‘Happy to show people around’: Lake Zurich will ask voters to fund and equip new fire station

After making the case for some time, Lake Zurich officials have agreed to ask voters Nov. 3 to authorize $20.3 million to build and equip a new fire station.

As expected, the board Monday night approved an ordinance to put the tax hike question on the ballot. Voter approval to issue general obligation bonds to finance construction is necessary because the village is a non-home-rule municipality.

If approved, the owner of a home valued at $400,000 would pay about $184 more in property taxes each year and the owner of a $500,000 home would pay about $229 more annually.

Working with FGMA Architects, a conceptual design was developed for a new station to meet modern operational and safety standards “with a focus on serving the community for the next 40-50 years,” according to the village.

Fire Station 1 at 321 S. Buesching Road, was built in 1980 when the town was smaller and the fire department was a volunteer operation.

Upgrades were made and space was maximized along the way but the building no longer meets modern emergency service needs and has reached the end of its useful life, officials say.

“This is a conversation that started in earnest probably back in 2018,” Village Manager Ray Keller said before the vote. “The building can’t really be updated anymore or upgraded anymore.”

Detailed background information, renderings, study highlights and other materials are available on the village website.

Among the deficiencies of the current station is a lack of adequate space for equipment storage and training, having the fire prevention bureau in a separate location and not allowing for decontamination zones or isolated living quarters, according to the department.

Following a site selection study, property at the northwest corner of Route 22 and Old Rand Road was identified as a desirable location for a new station. The village bought the property last fall for $2.1 million.

A series of open houses were held last month and more are anticipated as the conversation with the community continues, Keller said.

A frequently asked questions section on the village website will be updated as new questions about the project surface.

“We’ll be happy to show people around,” Keller said.

Fire Chief David Pilgard said a new facility would improve the work environment, safety, training, ability to deliver service storage issues and “greatly help us with recruitment and retention.”

mzawislak@dailyherald.com