Grayslake to get new fire station

Voters approved a tax hike for the idea in late 2008 and now the Grayslake Fire Protection District has found a spot for a third station.

Pending expected Lake County Board approval next week, the district that spans nearly 25 square miles will secure a parcel on Peterson Road just east of Route 60 near the main entrance of the Saddlebrook community.

The district will buy just under 2 acres owned by the county for about $22,000 for a long sought station to cover its southwest area.

"We've recognized we needed something out there for years," Chief John Christian said.

Saddlebrook is an age 55 and older community in Round Lake Park that generates as many as eight assistance calls a day, with a typical response time of 10 to 12 minutes.

"That's not good," said Round Lake Park Trustee Pat Graham, who lives in Saddlebrook. "All of the residents I've spoken with are very excited."

Christian said the fire district board has approved the purchase and could close on the land immediately. Concept plans also have been in the works and a station could be operating by late spring or early summer 2011.

A spot for a station on Alleghany Road was an option at one time but it wasn't pursued, Christian said, and the Peterson Road location came to be through a series of circumstances.

The county has a long-range plan to widen the entire length of Peterson from Route 45 west to Route 60.

But because there is a creek to the north of the existing road that would prevent it being widened there, a portion of Peterson has to be relocated to create a new intersection at Route 60.

The space between the old and new section of Peterson includes the parcel the county acquired in a land swap with Archdiocese of Chicago, which has extensive holdings in the area.

Christian said he approached the county once he became aware it owned property in the area.

The original drainage plan was reworked to allow the fire station to be built.

Considered a small parcel, the property is bordered on the south by one of three natural gas lines crisscrossing the area.

"It's like a very tightfitting jigsaw puzzle," said Paula Trigg, director of planning and programming for the Lake County Division of Transportation.

Christian said the district will have to finance a portion of the construction. Voters in 2008 approved a tax increase to allow it to build a new station and improve staffing and services.