caption, page 7:

 

Into Place

Huge trusses are places over the firetruck garage portion of the new East Putnam Firehouse on Rt. 44. Linda Lemmon photo.

 

 

Firehouse

construction

is well 

underway

By Linda Lemmon

Town Crier Editor

E. PUTNAM --- The harsh weather in December may have thrown the project behind by a month, but it is not dampen the spirits of East Putnam Fire District officials.

The 13,000 square foot East Putnam firehouse is well underway and should be ready by the end of May. Tough December weather slowed the construction for a while, according to Fire District President Douglas Cutler Jr. 

Very large trusses that span the space for the firetrucks went into place last week. When the roof is on, Cutler said, interior work will begin in earnest. When that happens, he added, and the rooms and spaces are delineated, "It will seem more real to me." Cutler said his excitement for the long overdue project has been somewhat suspended. "This was desperately needed for years," he said. Currently the firehouse has outgrown the small building that has housed the growing fire department for more than 50 years.

The total cost of the project, including the purchase of the land off Rt. 44, is around $4.4 million, Cutler said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture low-interest loan, obtained through the office of U.S. Congressman Joe Courtney, has a rate of no higher than 3.5 percent. The rate is set at the closing, which should be at midyear Cutler said. "It could be lower than 3.5 percent at that time."

The project does not have any grants from the state or from the federal government at this time. Cutler, who is also a selectman, said he is trying his best to convince the town to apply for a Small Town Economic Assistance Program grant for the project. In a "best case scenario," he said, the town could reapply for a $250,000 STEAP grant and then if the state followed through with that and approved it, "that would be great." The grant requests can go up to $500,000.

Cutler said the building is still the same size as originally proposed. To keep costs down, some items have been dropped or postponed, he said. The biggest ticket item removed was a $250,000 sprinkler system. Instead, Cutler said, the materials in the building were "bumped up in fire rating" to meet standards. In addition some interior trim was removed from some rooms and the external landscaping was also nixed. He said he is likely to donate the final outdoor concrete work, such as walkways, as Cutler is in the concrete business.

Cutler said he was talking to fire chief Abe Walker recently who turned to him and said "you know in six months we'll be in that building." Cutler said "The way he put it made it really hit home." Yes, in six months, the fire department will be in its new home.

 

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