By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Plans for Bowling Green’s two new fire stations were approved by the city’s planning commission last week – making way for construction to begin on both structures on July 23.
Mosser Construction will be building the two fire stations at the same time. The estimated completion date for both is Sept. 1, 2027.
Fire Station No. 1 will be located at 1215 West Newton Road, just east of the Bowling Green Community Center. This station will replace the existing headquarters on East Court Street and Thurstin Avenue.
That new facility will be a four-bay station totaling 20,780 square feet.
Fire Station No. 3 will be located at 447 Campbell Hill Road, near the water tower in Carter Park. This facility will be a three-bay station totaling 13,506 square feet.
The existing Fire Station No. 2 on Pearl Street will remain in operation.
The projected cost of building and equipping the two new stations will be in the ballpark of $30 million. That includes $14.7 million for the headquarters station, $10.5 for the satellite station, $2.5 million for an aerial ladder truck, and $2 million for other fire and ambulance equipment.
Last November, Bowling Green voters approved a 0.15% income tax increase to support the construction of the new fire stations. The income tax increase will cost approximately $75 a year for those with a family income of $50,000.
For years, city leaders have been discussing the condition of the Court Street Fire Station, and the desire to decrease emergency response time in the city. Municipal Administrator Lori Tretter has said that a 2024 report on the unsafe conditions at the Court Street fire station was a “wake-up call” to the city.
And keeping fire and EMS response times down in the expanding community is essential, according to Mayor Mike Aspacher.
“The need is real. The need is significant based on our community growth,” he said, adding that growth of the city means more responsibilities for city government.
“Improved response time – that’s always been our primary motivation,” Aspacher said.
The number of fire and EMS calls have tripled in 30 years, from 1,095 calls for service in 1992, to 3,418 calls in 2022. The number is expected to hit 4,000 this year.
The goal in BG has been to reach most citizens in four minutes or less, and the two new stations will help to make that optimal response time possible for nearly 90% of the homes in BG.
Using software models that measure response times anywhere in the city, it was determined the proposed northern site would meet current needs and future needs as Bowling Green expands northward.
The location of the Carter Park fire station will require changes to the entrance to the park. The south exit at Carter Park will be closed July 15 to 24, to widen the road to make it two lanes. This will become the new entrance to Carter Park. The existing entrance and parking lot in front of the water tower will be removed.
The Court Street fire station will be demolished – but first it will serve as a temporary site for Bowling Green Police Division while the downtown police station undergoes a major renovation.
In other business at last week’s meeting, the Bowling Green Planning Commission:
- Approved a waiver for a subdivision in the 800 block of South Mitchell Road, located south of the entry to the Stone Ridge subdivision and east of the entry to the Stone Brook subdivision. The request, made by Shane Huntley on behalf of Progress Point Properties, sought to split the 11.58-acre parcel into three parcels, with two lots to be sold for construction of single-unit homes, and the rear parcel to be preserved as thick woods.
- Approved a waiver, submitted by Collin DeWese of DeWese Properties, for a parcel split between 230 Liberty Street and 216-218 Liberty Street, so two single-family homes can be built on the parcels.
- Recommended approval of an annexation request for a 0.84-acre parcel located at 1200 Sand Ridge Road, petitioned by Michael Q. McNamara. Annexation is required for the property to get city utility services. The planning commission also recommended interim zoning of R-1 residential for the parcel.
