New Apalachin Fire Station Plan Goes Before Voters

Residents of a Tioga County fire district will again go to the polls to decide on a proposal to construct a new station.

The Apalachin Fire District is seeking approval to borrow up to $2.5 million to replace the existing station at 230 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Peter Damico, who chairs the Apalachin board of fire commissioners, said two more costly proposals to address the aging "Station Number One" were defeated by voters in 2010.

Damico said residents indicated that while they support the fire department, they believed the original plan to spend $4.5 million was too costly.

The fire commissioners determined that instead of renovating the old building, it would be less expensive to tear it down and construct a new facility.

Damico said fire trucks were much smaller and lighter when the current station was built.

The board chairman said the project would cost the average homeowner in the fire district about $61 a year.

If the borrowing is authorized, Damico said construction work on the site could start next spring. He said the new station - which would be a pre-engineered building - might be ready for use less than a year from now.

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