Fire station gets reprieve

By DAVID HULSE

LACKAWAXEN — A proposed Lackawaxen Fire Department sub-station in the Central Fire Department’s coverage area at the Masthope Rapids community got a 60-day reprieve January 16 after an attorney representing the Lackawaxen department claimed he had new evidence.

Township Solicitor Jay Rose said attorney Steven Wirth claimed he has new legal precedents to present to the township supervisors, who have been considering a conditional zoning use permit for the sub-station. Based on that new evidence, the supervisors granted a 60-day extension before ruling on the permit application.

Officials last month privately said the sub-station application would be rejected in January after the township’s adoption of a new Fire Company Ordinance, which formally outlines coverage areas of the Lackawaxen’s four fire companies. That ordinance, based on a 1996 survey that all four companies approved, places Masthope in Central’s district.

Adoption of the ordinance was tabled last Wednesday and supervisor’s chair Brian Stuart said the new evidence would be full reviewed before the board makes a final decision.

The decision met with skepticism from Central members in attendance at the monthly meeting. “Will we get 60 days to appeal if you approve it?” one asked.

Stuart said they would not, since the extension was based on a zoning application and Central has no standing in the Lackawaxen application.

In other business on January 16, the supervisors announced receipt of a letter from Woodloch Pines owner John Kiesendahl, which grants conditional approval of staff, emergency medical technicians’ release to respond to local ambulance calls. The approval is based on concurrent needs for EMT’s at the resort and the township or ambulance service must accept some financial obligation to pay staff EMT’s if ambulance service extends beyond the end of their paid Woodloch shift.

Kiesendahl’s, who employs many of the ambulance service EMT’s, made the offer in response to an ongoing volunteer shortage at the township ambulance service.