Once on the fast track, firehouse plan now idles

Port Washington’s $5 million fire station project, which once was on the fast track, likely won’t be taken up again until sometime next year, officials said Tuesday.

That’s because the city is waiting to hear the results of a study on the potential for shared fire and emergency medical services throughout the county. 

Even after those results are in — the study is expected to be completed by the end of the year — the city will likely wait until a strategic planning process has been done to set priorities in spending, City Administrator Tony Brown and Mayor Marty Becker said.

 “It’s unfortunate,” Becker, a longtime supporter of building a new fire station, said. “But I think we have to (wait).

“Personally, I think the fire station should be a priority. It’s public safety. Are we going to get it next year? Probably not.”

Brown said it’s important to hear the results of the shared services study by Wisconsin Policy Forum and any implementation schedule before planning for the new station moves forward. 

“That’s going to take a bit of time,” he said.

Just as important is a proposed strategic plan and citizen survey expected to be done by the city next year, Brown said.

That study will help aldermen set priorities in budgeting — something that’s critical as the city faces significant budget challenges in the coming years, he said.

“That to me is something that should happen before we move forward with the fire station design,” Brown said. “That informs what comes next. What do residents see as the highest priorities? That’s the cue to actually move forward.”

Given that, he said, it could be until middle or late 2021 to make a decision on the new fire station.

“That’ll be a major topic next year,” Brown said.

Becker concurred, saying the city doesn’t want to pay for a design if the project won’t move forward.

The delay, he added, may give officials a chance to take a second look at a potential location for the new station. 

While the city has proposed building the new facility on the former Schanen farm at the corner of Highway 33 and Jackson Road, the City of Port and Village of Saukville have reached a standoff over the question of providing sewer services to the property, which is owned by the city but is in the village’s sewer service area.

Becker said the city should now take a second look at locating the building at the corner of highways LL and 33, where Casey’s General Store was to be located.

Casey’s recently said it decided not to pursue a Port Washington store.

Port officials have been considering the idea of building a new fire station for years, but the initiative hit high gear in 2019 when Becker formed a taskforce to look into the concept.

Backed by the Police and Fire Commission, the idea gathered steam, with members ultimately endorsing a plan to build a 15,000 to 20,000-square-foot station that would include six drive-through apparatus bays, a training area, eight dorm rooms, male and female locker facilities, a secure emergency medical services supply room, a workout facility, kitchen and lounge, conference room and a training or meeting room that could double as a community room.

Five design firms were interviewed by the city, with a panel recommending the Common Council interview two finalists — 5 Bugles and SEH —before selecting one to design the new station.

Fire Chief Mark Mitchell said he placed $350,000 to design a new station in his capital budget request for 2021. That figure was based on proposals from the design firms, he said.

Although the project is on pause for now, officials expressed hope it will move forward in the coming year.

“We can’t let it die,” Becker said. “It’s got to keep moving.”