Dix Hills Fire District plans bond revote

After taking a timeout to consider voters' concerns, the Dix Hills Fire District has rescheduled a vote on the same $19.75- million bond that residents opposed earlier this year.

Voters on June 14 will decide whether to approve the bond for building a new firehouse, maintenance building, training tower and other projects.

The district postponed a March 8 vote after residents complained about limited voting hours, the lack of absentee ballots and the failure to use automated voting machines. Some residents questioned the cost of and need for new buildings during a financial crisis, as well what they called a lack of transparency by fire officials.

"We felt there were enough questions that had been asked that we thought we should take a breath and research some of those things," Fire Commissioner Philip H. Tepe said.

The board of commissioners decided to extend the voting time by three hours, he said. But using absentee ballots and automated voting machines would be cost-prohibitive and the mechanics of absentee ballot voting would be "overwhelming," he said.

A request to hold elections at all three district fire stations was logistically complicated and also expensive, Tepe said.

While district commissioners "fulfilled our obligations" for public hearings, having five when they are required to hold only three, they will continue to reach out to civic groups before the election, Tepe said.

Delaying the voting hasn't changed Dix Hills resident Joel Baden's opposition to the bond. With current economic conditions, now is not the time for a project of that scale, he said.

"I was really hoping they were going to revise the bond and build something for what they need immediately," Baden said. "I'm not against the fire department or rebuilding the 50-year-old fire headquarters."

If approved, the bond would be paid off in 20 years, officials said. The cost for a resident with a home with market value of $600,000 would be $145 per year, according to a district bond fact sheet.

Replacing the firehouse at Deer Park Road and off the Northern State Parkway, which the district claims is outdated, would cost about $11.2 million. A new maintenance building would cost $3 million while the training tower and other property maintenance items account for about $5 million of the bond.

The 31,400-square-foot firehouse would include a large meeting room, classroom, kitchenette, TV room, expanded bay area, dispatch room, offices and basement.

A district analysis found that updating the existing building would cost about $7.6 million, Tepe said.

The existing firehouse is not handicapped-accessible and the roof has outlived its life span, fire officials have said. In addition, the new building will be energy-efficient, saving money in heating and air-conditioning costs, officials said.

"I feel confident what we are doing is the right thing and I have always felt that way," Tepe said.

The vote will be from 3 to 9 p.m. at the Dix Hills Fire Department Headquarters at Deer Park Road and off the Northern State Parkway, fire officials said.