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04/20/2018 08:11 AMWith unanimous approval by Branford's Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC), a long process to replace Branford Fire Volunteer Co. 9's aging Indian Neck/Pine Orchard firehouse on Linden Avenue cleared its final zoning hurdle April 19. The decision was welcomed by Branford Fire Chief Thomas Mahoney.
The PZC unanimously approved a special exception/coastal site plan application from the Town of Branford for the demolition of the existing building and reconstruction of an enlarged firehouse (total floor space just under 5,000 square feet) with added parking totalling 13 spaces, including nine in a new employee lot entered by Cocheco Ave. and the remainder accessed via Linden Ave.
The new Co. 9 firehouse structure will create a building with two garage bays facing Linden Avenue and includes a foundation design which brings the firehouse into compliance with federal standards for storm resiliency. The new building's exterior appearance takes some cues from the current firehouse, which is situated at the edge of residential neighborhoods. The new Co. 9 firehouse has been designed by Silver Petrucelli + Associates, Inc. (Hamden).
The new building's raised concrete foundation base includes "flood gate" water pass-throughs for flooding that hits the low-lying, flat lot during extreme storm events/high tides impacting nearby Sybil Creek. While the new building's two garage bays will face Linden Avenue, the new personnel entrance will be re-oriented to face Cocheco Avenue and will look out over a new personnel parking area that will be expanded by replacing a current grass field on the lot. The side of the new building, and some areas of the new parking lot, will include some new landscaping/plantings. Public parking is not allowed at the firehouse.
Indian Neck/Pine Orchard Co. 9 is one of five volunteer companies in town. Volunteer companies operate under Branford Fire Department; the town's career professional firefighters (Local 2533) are based at Branford Fire Headquarters (45 North Main St.). As Mahoney has described at town meetings and public hearings over the past few years, Co. 9 has been operating for decades out of a functionally-constrained building created by modifying a house originally built in 1911. Co. 9 is manned by up to 14 volunteers and responds to Indian Neck, Pine Orchard, Pawson Park and some critical operations, such as the town's water treatment plant on Block Island Road and the Eversource substation on Meadow Street. Co. 9 has had to shoehorn it's main apparatus (fire engine) into its one-bay garage and park a smaller response truck outdoors. In 2014, the PZC granted a site modification allowing a seasonal "hoop house" for added vehicle storage. That modification is now voided with the approval of the Special Exception/Coastal Site Plan on April 19.
Prior to approving the application on April 19, the PZC opened a public hearing on the application which drew a one resident from an abutting property (2 Cocheco Ave.). She asked for consideration regarding some of the plan's proposed fencing and landscaping. She also asked about operational exits and entrances. Personnel parking will be accessed from the new parking lot entrance/exit on Cocheco Ave., but emergency vehicles will continue to enter and exit from Linden Ave. The public hearing discussion also underscored that the new building is not designed for emergency shelter use and will only be used for fire personnel and apparatus. After some discussion, the hearing was closed.
The PZC later voted to approve the application. PZC alternate Fred Russo, an Indian Neck resident, recused himself from the vote. Based on the public hearing, the vote on April 19 included a new condition added by Town Planner Harry Smith that fencing along the lot abutting 2 Cocheco Avenue will be re-evaluated to be eliminated/or replaced with additional landscaping, should that be the preferable determination of the Town Planner and PZC after consulting with the applicant and the direct neighbors.
Other conditions of the approval call for removal/replacement of three existing trees along the southwest corner of the property, as approved by the Town Planner with input from the Town Tree Warden. Additionally, exterior lighting fixtures will meet glare-reduction recommendations and low lumen (less than a 100-watt bulb) outputs.
The $1.5 million project was approved for town bonding in March 2018 by the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) and will be partially offset by a $500,000 Small Town Economic Assistance (STEAP) grant approved in 2016.
The next steps for the Town will include applying for permits from the Building Department to demolish and build. Silver Petrucelli principal David Stein told Zip06/The Sound that once construction is underway, the build period is anticipated take about nine months.