Firm estimates Medina one-bay fire station addition at about $1 million

Board members not in agreement in moving forward with bond to finance project

Photo by Tom Rivers: The Medina Village Board is looking at a one-bay addition to the fire hall to accommodate a new ladder truck due to arrive around this Christmas. The board hasn’t reached agreement on a bond to pay for the addition.

MEDINA – The Village Board has received an estimated price for an addition to the fire hall: $1,041,590.

That is significantly less than the $6 million the village was looking at for a two-bay addition plus upgrades to the existing fire station.

The $6 million was deemed far too costly by the Village Board about a year ago. The board has debated the past year how to proceed. It prefers a one-bay addition, although the board hasn’t committed yet on starting the process for a bond to pay for the addition.

The MRB Group in Rochester presented a design and estimated cost for the one-bay addition in a Dec. 12 report to the board.

A 1,750-square-foot addition to the fire station would be an estimated $700,000 for construction costs for a steel, masonry and concrete building. That includes HVAC, plumbing, electric, lighting and a fire alarm system for a facility that would a free-standing building with a truck bay and a unisex bathroom.

Although a freestanding building and independent of existing fire station, the new building would be connected for architecture and mechanical, electrical and plumbing purposes, the MRB Group stated.

Other costs include:

• Utilities at $35,250 for sanitary sewer lateral, 500-gallon oil/water separator, connection to existing sanitary sewer and roof leaders
• Site improvements at $19,525 for mobilization, excavation for foundation and pad, seal and crack fill parking lot, and concrete pads for doors.
• Design and construction contingency at 15 percent for $113,216. That makes for $867,991 estimated construction costs.
• Estimated soft costs (20 percent) or $173,598 for architectural; mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering services; surveying fees, geotechnical; construction management; SEQR (environmental impact statement); fiscal fees; bonding fees; legal fees; and net interest.

That puts the overall estimated costs at $1,041,590.

But Mayor Marguerite Sherman said there remain unknowns with the project. There may not be many bidders given the project has been downscaled so much. Some contractors may not be interested in what is now considered a small project, she said.

There could also be some environmental surprises that could push up the costs.

She suggested the village pursue seeking a bond for $1.5 million to cover the construction costs and some possible surprises. If the cost is less or if the village secures other revenues through grants, Sherman said the bond amount would be less than the $1.5 million.

She wants the village to keep moving forward on the project because a new ladder truck is expected to be ready in December. As it stands with the timing, a new building might not be ready until February 2026.

The board on June 26, 2023 accepted the bid for $1,698,995 from Pierce Manufacturing in Appleton, Wisc. to build the new fire truck with a 100-foot-long ladder. The truck will replace a nearly 30-year-old ladder truck with a 75-foot ladder.

The new truck will be taller than the current one and won’t fit in the bay at the fire station. The current ladder truck has a clearance of 10 feet, 4 inches but the space in the fire station is 10 feet, 6 inches. The new ladder truck will have a clearance of 13 feet.

Trustees Debbie Padoleski and Mark Prawel want to wait on taking out the bond until more details are known on the costs to the village for the fire hall addition. Padoleski said taxpayers will want certainty on those details if the village starts the process for a bond.

Padoleski said the village made a “bad decision” by committing to a ladder truck without a solid plan for the addition.

Trustee Jess Marciano and Mayor Marguerite Sherman said the ladder truck is clearly needed and delaying on that truck would have only pushed up the costs for the truck.

Sherman said the village is seeking grants for the addition, and she is meeting with a representative from U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney’s Office and an official from the state Homes & Community Renewal to help pay for the addition.

“I feel in my heart I’m doing everything I can to find funding,” Sherman said at this evening’s Village Board meeting.

Any commitments to help with the project won’t come right away, Sherman said. She wants the village to keep moving forward, knowing the bond could be reduced if additional funding comes through.

Prawel said the board shouldn’t have committed to a new truck without knowing how it would be paid. Prawel joined the board on April 1, 2024 after the vote on the ladder truck.

“I’m not convinced we need a new truck,” Prawel said at this evening’s board meeting.

He said he disagrees with Fire Chief Matt Jackson’s contention it is critical to have a new one.

Marciano rejected that reasoning from Prawel. She said a recent inspection showed the truck is in disrepair.

To cancel the order for the new fire truck would cost the village a 10 percent penalty or about $170,000, plus the village would still have an old ladder truck without a new one coming. Sherman said she thinks the penalty now would be $250,000 to cancel the order.

Marciano said it is reasonable for village taxpayers to foot the bill because it is village equipment. She welcomes grants and assistance for the project.

“I would love for Chuck Schumer to buy it for us,” she said.

Padoleski said she worries the village is becoming unaffordable for many of the residents. The bond payments for the fire truck and addition will only make it worse for people, raising their taxes even more.

The board will spend April working on the 2025-26 village budget. Padoleski said some tough choices may need to be made on village services to bring down the tax burden.

“Something has to go some people can afford to live here,” Padoleski said.

Village resident Carol Callina spoke at this evening’s meeting and she suggested the board consider eliminating the police department and having the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office take over patrolling the village and responding to calls in Medina.

Marciano said Callina is the first resident to make that suggestion in a  public meeting.

The board will meet again on Feb. 24. Sherman said more information should be available then about grant possibilities and other potential federal and state aid.

She agreed the village could face some tough choices during the budget process.