Hyannis Fire Station Project To Get Fourth Vote

CCB MEDIA PHOTO
Hyannis Fire Station.

HYANNIS – For the fourth time in the last few years, another proposal for a new fire station in Hyannis will go before district voters.

The new proposal is for an $18.5 million dollar, 33,000-square-foot facility.

Taxpayers would be responsible for $17.6 million of the costs after $900,000 will be applied from the sale of a piece of land.

Hyannis Fire District Board of Commissioners member Demetrius Atsalis said it is time to approve the new building.

“We have a 51-year-old building. We’ve outgrown it years ago,” he said. “It’s not a healthy situation in there. The equipment barely fits or doesn’t fit.”

The newest plan is about 22,000-square-feet smaller than the first one.

“This is a proposal that is smaller in square footage than what’s been put forward in the past,” Atsalis said. “And as we said in the past, every time we wait the price tag just goes up and the price tag has gone up.”

Atsalis said the department responded to over 7,000 calls last year.

“We were one of the busiest fire departments in Massachusetts nevermind, obviously, the busiest here on Cape Cod,” he said. “It’s time.”

The last vote failed to garner a two-thirds majority by 29 votes in October of 2014. A previous vote failed by just 8 votes.

The vote for the new station will be April 9.

By BRIAN MERCHANT, CapeCod.com NewsCenter