Residents to eye costs for new fire station

ST. GEORGE – St. George voters will be asked Monday to spend surplus funds to design a new fire station that would be connected to the town office building and to upgrade the town office telephone system.

The special town meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the town office.

Initial design services for the proposed building are estimated to cost $35,000, while the fee for improvements to the telephone system would be approximately $6,500. The total price for design services is $76,500.

According to Town Manager John Falla, a rough estimate of the cost for the construction of a new fire station, which would connect to the present town office building, is $500,000 to $600,000. The proposed fire station, to be located in the Tenants Harbor part of town, would be a two-story building with a footprint of 3,600 square feet. The estimates include the demolition of the old fire station and an old town office building, which are located on the same property as the existing town office. The estimates also account for expanding the parking lot.

Approval of the design funding also would give town officials permission to proceed with the project. The design work would detail options and figures. Final approval to go ahead with construction would require another vote at the annual town meeting in March. At that time, a final estimate of costs and preliminary design work would be available.

If voters ultimately approve the new structure, construction would be completed by the spring of 2002.

The $6,500 telephone system upgrade would include additional lines for the town office and allow for expansion if a new fire station were built and joined to the town office.