Bristol City Council Will Consider Purchasing Land For New Fire Station

By Dean Wright, The Bristol Press

March 1, 2022

The Bristol Board of Fire Commissioners voted Thursday to push forward a motion to the Bristol City Council to consider purchasing land for the building of a new fire station.

Engine Company Three’s station is currently located at 81 Church Ave. Bristol Fire Chief Richard Hart brought a proposal to the city’s 10-Year Capital and Strategic Improvement Planning Committee last week for a new station. A new station would serve to house a larger fire apparatus and serve as a storage facility for the department’s equipment and “consumables,” said the chief. City officials have expressed concerns in the past with the location being at the outside of a street curve and reports of several vehicles colliding with the current facility. Should a new station be built, such an endeavor could cost $7,800,000.

Continuing conversation revealed that nearly $400,000 had been appropriated previous to the current mayoral administration for a new station.

“I wasn’t aware until we were going through the capital budget a little while ago that money has been sitting there and earmarked, and as we talked about, probably for some time,” said Bristol Mayor Jeff Caggiano. “There is currently a hold on the property that we have with the owners to potentially purchase the property. I think it expires on March 15.”

The mayor said he felt it may be a good time to talk about acquiring the property at the urging of another commissioner.

“My feeling is that the likelihood of federal grants and getting dollars from some of the potential bills that may pass, it would be good to have a shovel-ready project and to have that in our hands now,” said Caggiano.

The mayor was asked what might happen if the property was not bought by the target date. He responded that the property had been held for three years prior to him coming into office.

“I got the letter signed when I came in as mayor in November so I don’t think there’s a lot of pressure but I do think this allows me to have the conversation to see if they’re still willing. Again, they have to accept as well,” said the mayor of the property owners.

He said he was unaware of any urgencies to build or sell the proposed land but it was good to move the potential purchase forward just in case.

The board passed the motion unanimously for the mayor to bring the matter before the council and for the council to potentially approve the mayor to make contractual arrangements for the purchase of land for a new fire station.

Hart has previously said the areas of Bristol’s fire stations have contributed well to fire response times within four-minute professional standards. The mayor said he believed the city was considering the purchase of 157 Church Ave.