CHARLESTOWN — Voters at Town Meeting will be asked on March 10 to approve a $269,000 land purchase for the site of a new fire station, which is being proposed due to health and safety concerns for those in the current space.
This property deal, recommended by the Selectboard but not by the finance committee, is the first step for the fire station project.
The proposed 3.2-acre site at 291 Old Springfield Road is less than a mile away from the current fire station, according to project details available on the town website.
A Fire Station Committee was formed in 2024 to evaluate issues within the current station — located at 1 North Main St. — that make daily operations not only difficult, but also dangerous.
The cost of the project is pending a formal evaluation. However, the town determined that to tear down the current station and put a one-story new one in the same spot, the cost was over $5 million.
Selectboard member Charles Baraly said in an interview on Tuesday that the price tag likely will be higher for a station at the new site because the footprint would be larger.
An evaluation completed by the committee, the town’s insurance provider, Primex, and an architect hired by the town found that repairs to the current station are not feasible.
Furthermore, part of improving conditions within the existing station would require an expansion, which the current location does not allow for.
As a result, the Selectboard has proposed purchasing a portion of Putnam Farms, a dairy farm owned by Alan Putnam. That way, once the town has a firm project plan, there’s a spot ready to build upon, Selectboard member Charles Baraly said Tuesday by phone.
Baraly previously served as the Charlestown fire chief, remains on the department and was a member of the station committee.
Putnam has been a member of the Fire Station Committee. When the committee approached individual landowners in search of a site, he was one of them.
The particular acreage under consideration would take the least amount of farmland and is most accessible from the road, he said. A barn would be torn down to make way for the fire station.
Other options would have cost the town up to $100,000 an acre, Putnam said. He presented a less expensive alternative.
“I thought it was a fair price given what I knew had been presented to the committee otherwise,” Putnam said Wednesday by phone.
A primary health concern in the current fire station is contamination and the presence of potential carcinogens. The contaminants come from scenes of fires and vehicle exhaust fumes that pose a health risk for firefighters and visitors.
While firefighters can open bay doors to air out the space as needed, there is no modern ventilation system in place. The gear is all hung up in close proximity to the vehicles, which is the only space for it. When the engines turn on, the diesel exhaust is blown directly on that gear, said Baraly.
There have not been specific health problems linked to the station but the risk and worry is real, he said.
Firefighters are 9% more likely to be diagnosed with cancer and 14% more likely to suffer a cancer-related death, according to a five-year study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Another problem is the building being made of metal causes snow to melt off the roof and freeze, which surrounds the building in ice and poses a slip and fall risk to those entering and exiting the station. The Fire Station Committee reported that one firefighter slipped and broke his arm due to this issue.
The station has one unisex bathroom and no showers, said Baraly.
Space is tight for several vehicles parked inside the station, including three large engines and other smaller vehicles, said Baraly.
The new station would have a special room for gear and a ventilation system that pulls engine exhaust out of the building, and a designated contamination area would be available to disinfect their gear, said Baraly. And a special washing machine would also allow gear to be cleaned regularly.
The fire department is volunteer, though responders are paid an hourly wage per call. Currently, there are 28 members on the roster, said Baraly.
The Charlestown Fire Department responded to 442 requests for service in 2025. Personnel increased by 11 people last year and many current members received additional training and certifications, according to a Jan. 5 Charlestown Fire Department Facebook post.
Article 9 of the warrant asks voters to approve the sum of $269,000. If the land purchase is approved, a detailed project proposal would likely be on the Charlestown annual ballot next year, Baraly said.
Australian ballot voting for this item and others will be held Tuesday, March 10 between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. at the Charlestown Senior Center, located at 223 Old Springfield Road.