my 30 years the community has always supported what we’ve asked for. They know that we only ask for something when we need it — and now we need it.”
And what if the millage is turned down? “You hate to have to think like that,” says Davis. “GAFRA is not in the position to own property, so in good conscience we’d probably be forced to sell the land and return the money. Of course, we’d still need to build a new structure, but then it would be even more expensive.”