HomeMy WebLinkAboutReplacing the Fire Station-1994 City will replace Tuscawilla fire station
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❑`� 'rater Springs' Station 26 "The engineer tells me that it could not
mrg��t fall in a bad storm, so a withstand 70 mph winds," said Fire Chief
Tim Lallathin. I don't think the station
new, bigger building is planned. would have a chance if we had a hurricane."
In place of the single-story gray steel
By Will Welions building that looks like a giant toolshed,
OF THE SENTINEL STAFF workers will erect a two-story brick station
that has a more spacious living area and
an old-fashioned
WINTER SPRINGS — Being in the Construction fire
is pexpected to cost
emergency response business, the city $330,000, under bids opened last week.
• would not look good if a hurricane blew The City Council may pick the contractor
over one of its fire stations. in February for the 5,500-square-foot sta-
Partly for that reason, and several more tion. It is to be built with money from a
mundane ones, the city will knock down bond issue approved by city voters last
Station 26 on Northern Way in Tuscawilla year.
before Mother Nature does. By September, when the new station is
with homelike brick structure
expected to open, gone will be the days of Now the station is nearly surrounded by
firefighters working out of a building with homes. So the city chose a design for a sta-
tiny rooms. Firefighters now sleep in a tion that looks less like a warehouse and
narrow room behind the fire trucks. The more like a house — complete with vary-
new building will have upstairs bedrooms. ing roof lines and vinyl siding on the sec-
The station will offer more than just ex- and story. The station is patterned after
tra space. It will be moved slightly to align Station 14 on Hattaway Drive in Alta-
it with Cheetah Trail. That means the fire monte Springs.
engines will have a straight shot up the When the old station comes down, crews
neighborhood street. It also will have a will move into modular buildings until the
circular drive, so crews won't have to back new station is finished. Fire engines will
up the engines to park them. be parked under a large carport on a
Tuscawilla developers built a single-en- neighboring Southern Bell utility ease-
gine station in 1976. Winter Springs dou- ment.
bled its size in 1981. Lallathin said he is not worried about
"When it was built, it was the only thing the makeshift arrangement, adding, "It is
out there,"Lallathin said. probably better than they have now."
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