Another step closer to a new firehouse in Salisbury

A special town meeting in Salisbury July 29 addressed nine agenda items that will have far-reaching repercussions going into the future, for the town and its finances. The meeting began at 7:30 p.m. and went for nearly three hours, with about 70 residents in attendance. All had the chance to voice their opinions on the actions the town was proposing, in the best New England town meeting tradition. And all the nine proposals were passed, after open discussion.

The first six items related to the next steps toward completion of the new firehouse to be the next home of the Lake-ville Hose Company. There is grant and town money to be transferred to pay for additional work on the new building and to renovate the old building at the intersection of routes 41 and 44 in the center of Lakeville. The goal is to sell the old firehouse as a commercial enterprise, which would help revitalize the town’s center. The next two items came out of the town’s purchase of the Luke and Fitting properties to be the site of a new town transfer station.

It’s understandable that there would be some concern on the part of residents as the town considers spending or transferring large sums of money such as those presented at the special meeting, ranging from $125,000 to $250,000. However, these actions were originally set in motion when the town approved both the new firehouse project and the selection and purchase of a new site for the Salisbury/Sharon Transfer Station. The expenditures are a combination of grants, town money and donated funds. The possibility of a sale of the former Luke house will only help the town’s coffers going forward, too, and remember that $130,000 of the money from that sale will replace money spent on the firehouse from the town land capital fund.

It is to the great credit of the members of the Salisbury Fire Commission who are working on the Capital Campaign that they’ve had the success they have in soliciting funds to offset the cost of the new firehouse to town taxpayers. This project has been undertaken in the worst economy since the 1930s, yet there has been good support from many in town who have been able to find the money to support this worthy cause. Town residents have stepped up to support those volunteers who give so much of their time and energy, both in training and emergency response, to protect their neighbors from the dangers associated with fires, downed wires and road accidents, among other things. This support goes a long way in showing how much the sacrifices of the volunteer firefighters are valued.

See Page A16 for a tribute to the Lakeville Hose Company and its history of serving the community since 1905. And remember to thank a volunteer in your town this week.