Des Plaines fire chief supports four-station plan

Des Plaines Fire Chief Randy Jaeger is urging aldermen to adopt a plan to build a new fire headquarters and a new station on two properties already owned by the city.

Aldermen on Monday will discuss the fire chief's recommendation, outlined in a 14-page memo. It's a choice he made using the recommended plans in a fire study two years ago done by an outside consultant.

Jaeger backs the four-station plan, which would build two new stations at a cost of at least $15.7 million. He chose this over the five-station plan, estimated to cost at least $21 million, saying he wanted the less expensive plan.

Currently, Des Plaines has three stations. The four-station plan would require building two new facilities for a net increase of one station.

It calls for building a 25,408-square-foot headquarters on Central Road on land near the train crossing.

It also calls for building a 13,200-square-foot station at Lee Street and Prospect Lane to replace the Oakton Street station, which is the city's oldest fire station.

In 2002, the city planned to put a new station at Prospect and Lee, buying property.

But a resident-driven advisory referendum led to a rethinking of those plans. In spring 2004, voters were asked whether a station should be built at the site. Of the 8,129 residents who cast ballots, 4,637 said "no."

"Because this fire station is much smaller than the 42,000-square-foot fire station proposed in 2003, it may be more acceptable to citizens in the neighborhood," Jaeger said in the memo.

The fire chief's plan also would keep the current fire headquarters on River Road but renovate it.

Even if the city goes with the four-station plan, Jaeger said, the option would still be open to consider a fifth station in the future on the city's southeast side, or to work out a cooperative agreement with Rosemont to help serve that area.

Rosemont officials declined the city's first request to consider such a pact.

Aldermen will discuss the proposal Monday at their city council meeting, which starts at 7 p.m. at 1420 Miner St.