Mt. Prospect fire wants comments on proposed fire station

The Mount Prospect Fire Department is hosting a neighborhood meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday at 2000 E. Kensington Road to talk about a proposed $8 million fire station to replace an older station.

Architects who designed the new building will be there to answer any questions residents might have about the station, which is about four times larger than the current 5,000-square-foot station. The village wants to hear how the station could be improved based on residents' comments.

"We want their input and any suggestions anyone has," said Mount Prospect Fire Chief Mike Figolah.

Site and floor plans will be shown and building elevations will be available, Figolah said. A projected timeline for the groundbreaking and opening will be discussed, he said.

The village wants residents to come to the meeting to share their thoughts on the project, which, while tentatively approved, can be adapted to the concerns of residents. Architects would be able to make final revisions before April 1, when the project is expected to begin, he said.

If all goes as planned, the station would be open Nov. 1.

One concern residents have had is the location. Local residents want it to stay on the east side of Wolf Road, which is east of railroad tracks. Some residents had feared the response times would be higher due to passing trains if it was built on the other side. But residents don't have to worry about that because the proposed station will stay east of the tracks, Figolah said.

The village board approved the basic plan last year. The new station is expected to be built on an open field, directly east of the older station. It's currently the smallest of the village's three stations. The other two stations are located at 112 E. Northwest Hwy. and 1601 W. Golf Road.

The station's employment of five firefighters will stay the same. The bulk of the new station's space will be used for storage, which the other two facilities have little of, Figolah said. Emergency supplies and firefighters' clothing will be some of the items stored in the new station. he said.

The board on March 17 is expected to vote on whether the construction of the station should go forward.