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Demolition granted for Leesburg firehouse
The firehouse in downtown Leesburg was issued a demolition permit this week. And it's exactly what fire department officials wanted.
Maintenance costs for the circa-1961 Volunteer Fire Station No. 1, in the town's historic district, have far exceeded the money the fire company receives from taxpayers and the town.
"The building is over 40 years old, so it's fallen into disrepair," said Peter Comanduras, firefighter and chairman of the building committee.
Comanduras said the firehouse was not built to function with the larger trucks and duty crews of today. The building has no ventilation system to clear out exhaust fumes from the firetrucks. The firehouse also lacks sleeping quarters. Volunteers must drive to the firehouse from their homes, which results in longer response times in an emergency, he said.
In 2006, the fire department informally submitted new site plans to Leesburg's Board of Architectural review.
At the time, opponents -- including nearby residents -- were worried the new firehouse would be too large for the downtown Leesburg location. The current two-story firehouse is 13,000 square feet. The new building will be a three-story 15,697-square-foot firehouse with a 28,377-square-foot office space addition. Three resubmissions resulted in the height of the proposed facility being reduced by 4 feet. In total, it will cost $7 million to build. It gained approval from the board Sept. 17.
Demolition is expected to commence by February, and construction will be completed within a year of the demolition. Firefighters will continue to serve Leesburg out of the fire station on Plaza Street.
Contact the writer at hhager@timespapers.com
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