HALLOWELL — The City Council expects to review the final design plan for the city’s new fire station during Monday’s council meeting.

Architect Rosie Curtis will present the plan and elevation design drawings for final council approval.

Meanwhile, the Planning Board is holding a special meeting Wednesday to review the plan, and the city is planning a groundbreaking ceremony for Friday afternoon.

The council meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. and is being held at the Vaughan Homestead Pavilion on Litchfield Road. The city is hosting a potluck dinner before the meeting, starting at 5 p.m. The Planning Board meeting begins at 7 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall.

The plan calls for the fire station to be built on the 54-acre Stevens Commons campus, where the Farwell Building is. City Manager Nate Rudy said that building is scheduled to be torn down over two days beginning Sept. 17.

Curtis has been working with Fire Chief Jim Owens, firefighters and Rudy to design a modern fire station using up to $1 million given by an anonymous donor. At last month’s meeting, Rudy said there has been talk of the donor increasing his or her contribution, but there has not been any official word from the city about whether that has taken place.

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As a condition of the donation, the fire station must be constructed at Stevens Commons. The city reached an agreement with developer Matt Morrill to build the station on the parcel of land he donated, where the Farwell Building is now.

Hallowell’s Fire Department and fire services future were under the microscope for most of the last 18 months. The Fire Services Committee spent more than a year researching what the best option would be and made a recommendation to the council to contract for fire services with the Augusta Fire Department. However, the council unanimously voted instead to lease space in an unbuilt station in Farmingdale.

A petition circulated by Hallowell resident and Augusta city attorney Stephen Langsdorf called the council’s decision into question and forced councilors to re-examine their choice. The choice to rescind the Farmingdale decision was an easy one after the anonymous pledge was announced.

Owens said that since the plan to build a new station was announced, morale among firefighters has been at an all-time high and the department has added several new firefighters.

In other business, the council is scheduled to:

• recognize the $100,000 donated by Joan Sturmthal and the donation of the fire station land by Morrill;

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• consider the final purchase plan for new Fire Department equipment and breathing apparatus;

• consider extending the recreational marijuana moratorium;

• continue discussing the purchase and relocation of the Dummer House; and

• discuss acquiring land for a proposed municipal parking lot.

Jason Pafundi — 621-5663

jpafundi@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @jasonpafundiKJ


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