The city council in Sanford is placing a major upgrade for the fire department on the ballot this fall.
If passed, the $42.5 million project will consolidate the department into two brand-new stations, at 1280 Main Street near the intersection of Mayflower Drive, and in Springvale at the intersection of Payne, Water and Pleasant streets.
They will replace the department’s current stations at 972 Main St. and 5 Oak St. in Springvale. Proponents argue the existing buildings are too small, too old, and too far behind the times.
“The new fire stations are crucial for improving our community safety and response capability,” Mayor Becky Brink said at an Aug. 20 council meeting on the subject.
The project, according to Brink and presentations made by the department to the city, will be expensive now, but will cost more later if the city waits. Brink said the city is seeking grants and other funding sources, but anticipates a “five-year bump” in the tax rate to pay for the project.
That bump, Brink said, would be from 2026-2031 if the measure passes this fall. It would cost the owner of a $300,000 home just over $238 annually, or just over $4.50 a week.
If the measure fails, Brink said, a delay of even five years could lead to a nearly 35% increase in the ultimate cost of the project. That same homeowner, she said, will have to pay almost $277 a year, or more than $5.30 a week, if the city waits.
“We know we’re going to be made to do it at some point, that’s why we don’t want to keep waiting,” she said.
The city has been working on a project to replace both stations for years, finally making progress in 2022 with the purchase of the property at 1280 Main St.
At the time, Assistant Fire Chief Robert Arnold said the department’s main headquarters was simply too small, with the main garage packed full of vehicles.
“We couldn’t put a pickup here,” he said. “I’d love to, but it wouldn’t fit.”
A 2020 analysis of the current conditions of both stations conducted for the city by two independent architectural firms confirmed that both buildings were showing their age.
The report found multiple code violations in both buildings regarding insulation and plumbing. The report also noted multiple violations of the Americans With Disabilities Act, including a lack of elevator for the two-story Springvale station.
The report also indicated that both stations have unisex bathrooms and showers, a sign of the buildings being constructed in days when the department had no female firefighters. Today, the report found, both stations were technically in violation of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, leaving the city open to a lawsuit.
“The Sanford fire stations have outlived their useful life,” the report found. “They do not comply with current codes, standards, or recommended practices. They are unsafe, inefficient, and disrespectful of female employees. In addition to exposing the staff to risk, Sanford is exposed to tort liability in the event of an accident, illness or legal action taken by a disgruntled staff or member of the public. They should be replaced at the earliest possible moment.”
Voters will have their say on Election Day, Nov. 5.