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Millwood Eyes Fall Start on New Firehouse

MILLWOOD, N.Y. — The Millwood Fire District has seemingly cleared the final hurdle and is heading toward approval of its new 18,000-square-foot facility

After three informal hearings with the New Castle Planning Board, the district is tentatively scheduled to return on June 5 for a formal discussion of the $9.6 million project with the board.

According to Hala Makowska, chairman of the Millwood Fire District Board of Commissioners, the district will need to provide several additional pieces of information on June 5.

"A big one is the noise analysis, which is being worked on as we speak," Makowska said. "A noise analysis not only of the firehouse but also of the relocation of the siren."

The noise analysis was requested by the Planning Board at an informal hearing in March. The district agreed event though it felt the benefit of the study would not match the approximate $11,500 cost.

Complying with another of the Planning Board's requests, district representatives met with the town's environmental coordinator to provide additional screening around the property, such as trees and a fence. Those changes need to be added to the firehouse drawings.

Makowska said the district also needs to provide a written statement from Con Edison that it will recommend the Public Service Commission sign off on an easement through their property for drainage.

"We feel under most circumstances that we'll be able to meet this threshold," Makowska said. "We're making great progress."

Despite the progress, scheduled construction on the project has been pushed back. Word was originally targeted to start in the spring, but the district now hopes to break ground in the fall.

"We're looking at 2014 for completion, which would happen to be, coincidentally, the 80th anniversary of the Millwood Fire Company No. 1," Makowska said. "Should this work out, while everyone wants it sooner rather than later, I think it would be kind of nice to have their 80th anniversary and the new firehouse."

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