|
CITY MANAGER NOTES By Virginia Barney As published weekly in the SNP/Arlington News May 7, 2008 FIRE DIVISION TO SHOWCASE PLANS FOR NEW STATION
The task of protecting our residents’ safety is a source of great pride for the men and women of our Fire and Police divisions. Both are continually aspiring to be the best they can be, keeping abreast of new training opportunities and up-to-date on the latest technologies. For the Fire Division, maintaining its readiness to fight fires on a variety of both residential and commercial buildings has necessitated investment in larger engines and accompanying equipment over the years, putting a strain on the facilities that house them.The division has also been operating from a sub-standard facility on Reed Road. A combination of an aging building, a lack of mixed-gender facilities, and a design that cannot safely bear any further increases in equipment size and weight, have essentially brought this fire station to the end of its useful life. For several years we have been working toward replacement of this facility, instituting the EMS transport billing program in 2004 to help fund significant safety investments such as this, and securing an architect to work with us on the new fire station design. We are pleased to have reached a point whereby these plans can be made public. The Fire Division has scheduled an Open House at the existing Reed Road Fire Station to showcase the new plans to interested residents. This event is scheduled for Saturday, May 17, from 2-4 p.m., and will feature tours of the existing building, a chance to explore various fire engines and medic trucks, as well as to meet with staff and representatives of architect firm Cole + Russell Architects, Inc. to discuss the plans and its anticipated construction timeline. A key component of this project will be the reconfiguration of the site. The existing station will remain in operation while the new facility is constructed to its immediate north. Upon completion, the old building will be razed. While not taking away from the available green-space acreage, this changes the surrounding park area somewhat and offers the Parks & Recreation Department an opportunity to consider how best to make use of this site. As a result, Parks & Recreation Director Tim Moloney will be on hand at the Open House to discuss some of the options and ideas already in the mix, and to seek residents’ ideas about improvements they would like to see at Reed Road Park. I do hope you take this opportunity to meet with Staff and learn more about our plans for enhancing both our safety services and the leisure opportunities for the community. Spring Fling Saturday, May 17, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Thompson Park Just to be sure you have a busy day of options on Saturday, May 17, join Parks & Recreation for its annual Spring Fling event before you attend the Fire Station Open House. This annual family favorite is packed with fun art activities, inflatable games, City vehicles to explore and more. A fun creative element is the Chalk on the Walk activity – a local artist and several high school art students are scheduled to create templates for a series of fun artistic chalk creations along the paved walkways within the park. Kingsdale Update The City is in receipt of a letter from Regency Centers, LLC outlining the options currently under consideration for the Kingsdale Shopping Center, and asking the City to consider participating in its redevelopment plans. The proposal as presented at this time is broad, with many associated variables, opportunities and challenges to be explored in further detail. Due to timing issues associated with some of the options before it, Regency has asked that the City be responsive and sensitive to Regency’s needs. So now we are readying to embark on the beginning of a new and intensified phase of study and discussion for all stakeholders. I encourage you to become informed as this important community issue moves forward. Visit www.ua-ohio.net for regular updates on our efforts to realize positive change at Kingsdale for the benefit of us all. |
Powered by Horizons Companies.