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| By G. Michael Dobbs Managing Editor CHICOPEE For Fire Station Number Seven on Grattan Street there was both good and bad news last week. The good news is that a new $350,000 fire truck would be stationed at the site. The bad news is that Station Seven built in 1927 needs much renovation. The roof leaks, which has caused interior damage. Chunks of concrete have eroded off the windowsills and the interior needs to be modernized. "My guys have worked extremely hard to keep the station intact," Fire Chief Stephen Burkott said at the press event on Aug. 30 showcasing the new truck. Burkott added the station needs professional renovations that his staff can't undertake. Mayor Michael Bissonnette agreed the station's renovations are a priority for the city. Bissonnette said that the city has a pool of $410,000 it has assembled for the first phase of repairs to the building. The next is gathering bids for the work. "I'm a die-hard competitive bidding guy," Bissonnette said. Station Seven is not closed, but has firefighters on duty when manpower allows, Burkott said. "Public safety is certainly not jeopardized with this engine not in service," Burkott said. The Chicopee Fire Department is fully staffed at 150 people, Burkott said. His current budget allows a staff of 144 and he has 136 positions filled. The new truck is a great addition to the Fire Department fleet, he added. The Department bought another fire truck in 2002 and a ladder trick in 2004. Burkott said the oldest vehicle in the fleet dates back to 1987. He has developed a schedule that would replace all of the vehicles within the next 20 years. *** Down the street from Station Seven is the Aldenville Commons renovation project that is nearing completion. Bissonnette said that he has stopped the plans to build the final part of the project: a gazebo with landscaping budgeted at $125,000. "I could build a house for that," he quipped. Bissonnette said the Commons renovation project was started by the previous administration and he is re-examining the gazebo part of it. Bissonnette said the new budget would be no more than $25,000. He hopes to collaborate with the Westover Job Corps and Chicopee Comprehensive High School in making the construction of the new gazebo a learning experience for students. |