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Zephyrhills Fire Station Plans Changed To Reduce Cost

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By LAURA KINSLER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 6, 2009

ZEPHYRHILLS - City Manager Steve Spina said architects have revised the plans for renovating the downtown fire station to cut costs.

Spina will ask the city council to approve the latest plans Monday so the city can move forward with repairing the station, which has been out of service for more than a year because of flood damage.

Earlier designs put the price tag at roughly $750,000, plus the cost for drainage improvements. The latest plan eliminates a conference room and several offices. Spina said the cost estimate would be ready Monday.

Spina had floated an idea to do away with the station and relocate all fire personnel to Station 1, which is on the north end of the city. Spina said it would be less expensive to expand Station 1 than to repair Station 2.

"My main thing was I was trying to save money," Spina said.

Councilwoman Jody Wilkeson fought the proposal, saying property owners in the southern end of Zephyrhills don't want to lose their fire station. She said some property owners in the downtown historic district would be at risk of losing their insurance if the station were permanently relocated.

Firefighters have been working out of the World War II Barracks Museum at the municipal airport since the January 2008 flood rendered the downtown station unusable. Wilkeson said she is "embarrassed" the city has taken this long to approve a plan.

"In the end, it's not about the money," Wilkeson said. "We're using fire impact fees. We can't spend it on anything else."

Reporter Laura Kinsler can be reached at (813) 779-4617.

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