Beachwood Fire Station Proposal Stagnates Amid City Council Talks

Despite a three-hour City Council meeting Monday, no headway was made for the planned $6 million, 28,000-square-foot Beachwood fire station on Park East Drive, reported Cleveland.com.

The proposal to replace fire station No. 2 on Chagrin Boulevard was made in June of 2014. Since then, plans for the station have been debated for nearly two years. People are opposed to the costs, size and the need of a Park East Drive station.

In December, Councilman James Pasch said that he agrees with the need for a new fire station, but disliked the proposals, reported Cleveland.com. Specifically, he didn’t like that the station would be larger than some found in Cleveland.

Council President Martin Horwitz said Monday’s meeting would bring new members — Justin Berns, Barbara Bellin-Janovitz and Brian Linick — up to speed with the fire station proposal.

The Chagrin Boulevard station’s antiquated design, built in 1972, leads to wasted operating costs and increased response times, argued Fire Chief Patrick Kearns in 2014. On Monday Kearns said that the area near the Chagrin station is also congested by traffic.

Test drives from the proposed station on Park East Drive to the west end of Chagrin were completed in just under four minutes, Kearns said.

The Park East Drive location was chosen because the city owns the property and the booming construction in its vicinity. The city has conducted various construction projects since buy the land in the 1990s. The construction has led to a massive increase in emergency calls in the area, the fire department statistics showing a rise from 295 to 706 in 2015, according to Cleveland.com

Development will continue, said Mayor Merle Gorden during the council meeting, "We still have 100 acres at Chagrin Highlands that hasn't been developed; and it will be."

Even if the council approves the station soon, they still can’t agree when to start building it. Council President Horowitz suggested that after the construction boom from the Republican National Convention ends this summer, construction costs may decrease.

The next City Council meeting should take place in two weeks. Whether not not the council will discuss the fire station is unknown.