Celina to buy land for new fire station

CELINA - City council members green-lighted the purchase of multiple parcels of land along Grand Lake Road, including the former Orchard Tree restaurant lot owned by Mercer Health, for nearly $750,000 to build a new firehouse.

Not originally listed on the agenda, the two pieces of legislation were introduced and subsequently approved as emergency measures at Monday night's regular meeting, after councilors suspended the rules requiring three public readings.

"The city … is looking to purchase real estate to build a new fire department," said city law director George Moore. "I can't tell you what was discussed in executive session, but I can certainly tell you that the members of this legislative body have discussed this matter here."

Moore said there are certain requirements that must be met to relocate a fire department.

"There's a maximum of a 4-minute response time," he explained. "We have found two adjoining properties that do meet these unique needs."

The first ordinance authorizes Mayor Jeff Hazel to enter into a $470,247.50 purchase agreement with Mercer Health for the 1.8-acre vacant lot at 501 Grand Lake Road. Fenson Contracting LLC of Fort Jennings previously razed the former Orchard Tree restaurant for $100,000, a cost that was picked up through Gov. Mike DeWine's Ohio Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Program.

Plans had originally called for the construction of Mercer Health Medical Group Women's and Children's facility on the lot, which was to offer obstetrics and gynecology services as well as a pediatric practice.

"It is currently owned by Mercer Health. Their board of governors meets soon, it's later this week here, and as far as the administration is aware, they are fully in support of this proposed sale here, and they are not making any profit on the sale," Moore said. "So they have not increased the price to sell to us, and we also should probably move sooner than later on this so we can begin to get RFPs to build and move the fire department there."

The second ordinance authorizes Hazel to enter into a $250,000 purchase agreement with Baronial Ventures Inc. for a pair of vacant lots totaling about 0.8 acres along Grand Lake Road, just north of the former Orchard Tree restaurant lot.

"The city feels that this second purchase is needed at this time in order for things like parking, storage of equipment and vehicles, as well as for potential future use which may include building expansion, etc., which once we start to get the RFPS, then we will know more about that," Moore said.

Councilman Eric Clause applauded the decision to build a new firehouse.

"I think logistically, this makes a lot more sense for the department and for the city, and for what we're trying to do and what we need to do. The department is definitely working with very antiquated facilities, and it'd be good to have some more modern buildings," he said.

The passage of the legislation was "not a shotgun decision," but rather the outcome of more than a year of deliberation, council president Jason King insisted.

"It's something we've been discussing for quite a while. We've had a feasibility study that has been done, and we waited on for quite a while as well - and so this is the product of that," he said. "With that have been some executive sessions to get to the conclusion that we're at right here, that this is by far probably the best plan moving forward for our community as it stands."

A feasibility study of the city hall/fire department undertaken by Mull & Weithman Architects Inc. of Columbus was turned into the city in October. Hazel at the time said city officials would likely renovate the existing fire station rather than build a new one, a project that could cost close to $18 million, based on very rough estimates.

In December, Hazel left open the possibility of building a new firehouse when contacted by the newspaper, saying, "We are still open to a site that meets fire standards of a 4-minute response time for the majority of our calls."

City officials did not provide a cost estimate for the construction of a new fire department.

"I wanted to also stress that the plan remains to still do renovations at city hall," Moore pointed out at Monday night's meeting.