Bergen Record
By DEENA YELLIN, STAFF WRITER
Date: 07-26-2005, Tuesday
WESTWOOD - Uncork the champagne.
It has taken more than 10 years, three contractors and $3.5 million, but
despite the myriad debacles, the new Westwood firehouse is finally
finished.
The red brick, three-story building will hold its grand opening Sunday
from 1 to 3 p.m.
"We are all thrilled to be returning to our home," said Westwood Fire
Chief James Cole.
Westwood Fire Department members will march from the DPW building on
Harrington Avenue, where they have been temporarily housed, to their new
home on Center Avenue at around 12:50 p.m.
The firefighters will parade through the street followed by a crew of
bagpipe players and the company's fire apparatus. The four chiefs who
have served during the department's tenure in the DPW building will park
the firetrucks in the four new bays.
Residents are invited to tour the new building during a two-hour open
house, in which WFD members will be available to answer questions and
offer fire safety tips.
Councilman Peter Grefrath, the council liaison to the building project
for seven years, is overjoyed with the results.
"The building is beautiful. It's well-designed and can hold all of the
equipment easily. It will also be able to be used as an emergency
shelter in case Westwood residents ever have to vacate their homes,"
Grefrath said.
The building also contains offices, a training room, a kitchen, a state
of the art communications center and a generator that can independently
sustain power for the building.
It wasn't an easy process. There were many obstacles over the years.
First, borough officials and residents debated what kind of building
should be built and at what cost.
Once construction began, a storm ripped through town and blew down the
walls. Then the contractor went bankrupt and the architectural firm
disbanded.
When new experts examined the plans, they found defects in the building.
A new design and rising construction costs increased the project from
$1.3 million to more than $3 million.
Then borough officials complained that the contractor was taking too
long to finish the job and hired a new contractor after the second
contractor went into default for not paying subcontractors.
The building finally received a certificate of occupancy last week, and
the department has slowly been moving in.
"It has been long-anticipated, and we're glad to finally be able to move
in and have a place where we can call home," said a beaming Darren
Blankenbush, a fire official. "It sure beats the rental trailer I've
been working out of for eight years."
Westwood's first firefighting unit, Continental Hook and Ladder Company
No. 1, was established on Feb. 17, 1884. The first firehouse was built
in September 1894 on land where the current firehouse stands.
The original firehouse was expanded in 1910 to include a second bay for
a new firetruck. In 1928, the original firehouse was demolished and the
borough constructed a municipal building that housed the fire
department.
The building eventually became dilapidated and outdated and could not
accommodate today's fire equipment. So borough officials pursued the
idea of constructing a new building. The municipal hall-firehouse was
razed in 1997 to make way for the new headquarters.
But not everyone is thrilled with the project's completion.
"As a resident frustrated with rising taxes, I wish the oversight had
been more tenacious toward containing costs during the past decade this
project has lived," said Mayor Thomas Wanner. "The way it was, the net
cost is approximately $3 million - no small change in any taxpayer's
pocket."
Borough Attorney Russell Huntington denied that the catastrophes
surrounding the firehouse project were a result of borough
mismanagement, as some have charged.
"This is more of a reflection of the system that the Legislature has
stuck the towns with than the local officials who have to try to operate
within that system," he said.
He pointed out that state laws limit municipality projects, such as the
requirement to choose the lowest bidder and to limit what can be set
aside for cost overruns.
***
Fast facts
* The new red brick firehouse at Center and Jefferson avenues is three
stories tall and includes a mezzanine.
* The building has 14,552 square feet.
* It has four truck bays; several offices, including a fire prevention
bureau office; a social hall; a kitchen, and a state-of-the-art
communications room.
* The borough spent $4.5 million overall but was refunded $1 million
from its insurance company for delays caused by the former engineer,
architect and contractor.
* The borough still has outstanding claims against Poppe General
Contractors Inc., and hopes to recoup more costs.
