Station not confirmed
By ROBERT LINNEHAN
The Cherry Hill Sun
3/20/2008

Following a meeting with about 60 concerned residents on March 7, Cherry Hill Fire Chief Robert Giorgio said nothing is set in stone with regard to the possibility of a new fire station in the Garden State Park development.

Residents within 200 feet of the fire district-owned parcel of land between Crescent and Third avenues were invited to the meeting. Representatives of the Cherry Hill Fire District detailed their plans for the possibility of a new fire station in the complex and listened to the concerns of the residents who were in attendance.

“We were able to get some very good feedback from the residents who attended the meeting,” Giorgio said. “There’s the perspective among some people that we’re just going to come in and do whatever we want. That’s not the case, because the station could be in the complex for a long time and needs to be integrated into the community.”

Historically, before a fire station is built in the township, Giorgio said the district meets with members of the public to discuss plans and address any concerns the residents may have with the future station.

Among the many concerns the residents shared with the representatives, Giorgio said several came up numerous times. The effect the new station would have on property values, the noise of the station and its effect on the wooded buffer were brought up during the meeting.

There is no research concluding that a fire station has any affect whatsoever on a neighborhood, Giorgio said. However, he did say all concerns would be taken seriously and reported to the Cherry Hill Board of Fire Commissioners.

“Nothing is set in stone at this point in time. We’ll be meeting with our board of commissioners on March 17 to discuss the situation,” Giorgio said. “We’re going to further look at the proposed site and research other possible locations in the complex that might be better for the residents. We’ll also look at the design of the station to see if we can alleviate some of their concerns.”

Despite the meeting, several residents are still concerned about the fire station. Phil Sharman, a resident of Third Avenue since June and Cherry Hill for 25 years, said he came away from the meeting disappointed. The noise of the station, the safety of children in the complex and the possible destruction of the wooded buffer still remain as open concerns for many of the residents of the complex, he said.

When he moved into the complex, Sharman said he was never told there was a possibility a fire station could be constructed near his home. He said he was also told the wooded buffer would remain in the complex.

“I think they’re just trying their best to sell it to people; the meeting seemed like a sales pitch to me,” he said. “I think ultimately they’re going to put it there and there’s not much we can do about it.”

Sharman also said he was disappointed that Mayor Bernie Platt was not in attendance at the contested meeting. The new fire station is an issue that affects many residents of Cherry Hill, he said, and not to see Platt at the meeting was disheartening.

“I have a concern that it seems like the mayor has no interest in this,” he said. “In times of trouble, residents want to look up to the leader of a township, but the mayor is nowhere to be found with this one.”

The mayor has no power in choosing the location of a new fire station, Communications Director Dan Keashen said, and only members of the township fire commission are able to consider possible locations.

“The township believes a balance needs to be struck between the needs of the fire district and the needs of the neighborhood,” Keashen said.

The parcel of land in the Garden State Park complex was chosen because of its proximity to Route 70, Haddonfield Road and Chapel Avenue, Giorgio said. Response units would have access to major roadways to keep response times to a minimum.

It’s unknown how much the fire station will cost to construct, Giorgio said, but the district is planning on spending somewhere in the neighborhood of $2 million based on the 2006 construction costs of the Kingston fire station.

Giorgio urged any and all residents to attend the next public meeting for the first station, which he said would likely take place sometime within the next month.

“I think sometimes people don’t think we want to hear anything negative, but I’d rather hear everything up front so we can deal with it, not after the station is already in place,” he said. “We’re going to work hard and find solutions that are reasonable for our residents. My priority is to provide the best fire coverage with the resource we have, and that’s what we’re trying to do.”