Selkirk Fire submits new station prop to town

Largest fire district in town makes argument for modern-day facility

SELKIRK — The Selkirk Fire District has submitted a proposal for the construction of a new fire station at 1160 Route 9W, Selkirk, which was discussed at the Town of Bethlehem Planning Board meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 6.

The district’s three existing stations were originally built in 1928, 1952, and 1956 and modern-day firefighter standards—larger vehicles, infrastructure to handle hazardous waste decontamination, and contemporary equipment—have rendered them obsolete, district officials said.

The project involves building a 21,800-square-foot facility on a 73.8-acre parcel, with the development impacting approximately 3.8 acres of the site. The proposed fire station will include three double-deep garage bays, a radio room, decontamination and laundry facilities, an ADA-compliant bathroom, a community meeting room, district office space, training areas on a mezzanine level, and an exercise room.

The plan, last reviewed in April 2023, has undergone significant revisions, including changes in the site layout to avoid newly identified federal wetlands on the property. The parking lot was relocated, and stormwater management systems were adjusted to comply with environmental regulations.

The district is also working to secure necessary permits, including those from the Army Corps of Engineers and the New York State Department of Transportation.

The Planning Board will review the State Environmental Quality Review classification, which has been determined as an “Unlisted” action, and consider issuing a Negative Declaration, indicating that the project is not expected to have a significant environmental impact. If approved, this fire station will consolidate two existing facilities and provide upgraded services to the Selkirk community.

The Board was to consider draft approval documents and discuss the next steps in the approval process before this edition went to print.

The district has labored over several years to break ground on a new headquarters. Residents first rejected a $17.8 million plan in 2018 before a scaled-down version that promised no tax increase was approved less than two years later.

To persuade community support, district officials described time-consuming workarounds and safety deficiencies. Cramped garage bays prevented firefighters from entering trucks from inside the station, while exhaust from running engines would quickly fill the bay with carbon monoxide. The antiquated stations also lack adequate space for decontamination stations.

According to a map on the district’s website, the Selkirk Fire District encompasses nearly 30 square miles, covering 60 percent of the town, including the SABIC chemical manufacturing company, the CSX Rail Yard, and several other entities up River Road to the Albany City Line.

The post Selkirk Fire submits new station prop to town first appeared on Spotlight News .