Members of a local volunteer fire department are ready to start a capital campaign in earnest to build a new fire station after getting the property for their new station approved by the county.
The Guadalupe County Commissioners on Tuesday unanimously agreed on final approval of a subdivision plat where the McQueeney Volunteer Fire Department plans to put its new building, Chief Tim Bogisch said.
“This action allows the fire department to close on the purchase of the land for our new fire station,” he said. “Once that is done, hopefully in the next couple of weeks, we can move on to a major fund-raising effort.”
The land is a 3.25-acre tract at the intersection of FM 725 and Lakeview Trail in McQueeney. Commissioners preliminarily approved the plat in February and gave it a more official go-ahead Tuesday.
Bogisch has said the department needs a new fire station at a new location for several reasons.
The current station, located on less than an acre of land, lacks adequate space, has no room for expansion and is located in a heavy traffic area at the intersection of FM 725 and FM 78, he said.
Traffic conditions are beginning to make it more difficult for fire department personnel to effectively respond to calls, Bogisch said.
The department is planning to build a new station that is large enough to house all of the department’s equipment, he said. Fire trucks will fit comfortably in the new facility as it is currently planned with five drive-through bays for vehicles.
An administration/living quarters side of the station will have a large training/meeting room, administrative offices, a large kitchen and four bedrooms for personnel to stay at the station overnight, the chief said.
Construction of a new building also will provide for future growth, Bogisch said. The improvements will help the department better serve the community, he said.
Dalondo Moultrie is the assistant managing editor of the Seguin Gazette. You can e-mail him at dalondo.moultrie@seguingazette.com .