GOSHEN, Ohio — The dilapidated old shell of Goshen's Fire Station 18, vacant since it took a direct hit from a tornado July 5, 2022, will be torn to the ground "immediately" after a long-anticipated vote from the town council led by Trustee Chair Bob Hausermann.
"I can't put another nickel into that fire station as it stands," Hausermann said.
Councilman Dan Hodges and Lisa Allen joined Hausermann in a unanimous "yes" vote to demolish the ruined building instead of attempting to repair it a week after hearing a presentation from Fire Chief Edward Myers about their options.
RELATED | Goshen trustees weigh future of shuttered fire station damaged in 2022 tornado
Two council members had reservations about the chief's proposals and wanted to wait on a final vote during the Sept. 19 vote, and Allen voiced her initial reservations during Tuesday's meeting.
"As fiscal officer, I needed a moment to think about it," Allen said. "I just wanted to sit back for a minute."
The vote to level the station to the ground was unanimous.
Myers said he took the job leading Goshen's fire crews six months before a tornado ripped through the station, and he was happy to see the council pave a way forward.
"Relieved, for now, but we've got a lot of work to do," he said.
Myers said that at $891,685, repairing the old building would effectively cost the town $85,000 less than building a new facility, but he said the old cinder block building was never safe in a storm and had no place for fire crews to properly store cancer-causing materials safely.
"At a minimal cost between investing in a 41-year-old structure versus building a brand new code-compliant structure it's kind of a no-brainer," Myers said.
The new facility would also allow for space for the department to grow alongside the township, he said, as call volume has risen 58% over the last four years and has been expected to continue growing in their service area.
"We know we're going to grow," the Chief said. "We've got several subdivisions going in, approximately 1,500 new homes we're expecting in the next few years."
Myers said to properly finance the new building without raising taxes the city would likely have to hold off on hiring certain positions like medics within the department and delay the purchase of new equipment like fire trucks.
A bill introduced in the state legislature, House Bill 244, would alleviate all those fears by funding the project, but the bill has been in committee without action since July 2023.
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