Mt. Kisco to Set $10.25M Firehouse Renovation Vote for November

By Erin Maher

The Mount Kisco Village Board is prepared to schedule a $10.25 million referendum for November that seeks voter approval to renovate and expand the village’s three firehouses.

Village Manager Edward Brancati said the board is expected to vote on a resolution at its Aug. 14 meeting that would place the proposition on the ballot for this year’s general election.

The improvements that are likely to be included in next month’s resolution are nearly identical to one of four scenarios that H2M Architects and Engineers had outlined for village officials at a meeting in February, Brancati said.

Renovations and infrastructure work on the three buildings will account for the majority of the cost, probably more than $6 million and include making the firehouses more energy efficient and bringing the facilities up to code, he said.

Work that had been discussed to be part of the project are roof and window replacement; equipment upgrades; installation of toilets and access to the second floors of the firehouse that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act; updating antiquated electrical systems; installation of LED lighting; and replacing nonfunctioning cameras and generators.

There will also be an addition to each firehouse that will provide extra room for each company and its equipment, Brancati said. He added that the estimated $10.25 million cost is at the high end of the estimate and includes contingency expenses.

While the village board reserved its decision in February regarding which of the four options it might pursue, officials had focused on the renovation and expansion proposal. Other alternatives offered were renovations only for nearly $6.5 million and a more than $22 million expense to build a new firehouse and close the existing facilities.

However, the latter proposal was not seriously considered. Mayor Michael Cindrich had said there was no land available to build a new structure and the current firehouses are centrally located within the village.

The Mutual Engine & Hose firehouse is located across East Main Street from Village Hall, the Union Hook & Ladder and Mount Kisco Fire Rescue Police occupy the Green Street firehouse and the Independent Fire Company firehouse is on Lexington Avenue near Columbus Avenue. There has been no significant work at the three facilities in more than 50 years.

Village to Expand DPW Garage

The village board last week approved moving ahead with much-needed renovations and a roughly 4,700-square-foot expansion for the Department of Public Works (DPW) garage on Carpenter Avenue.

In addition to approving the project at its July 17 meeting, the board awarded a bid to Steve Giordano Builders of Ossining to do the work.

The resolution calls for borrowing of up to $2,695,000, although depending on the final price tag the village could use some of its capital projects budget and reserves to defray some of the cost of the borrowing, Brancati said. The town could issue either a serial bond or a one-year Bond Anticipation Note to cover initial expenses, he said.

Work is expected to last roughly six to seven months and will start as soon as possible, Brancati said.

A main component of the project will include renovating and expanding the existing facility so DPW employees can service the department’s fleet inside or under an overhang and also house the village’s DPW fleet inside to better protect it from the elements. According to the plans from the village, the expansion consists of a 3,200-square-foot pre-engineered steel building, an 1,170-square-foot mechanic’s bay and a 341-square-foot addition to the existing mechanic’s bay.

“It’s just a way to get all the vehicles under covering or in an enclosure rather than sitting outside,” Brancati said.

There will also be improved space for lockers for DPW crews to change.

Cindrich said the project was badly needed and “20 years in the making.”

The resolution is subject to a permissive referendum, which means that village residents have 30 days to collect signatures from at least 20 percent of voters to place the item on the general election ballot. If a petition with the requisite number of signatures is not collected in that time, the resolution is effectively adopted and work can proceed.

Martin Wilbur contributed to this article.