Hazelwood voters will decide if the city will use up to $14 million to renovate its fire stations in the August election.
Proposition 1 would use general obligation bonds to construct a new Hazelwood firehouse.
If the proposition passes, it will lead to the modernization of Fire Station 1, said Fire Chief Dan Luley.
“It gives us a budget to work with to secure property and a structure that will allow for future growth and continued services within the city that meet the standards of today’s fire service,” Luley said.
The current fire station was built in the mid-1960s and is less than a half-acre, Luley said. The city said there’s limited space for equipment, storage and firefighter training. Luley said because of the station’s vast needs, it made more sense to build a new station rather than renovate the current one.
The proposition would raise money to replace one of the city’s two fire stations. Luley said if it’s approved, the city would like to start work on the station as soon as possible.
Site planning for the new station would begin following the results of the election. The goal is to purchase a property that’s around three acres, Luley said.
“We have plans that have been drawn up,” Luley said. “They would have to be modified to fit whatever property we end up with.”
The proposition would lead to an increase in personal property and property taxes. The city said personal property assessed at $30,000 would lead to an approximately $16-per-year increase, while a home assessed at $160,000 would increase by about $49 a year.
If voters reject the proposition, the city will consider other options. He said the improvements have the potential to help multiple communities.
“We run mutual aid with all of our surrounding fire protection districts and municipalities,” Luley said. “The better we are situated to provide services within our community, the less we will rely on those services from outside agencies and the more help we can give to those outside agencies when it’s needed.”
Luley said the proposition would also allow for a structure dedicated to emergency preparedness in the event of a natural disaster. He said firefighters had to work in police command vehicles in parking lots as a temporary hub.
“This isn’t really driven by a firefighter’s desire to have a better house. It is driven by a desire to provide a better service,” Luley said.