Apparent meeting of the minds with Campton, fire district on fire station

Allegations of political grandstanding between the Fox River and Countryside Fire/Rescue District and the village of Campton Hills subsided when representatives of the two parties sat down to discuss plans for a new fire station this week.

The fire district’s attorney, Ken Shepro, confirmed Wednesday that a meeting occurred with Village President Patsy Smith that smoothed over tensions between the two taxing parties that burned anew on Monday. A letter from the fire district withdrawing the permit application for the fire station delivered earlier this week promised to begin construction on the station without the village’s approval. The village issued a stop work order in response, leaving the fire district’s May 1 deadline to have the station up and running in limbo.

“It appears that there have been some positive steps taken,” Shepro said.

He acknowledged the fire district also decided to keep its permit application active. Shepro said the meeting between the two sides revealed that the permit is on track to move forward by about March 22. That date will still allow the fire district to complete the station and be ready to handle all operations by the May 1 deadline, Shepro said.

Much of the hang-up in the application process seemed to surround the actual look of the fire station and whether or not it will include a brick facade. Renderings of the station indicate some brick, but not a brick building per se.

Virgil Leasing, Inc., an entity related to White Trucking in Wasco, is handling the construction of the new fire station. The fire district has a contract to purchase the building when it is complete. It is a completely new building designed in the Morton Building style. Such a style is popular in the agricultural community for barns, storage and commercial use.

Shepro could not immediately provide information about the cost to build the fire station.

Smith could not immediately be reached for comment.