Mount Kisco Celebrates Opening of Expanded, Modernized Firehouse
Four years after voters approved the first of two propositions to expand and upgrade Mount Kisco’s three firehouses, village and fire department officials gathered last Sunday morning to celebrate the modernized Green Street facility.
At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, which was held before the department’s open house, commissioners and firefighters as well as Mayor Gina Picinich recognized taxpayers who agreed to open their wallets twice to get the job done.
“So the construction and rehabilitation of this firehouse is an example of the people of our community saying thank you, thank you and we want to ensure that you are in a safe environment,” Picinich. “We want to ensure that you can continue to do the job that you do at such extraordinary levels.”
The expanded firehouse, home to the Union Hook & Ladder Company and the Rescue Fire Police, contains an additional bay, room for training and a Decon room where firefighters go to clean themselves and their equipment upon returning from a blaze for protection against carcinogens.
In addition, the building is now ADA compliant, said Chief John Hochstein
“Definitely a great upgrade,” Hochstein said. “Something that was in the works for awhile and we’re really happy it came through.”
The public approved an original $10.25 million referendum in November 2017 to upgrade the Green Street, Lexington Avenue and Main Street firehouses, but by early 2019, after the project initially went out to bid, it was revealed that the architect and engineering company had miscalculated the square footage and the price.
As a result, the department had to exclude portions of the project and ask voters for an additional $4 million in 2019.
Former mayor Michael Cindrich said while he was still in office it was realized that the village needed to improve the facilities to make the volunteer firefighters’ jobs a easier as well as safer. He said he was proud of what was accomplished.
“I guess we would say that perseverance is the key word for this project,” Cindrich said.
The final price tag for the Green Street firehouse came in on budget at between $4.7 and $4.8 million, said Village Manager Ed Brancati.
While the work was being done, the ladder company and the Rescue Fire Police were housed at the village’s DPW yard, he said.
The village is expected to go out to bid for the work on the other two houses this winter, Brancati said. It is expected that the village will commence work once the winter ends and it should be completed by the end of 2022, he said.
Similar to the Union Hook & Ladder, personnel from one of the two firehouses that has the construction work will also use the DPW yard as their home base, Brancati said. The other company will share space at Green Street until their facility is ready.
Commissioner Frank Randazzo said the project was a bit of an ordeal but the job, at least at Green Street, is done.
“Most of the thanks goes out to the community because you had to vote on this thing two times,” he said. “When you said yes, we felt great and we appreciate that.”
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
