by Curt Peterson
Standard Correspondent
KILLINGTON – Voters at a town of Killington special meeting Tuesday, Sept. 5, approved a $634,000 bond issue to finance purchase of a new site for the Killington Fire and Rescue (KFR) Public Safety Building, by a ballot of 102 to 84.
According to resident Vito Rasenas, who publishes a blog called “As the Ski Turns” about Killington issues, and who serves on the Fire Department Facility Review Committee, the search for a new site has been going on almost three years and involved site visits of 13 properties.
The property chosen by the committee is 4 plus acres on Killington Road, just north of The Woods Resort and Spa at 405 Killington Road, and across from Peppino’s Ristorante Italiano.
“After all was said and done,” Rasenas wrote on August 30 promoting the purchase, “the site we chose was the most cost effective when combined land and development costs were considered.”
Other sites were rejected for various reasons – too much site work required, natural obstacles, steep slopes, not enough land, or, importantly, lacking easy access to either Killington Road or Rte. 4, Rasenas explained. Response time requirements dictated the appropriate location.
“No one can dispute the current firehouse needs to be replaced,” Rasenas wrote, citing Americans with Disabilities Act compliance problems, substandard fire and building code issues, zoning ordinance violations regarding set-backs and insufficient on-site parking.
A feasibility study by engineers Dore and Whittier deemed the building “structurally inadequate,” citing floor loading as a major issue.
According to a PowerPoint presentation used at the August 31 informational meeting, the original part of the firehouse, which is owned by KFR, was built in 1974, with two later additions, on just .68 acres on Killington Road.
“As much as the volunteers have done to keep up the current firehouse, you can only do so much to ‘perfume the pig’,” Rasenas posted.
The PowerPoint says the state has only allowed the facility to continue in use because Killington has been seeking a solution through purchase of a new site.
Not everyone in Killington agrees with Mr. Rasenas, as shown by the strong showing – 45 percent – among voters who wanted to turn down the bond issue proposal.
Rasenas alludes to two major objectors’ issues – site choice and finances. He said people have claimed there are “better deals” that could have been found, but he said no one has produced one when challenged.
As far as finances are concerned, the blogger said, “Analyses have been done which reflect that the current budget projections can absorb the cost of the project with no net effect going forward on budget or taxes.”
Town Manager Deborah Schwartz confirms this is true, as described in the PowerPoint. The bond includes $525,000 for the cost of the land and some pre-sale site work worth $20,000, engineering and design costs of $21,500, and architectural fees of $87,500.
Rasenas says upcoming retirement of significant town debt and growth in tax revenue is a result of the successful four-season destination efforts by Killington Resort and others mean financing the land purchase and the new Public Safety Facility will be accomplished comfortably by taxpayers.
Schwartz said Rasenas’ statement is accurate. “This means no net effect on town capital budget and debt service allocations,” as the PowerPoint says.
A vote on building the actual new Public Services Facility could take place at the 2018 Town Meeting, Schwartz added.
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