By Abigail W. Adams
The Coopers Mills Fire Station will undergo renovations that will include new insulation, the installation of a high-efficiency heating system, and reinforcement of the structure. The renovations are replacing the Coopers Mills Volunteer Fire Department Association’s long-held goal of constructing a new station. (LCN file photo) |
The Coopers Mills Volunteer Fire Department Association has worked toward the goal of constructing a new fire station in Whitefield’s Coopers Mills village for decades. The goal was within reach a few months ago with the Whitefield selectmen and planning board approving the project.
However, the new station was still beyond the budget constraints of the volunteer association. Whitefield’s new fire truck, Engine 1, was designated to be housed at the Coopers Mills station, a satellite station for Whitefield Fire & Rescue, on the condition that the fire station be upgraded.
No longer able to house municipal equipment at the station or utilize it for firefighting purposes due to the anticipated renovations, selectmen previously discussed terminating the town’s lease with the station, releasing the town from the responsibility of paying its heat and electric bills if it is unable to serve a municipal function.
The association, however, is moving forward with a downgraded plan to rehabilitate the station, reinforce its structure, and bring it up to code. Construction will begin following the Coopers Mills Volunteer Fire Department Association’s annual auction Saturday, Aug. 15, and is expected to be complete by October, David Landmann, the project’s architect, said.
“It’s going ahead,” Selectman Dennis Merrill said. He does not anticipate any future action from the board of selectmen to terminate the lease with the station, which is privately owned by the volunteer association.
“The lease has a 90-day escape clause, which is when the construction is expected to be complete,” Merrill said. “From a purely practical sense it doesn’t make sense.”
Engine 1 and other equipment housed at the Coopers Mills station are currently at the municipal fire station. The Coopers Mills Volunteer Fire Department Association voted to accept the bid of Troy Prescott, of Sheepscot Valley Builders, to complete the renovation work last week.
The current station is approximately 150 years old, does not meet code, and is structurally unsound, Landmann said. According to Landmann, the renovation plans call for a structural upgrade to bring the station up to code and install a new electrical system. The interior drywall and all the insulation in the station will be removed.
The association plans to inspect the building for mold and do a mold remediation if any is found, Landmann said. They plan to reinsulate the entire building, put up new drywall, and install a high-efficiency heating system.
“The new heating system and insulation will significantly drop the cost of heating the station,” Landmann said. The station will also feature a new toilet and septic system.
The apparatus doors and entrance to the building will remain the same, but will be reinforced for structural integrity, Landmann said. The plans for the building have been submitted to the State Fire Marshal’s Office to ensure they meet code, he said.
Presentations of the current plan have been made to Fire Chief Scott Higgins and selectmen and an update on the renovations will appear in the Whitefield Newsletter, Landmann said.
“The station is in much need of rehabilitation and this will be an asset moving forward,” Landmann said.
