Des Plaines backs new fire headquarters

After years of debating fire station needs, Des Plaines officials OK'd a plan Monday night to build at least one new fire station.

Aldermen unanimously approved a plan to add a new 25,408-square-foot fire station headquarters on the city's northern end on land already owned by the city near a train crossing.

But officials decided to delay discussion on where to relocate the city's oldest fire station on Oakton Street.

In this year's budget, $745,000 will be spent on an architectural design for the new Central Road station and plans to redesign the River Road station, which currently houses the headquarters.

Fire Chief Randy Jaeger said he expects the groundbreaking for the new Central Road station to be in spring 2009.

Des Plaines now has three stations, but the city wants to add more to help serve residents. In a city confronted by data that its emergency vehicles are delayed at least 40 hours a year by trains, officials said they believe it's time to build more stations.

Seventh Ward Alderman Don Smith questioned why the fire station on Central had to hold the new headquarters rather than renovating the current headquarters on River Road.

The River Road station is prone to flooding, Jaeger said.

"So we can stay out of the flood plain with all our records (by moving to Central)," he said

Using the results of a study, Jaeger also recommended building a 13,200-square-foot station at Lee Street and Prospect Lane.

That has long been the more controversial aspect of the fire station plans -- although that debate will have to wait for another night.

In 2002, the city bought property and planned to put a new station there. A citizen-driven advisory referendum in 2004 put the pressure on aldermen and they backed away.

First Ward Alderman Patricia Beauvais, who chairs the public safety committee, wanted to stagger discussion of the new fire stations to include more citizen feedback.

Jaeger wants the Lee/Prospect station built in 2010.

Sixth Ward Alderman Mark Walsten said he was concerned a portion of his ward on the southeast side of the city wouldn't be served by the new plan.

Resident Cheryl Hurtenbach asked whether fire officials would consider building a smaller Central Road station to save money so a fifth station could be built to serve the southeast side of the city.

The study by an outside consultant found the city needs a larger headquarters, Jaeger said.

He also said the city could consider a station in that area in the future.