Dalton Fire District Sees Potential in Former Dalton Garage
The building was a fire station back in the 1950s but cannot accommodate this era's larger fire trucks. The district is looking to use it for office, meeting and training space.
The district reconsidered the prospect of purchasing the former automotive garage, located at 385 Main St., across from the fire station, last month. The current fire station, located at 20 Flansburg Ave., is too small, especially with the addition of the ambulance service. The Water Department also needs more space.
The building's owner, Peter Horth, led a tour of the building to provide some of its history and answer any questions district members had about the structure.
According to the town's geographic information system, the former Dalton Garage is made up of three parcels totaling 1.1427 acres with an estimated value of about $704,000 and is owned by Essco Inc.
The building is not currently listed, but Horth is interested in keeping the parcel locally owned.
The Board of Water Commissioners, Prudential Committee members, community members, and Fire Department staff attended the walk-through.
With flashlights in hand, they explored the building, examining the room sizes, layout, and peering into the spaces above the drop ceiling to understand the building's structure.
The building has undergone various changes over the years. The back part was added in 1920 and two garage attachments on the side later on. Some district members looked at photos of the building's previous designs that hung in one of the office spaces on the second floor.
The building was used as a fire station in 1951, however, due to its age, the increased size of fire trucks, and standard changes over the years, it would not be possible to house the district's trucks, Fire Chief Christian Tobin said. The ceiling is too low for the exhaust and fireproofing needed for the vehicles, and the district would not want to change the outside structure at all to maintain historical integrity.
It could only house offices, meeting rooms and training spaces.
Thomas Irwin, a town Finance Committee member and engineer, proposed three options last month: renovate the fire station; purchase and modify the Dalton Garage; or renovate and build an addition to the Dalton Garage.
Commissioners and Tobin prefer option three because it fulfills all the department's requirements and provides extra space to address future needs. The Dalton Garage offers so much flexibility it would be a disservice not to move quickly to control it, he said.
There are so many ideas coming out of this, Assistant Fire Chief Chris Cachat said.
These include making the building accessible under the Americans with Disabilities Act, renting out space during the planning phase to help offset the costs, and possibly restoring it to its previous historical design.
Investing in the space would also open up more opportunities for collaboration with the town. For example, the Historical Commission has been looking for a museum space for years, Prudential Committee Chair Daniel Filiault said.
Another idea that was tossed around was being able to hold town elections in the building if residents find that the Senior Center is not ideal.
The goal of the walkthrough was to make people aware of the building so that when conversations start, they have a good understanding of what they are talking about, Irwin said.
Imagination can make things a lot nicer than what they are. A walk-through allows them to look at the details, he said.
If the district does not buy it, Horth said he is considering several options, such as renting the downstairs and turning the upstairs into apartments or listing the building to see if there are any interested buyers.
Tags: fire district, fire station,
