By Andrew Coen
Inwood fire officials are seeking to buy the property, at 204 Doughty Blvd., next to their fire house, at 188 Doughty Blvd., with a $475,000 bond, providing them the option to expand onto the parcel if they feel it is necessary. Voters in the district's 2.4-square-mile coverage area will vote on the referendum at fire district headquarters on Tuesday, Aug. 30, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
James Pearsall, the fire district's chairman of the board, said that future expansion of the headquarters is necessary to bring the 1927 facility up to standards and to allow for proper training of firefighters. "Firefighting today is not what it was in 1927," said Pearsall. "Right now we are looking toward the future."
A decade ago, the fire district expanded its headquarters by acquiring an 11-by-88-foot parcel on Wanser Avenue, allowing for additional parking and an area for bays in which to store its trucks. The headquarters on Doughty Boulevard measure 52 feet by 122 feet, with the adjacent property measuring 55 feet by 138 feet, according to the Nassau County Assessor's Office. The property, which is zoned for one-family use and owned by a resident, is valued at $353,600, according to the assessor's office.
Pearsall said that if voters approve the bond, the fire district would then decide how to proceed with the expansion. He added that the property owners have agreed to let the fire district buy the parcel if the bond passes. It would include roughly $375,000 to purchase the home and $100,000 for demolition and drainage costs, according to fire officials.
The owners of the property, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Stockwell, confirmed that they have agreed to sell the property to the fire district.
"The demands [for firefighters] are greater today than they have been in the past," said George Miller, an Inwood Fire District commissioners, citing the main reason for the need for expansion.
According to the Town of Hempstead, the Inwood Fire District's budget is just over $1 million, with a total tax levy of just over $5.5 million.
"I think it's a good investment in the future," said Christine Dorn-Rizzo of Inwood, who lost to Dominick Mistero last year in a race for Inwood Fire commissioner. "I hope the community comes out and supports the district."
One Inwood resident, who declined to be identified, said that while she supports the fire department, more information should be made available to the public before the bond vote. "I fully support the operations of the Inwood Fire Department, but there are a lot of questions unanswered," she said.
The district's plan to expand comes one year after the nearby Hewlett Bay Fire District's Board of Fire Commissioners voted to acquire, via eminent domain, a 14,000-square-foot property next to its headquarters that currently houses a sign store. Hewlett fire officials said the expansion was needed for extra parking, storage space and room for training.
For further information about the bond vote, call (516) 239-3057.
Comments about this story? ACoen@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 210.
