By Anne-Marie Mickelsen
Not in my backyard. That is what residents of the Provost neighborhood told the Provo Planning Commission Wednesday night.
The commission voted 5-2 to deny a recommendation to the City Council for a zone change that would allow a new fire station to be built at 515 South and 900 East.
Neighborhood residents are mainly concerned with the proposed fire station being built one block from Provost Elementary.
Linda Trotter, Provost Neighborhood Chair expressed concerns that the fire station would create a disruptive learning environment.
“Every time there is a call coming in, a loud blast goes off to notify the firefighters. We are very concerned about this fire station distracting the children,” Trotter said.
Coy Porter, a Deputy Chief for the Provo Fire Department, said external alarms would not be placed on this fire station.
Provost Elementary Principal Susie Seehafer said the disrupting learning environment is not as important to them as safety.
She said many children would walk right in front of the station on their way to or from school.
“The thought of one child harmed by this is unthinkable,” Seehafer said.
Another issue of concern is the city’s confiscation of two homes that sit on land needed in order to build the station.
Boyd Petersen, a lecturer for the Honors Department, has deep roots in this area. His great-great-great grandfather was one of the founding settlers of Provo.
Petersen said a real estate agent approached him this summer to see if he would be interested in selling his home. He was not told what kind of development would be placed on the land.
When he told the agent he wouldn’t sell, the agent told him he should rethink his decision.
Officials from the Provo Fire Department came to visit Petersen, and told him of the city’s plans to build a fire station on the land.
“I wish they had just approached me from the beginning. I think I would have been much more receptive to that,” Petersen said.
Petersen addressed each of the neighbors’ concerns.
He said his concerns were the same as his neighbors but said he thought the firefighters would be very careful when pulling out onto the street, and that 900 East and State Street were already noisy.
Petersen’s biggest concern is that the process be done quickly.
“My wife is pregnant, and I promised her I would add another bedroom on our house, but I had to stop construction because of this disruption,” Petersen said.
Bob Headman, a Deputy Chief of the Provo Fire Department, talked about why a new station is needed.
He said a station relocation study conducted by a firm in California, said in order for the firefighters to have a five minute response, 85 percent of the time, a station needed to be placed somewhere near 700 East and 300 South.
Headman said the city looked at various properties, but chose the location on 900 East because they didn’t have to buy as much land or condemn as many properties.
He spoke to various principals that have schools located near fire stations, and quoted one of the principals he spoke with.
“I can only think of positive implications. Having the station close to us is an added bonus, not once have I heard a teacher, student or parent complain,” the principal said.
The City Council will review the situation at its next study meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17.
