The Town of Essex will consider the parking lot of the Harrow Soccer Complex as the new home for Fire Station 3.
A report heading to town council on Monday evening recommends that the site be approved and the architectural design process move forward.
“We’ve been looking at building a new fire station since 2018 when we did a building condition assessment, and it said that there were more problems with the current station than it is to put money in there,” said Sherry Bondy, the town’s mayor.
A previous inspection of Fire Station 3 showed many of the building’s facilities to be in poor or fair condition, according to a staff report.
Essex’s Master Fire Plan also found the current station does not meet the department’s current or future needs.
The soccer complex was first identified in 2022 as a potential site, but council decided to explore additional locations to better determine the best site.
Bondy said she voiced concerns over how the station could impact the complex, and whether the road’s frequent use by commercial trucks could be problematic.
“So, my concerns have really been alleviated. And I hope those discussions come out tomorrow at the council meeting,” she said.
Because the town owns the land, the complex will save potential acquisition costs. Bondy added they would follow the design and layout of the recently constructed Fire Station 2.
The report estimated construction of the new station would be about $4.8 million.
“I think what we need to get out there to the community is that we’re trying to provide a brand new, state-of-the-art fire station that is much needed in our town,” Bondy said, citing the region’s growth.
“The old station is very antiquated, so at the same time, we want to be fiscally responsible.”
Bondy said they would hope to put the tender out this year, with construction beginning within the next two years.