Freeland fire station in the works

Published 8:00 am Tuesday, August 21, 2001

“Construction of a new fire station for Freeland should begin in September, according to Fire District 3 Chief Don Smith. The 8,000-square-foot building is expected to cost $1.2 million to $1.3 million.The building will face Cameron Road south of Highway 525. Fire trucks and other vehicles will use Cameron Road as access, but the 3-plus-acre property also includes access to Highway 525 if it’s ever needed. Smith said that could occur if anything ever happens to Cameron Road.The Fire District purchased the property about 10 years ago. The original plan was to build district headquarters there, but a bond issue to do so was defeated at the polls. In the ensuing years, plans have changed. Freeland will get its new station, but the district headquarters will be located off Thompson Road in Bayview if property acquisition negotiations now under way succeed.Smith said the Freeland station was designed with Freeland’s preferred look in mind, which he described as dormers, cupolas and pitched roof.The community can still comment on elements of the design, such as color and roofing material. Smith said he will soon present the drawings to the Clinton Subarea Planning Committee for comment, but he doesn’t expect any objections to the basic look. It says ‘Freeland’ all over it, he said.The station will house four fire engines. There will also be a meeting room available to the public, a kitchen, a sleeping area for six firefighters, and an exercise room for firefighters. With a force of all-volunteer firefighters, Smith said the exercise room will attract them to the station, which he encourages. It’s like having a paid firefighter at the station for free, he said. “