Plans submitted for new fire, EMT building in Cambridge

The preliminary building plans for a new fire station and EMT facility in Cambridge have been submitted to the Washington County planning department for review.
 Officials with the Cambridge Fire Protection District hope to start construction this spring on the $930,000 building. It has been more than two years since voters in Cambridge approved allowing the district to raise $700,000 in bonds for the new fire station.
 Cambridge fire district commissioner John Sachtjen said there have been a host of delays with the building plans, but the project is moving forward and he expects it to go out to bid shortly. Breaking ground will follow, although the cement work will have to wait until it warms up.
 The city of Cambridge does not have a planning department and contracts with Washington County to review building plans, issue building permits and do inspections. The county will send the plans out for review before a building permit is issued, county officials said.
 The 9,936 square-foot building will house both the volunteer fire department and EMT services under one roof. It will be constructed on a 1.1-acre lot that is owned by the fire district located close to the post office at the north end of town.
 According to the submitted plans, the insulated-steel building will have eight overhead doors and large bays for fire trucks and ambulance equipment. The apparatus bays will take up about 7,613 square-feet of the building. The floor of the fire station will consist of 6-inch concrete. The building also will include two offices, a meeting room, storage area and bathrooms.
 The exterior site plan calls for landscaping around the building and 26 regular parking spaces and two ADA parking spaces.
 The current fire station on Superior Street has limited space that requires three fire vehicles to be parked outside in the weather. The fire district may sell the old building once the new facility is completed. The proceeds could be used to pay down the debt or buy a water tender that the department needs, Sachtjen said.
 Voters within the fire district overwhelmingly approved a bond measure in November of 2017 to build the fire station and emergency services facility. The ballot question was approved overwhelmingly by 78 percent of voters, with 162 votes in favor and 46 against.
 The Cambridge Fire Protection District, which includes the city of Cambridge and the surrounding area, was authorized to borrow up to $700,000 to finance the construction. The general obligation bonds will be paid off over a 30-year period by the fire district using operating funds. The fire district collects property taxes within the boundaries of the district.
 The proceeds from the bonds will go to finance the cost of constructing and furnishing a new fire station and related equipment and improvements. Also, fees relating to issuing the bonds will be included in the principal amount. The fire district has about $225,000 saved up to put toward the estimated cost of $900,000 for the new fire station.
 The fire district was able to finance the project through a USDA Rural Development loan and also received a $34,000 USDA grant. The agency has reviewed the building and site plans and approved them, Sachtjen said. USDA doesn’t do construction loans, so the district will secure some interim financing for the construction.