Firefighters here are ready to see the replacement for the Hillsburgh Fire Hall off the drawing boards and into reality.
Although work is projected to be done in stages at the current site, the result will be a new and larger hall.
Members of the department were at council on June 21 providing an update of what is being planned – along with draft illustrations of how the building might look.
Erin Fire Chief Dan Callaghan said the committee for the rebuild of the fire station had once again met with architect Joe Somfay regarding the details of the building.
Firefighter Steve Ballantyne said the purpose was to bring councillors up to speed on where the process stands.
Ballantyne said Somfay had designed a cost-efficient building “which will take the community into the next 40 to 50 years. The final layout is complete, the site plan is complete and the exterior design is 90% complete.”
He anticipated that work to be done shortly. “We’re down to cosmetics at this stage of the game.”
He said pre-qualification bids need to be in by July 8, and after that the committee will see who qualifies and ask them to bid for the project.
Ballantyne hopes to see that part of the process done by the end of July for a mid-August construction time.
“It may be a bit tight, but it’s do-able if everything falls into place,” he said. Ballantyne showed architectural renderings of the building and the floorplan.
“We have gone with a two-storey structure that has provided a [3,500 square foot space] on the second floor for future use. It’s a very cost effective way of doing it.”
He said the version shown to council that night had two large white circles and, “There’s a proposal to have clocks up there.”
A red logo on the front of the building is not the one that would be installed. Instead, it would be the Erin Fire Department logo (left).
The building would have three double length bays to accommodate current and future equipment, Ballantyne said. Additional doors on either side of the bay doors allows faster access for firefighters. Parking will be on both sides of the building so the entrance will always be clear.
Ballantyne said construction will be done in phases.
Part of the current building to the west would be demolished to build the bays. Once those are completed and in use, the remainder of the old building will be demolished and the new building completed.
The main floor layout will include a staircase and an elevator shaft. The elevator would not be installed until the upper floor is developed.
In addition, the main floor will have offices for the fire chief and deputy-chief, an enlarged training and meeting area and a communications room with a clear view of the bays.
Ballantyne said the bay area is three bays wide, and double deep.
Possibly one unique part of the building is the pump room, because it will be over top of the existing well.
Currently the station’s well is located behind the fire hall, but with the rebuild, the new hall will be built around the well.
“It saved us a lot of money over moving the well,” Ballantyne said.
A second staircase leads up to a full second floor mezzanine on the other side of the bay.
There is also a location for an outdoor generation system.
Ballantyne said several committee meetings were held with the architect.
Mayor Lou Maieron commended those involved for the in-depth work – “not just in the technical requirements, but how to do it in the most efficient way.”
Maieron said work also included considering what worked and did not work in other places.
He asked councillors to comment on the plans. He believed everyone was satisfied with the technical portions.
Councillor Barb Tocher said her only comment was regarding the colour, and said she had already spoken to the chief earlier that night.
She said the committee had talked about incorporating the building into the area – and possibly complement the colours of the red brick church across the road.
She wanted people to know the beige-brown colour in the presentation will actually be a redder tone.
Maieron noted the roof is flat; not slanted as illustrated.
He said at the last meeting there was discussion of an additional flagpole or two to include the Town of Erin flag.
There was also discussion as to the name on the building.
“I’d just like to see some consistency,” Maieron said. “I’d like a shamrock on it to be honest with you, because that’s sort of the symbol of our town.”
As for the colour scheme, the mayor wanted to incorporate a little shade of green – possibly a greenish grey – in the top.
“I think when we do stuff as a town – and we’re no longer a village or a township, we’re the Town of Erin – we need some consistency in what we create.
“If you have town colours, we should incorporate them to some degree,” he said.
Ballantyne agreed there was considerable discussion about the colours. “A lot of people feel our fire hall should look like a traditional fire hall.”
He cited other buildings owned by the town. “There’s no shamrocks; there’s no green.”
Callaghan said the architect planned to present a few colour schemes. He also stressed, “We’re looking at [the equivalent of] a car, not the colour.”
Tocher thanked the architect for listening to comments from the committee meetings.
She said the first proposal seemed “too jumbly.”
Councillor Josie Wintersinger said it was unfortunate the “front” of the building does not face the main street.
Ballantyne said there will be a roadside sign clearly identifying the building.
It does not have a hose drying tower. Because of the building’s height, the intent is to use a pulley system to lift the hose to that height.
Callaghan quipped that to suit the mayor, he was leaning towards the lime green colour of the mayor’s tie for the facia.
Maieron responded that emerald green would be more in keeping with the Irish heritage.
Callaghan said one of the main goals now is meeting the dates proposed by the architect.
He said the architect believes if the town can stay close to that schedule, “We could be in the new bay area by December.”
He explained the intent is to stay away from winter building, which could add a lot of cost to the project.
